The Bar/Lounge at W New Orleans - French Quarter

"In a section of the hotel's center courtyard separated by a wrought-iron gate, you'll find "Wet," the W's generously sized outdoor pool with a small cabana, towels, and plenty of lounge chairs"

"Sophisticated barflies gather at SoBou, where cocktails incorporate Cajun spiced rum, homemade apricot jam and other tempting ingredients"

"There is, however, a stocked minibar along with a cocktail shaker to get the in-room party started (for a price, of course)"

"Traditional wrought iron gatework and a gurgling old fountain mix with low-slung loungers and mod cabanas"

"The newly redesigned rooms channel the city’s jazz and voodoo culture, while the new bar and restaurant, SoBou, serves modern Creole fare and has an excellent cocktail program run by New York transplant Abigail Gullo"

"Designed as a Creole saloon serving Louisiana-inspired street food—crispy boudin, shrimp-and-tasso pinchos, suckling pig Cuban po'boys—it also offers self-serve wine machines, a beer garden where the tables come with their own beer taps, and a large bar with a deep selection of rum"

"The redesigned air-conditioned guest rooms feature 12-ft ceilings and are quite large (310-325 sq ft) compared to those in other New Orleans hotels, and all have smart new contemporary style with gray and plum-tone accents that barely stand out against the neutral colors"