Jill Abbyad opened this bed-and-breakfast more than two decades ago with her husband, Charles, after fleeing a corporate job in San Francisco. The couple live upstairs with their two teenage children, which gives this place an inimitable homeyness—but not at the expense of privacy. Each of the five rooms, arrayed around two quiet courtyards, has its own entrance; numbers 2 and 3 have original heart pine floors and (nonworking) fireplaces from 1876. All are cozy and cottagelike without coming off as overly precious. During breakfast (fresh French bread, cheeses, fruit, and pastries), Jill, always knowledgeable and animated, will help you plan your day, matching your particular interests with her favorite spots and outings. She can also put together a self-drive Katrina tour for interested guests. The residential Uptown location makes for a peaceful retreat: It's at the edge of the Garden District and within close walking distance of stately, mansion-lined St. Charles Avenue. Parking and WiFi are included in the room rate.

Located in a Beaux Arts building two blocks from the French Quarter, the International House is a property that balances modernity with a sense of place. The 117 rooms team neutral color schemes with warm lighting and contemporary furnishings, yet subtle decorative details anchor the aesthetic in New Orleans: The spacious superior rooms get night lighting from a single ornate chandelier over the reading/seating area. Ample windows give a wide-screen feel to the corner rooms, but ask for a higher-floor assignment to minimize morning street noise. The split-level lobby bar, Loa, is awash in natural light during the day and romantically candlelit after sunset. Traveling hipsters and the local martini mob relax to a trip-hop soundtrack, while businessmen balance cocktails on their laptops (there's free Wi-Fi service throughout the hotel).

An unmarked entrance hints at the speakeasy vibe of this über-contemporary 18-room gem located a couple of blocks from Canal Street. The rooms are studies in sophisticated minimalism—concrete floors, neutral color palettes, low-slung couches—with plenty of room to lounge about or surf the Web (there's free hotel-wide Wi-Fi). The spacious and well-appointed bathrooms have smooth soapstone showers, stylish soaking tubs, and Aveda toiletries. Sister hotel the International House (located a block away) has fitness facilities and provides Loft's room service, but you won't have to go far for nightlife. Crowds pack the subterranean bar/lounge, where the decidedly urbane vibe is tempered by exposed brick and a worn wooden dance floor.

The 217-room Renaissance—not your typical entry from this business-oriented chain—sums up the aspirations of the rapidly developing Warehouse District. Located in a 1910 storage depot, the hotel is filled with modern and contemporary artwork selected by Arthur Roger, a luminary on the local gallery scene. The lobby is dominated by blown-glass chandeliers from Seattle's Dale Chihuly and a haunting cast-glass wall from local artist Mitchell Gaudet, whose pieces also adorn the rooms. The enclosed atrium is a sculpture garden, with works by the late Ida Kohlmeyer and New Orleans's John Scott (whose studio was wrecked by the storm). The rooms are enlivened by modern paintings and bright candy-striped headboards. Standard kings are spacious enough to accommodate a reading chair and ottoman, plus a separate desk area with an Aeron chair—a bonus for fussy road warriors.

The Renaissance chain weaves New Orleans's musical heritage into this 272-room reimagining of a Jazz Age high-rise, built in 1925. The lobby pulses with a clubby, modern lounge vibe dominated by primary colors, bold geometric furniture motifs, and glittering mirror mosaics. The rooms echo that contemporary feel with comfortable celadon sitting chairs and a work space complete with an Aeron chair. (What's decidedly unmodern? The lack of in-room Wi-Fi.) Health facilities include video-equipped treadmills and elliptical machines, weights, and a shallow outdoor pool, perfect for cooling off or swimming short laps, but not much more (sorry, kids). On-site dining and drinking options are stellar: MiLa restaurant (Southern-influenced New American cuisine) and Bar UnCommon (currently home to master bartender Chris McMillian) occupy the Pere Marquette's lobby floor.

Located in a Canal Street landmark—the venerable Maison Blanche department store—the Ritz brings its chain-wide style of formal luxury to the outer edge of the French Quarter. Ritz regulars will recognize both the aesthetic (hardwood floors, Oriental rugs, gilt-framed artwork) and the attention to detail (an umbrella in the closet, a necessity for this subtropical city). Ornate armoires replace the usual chest of drawers and hide the flat-screen TV. Downy duvets and mountains of decorative pillows cover luxurious, extra-thick mattresses. Marble-clad bathrooms in the Club-level rooms come stocked with Bulgari toiletries, powerful rainfall showerheads, and deep soaking tubs. Non-couples who would normally end up sharing a standard "double double" room—two double beds—will appreciate the "double king" option, a spacious layout that's just shy of a suite (in terms of price and size) but offers plenty of room for work and lounging. The on-site restaurants provide plenty of live music and swanky ambiance—legendary trumpet player Jeremy Davenport serenades diners indulging in haute Cajun fare at Mélange. Disappointingly, the Library Lounge has been converted to a private cigar room adjacent to the lobby level's open atrium. Guests can pay $20 to gain entrance.

A speck of tranquility in the French Quarter, and possibly the finest small hotel in the city. There are 33 fresh, airy rooms and suites spread throughout three meticulously restored 19th-century Creole townhouses. Each is decorated differently—and impeccably—with luxury textiles, Oriental rugs, and original 18th- and 19th-century French, Italian, and Louisianan antiques. Small, delightful details reveal themselves throughout your stay: a ceiling painted robin's-egg blue, bathroom fixtures labeled in French, a clamshell used as a soap dish. Breakfast is a basket of fresh-baked biscuits and house-made strawberry preserves, served either in your room or in the lovely tree-shaded courtyard (romantic and candlelit by night, perfect for a cocktail from the honor bar). Traveling families will have to search elsewhere: House policy excludes children under 12.

The much-lauded 324-room Windsor Court Hotel epitomizes New Orleans luxury while playing freely with disparate aesthetics. Completed in 1984, the Windsor Court transports design cues from Windsor Castle and other grand English country manors into a modern architectural space. Prints and paintings of equestrians and wig-wearing 18th-century nobles abound—even in the elevators—and original oils by Reynolds and Gainsborough hang in the first- and second-floor lobbies. A traditional afternoon tea is served in Le Salon, and the Polo Club Lounge, with its dark wood and resident piano player, feels like an old-time gentlemen's club. Eighty percent of the rooms are suites; the standard junior offers plenty of acreage and a kitchenette but lacks the polish that its reputation (and premium price) implies. The pop-up television at the foot of the king bed is a fun touch, but its oversize mirrored enclosure seems clunky and dated. The hotel was recently sold by the Orient-Express group to a local ownership team that has promised renovations; we hope they make improvements without sacrificing the atmosphere.

The W chain's minimalist, sophisticated aesthetic works particularly well at this cozy historic property. While the lobby's anything but spacious, the well-tended courtyard feels at once romantic and urbane. (Weekend evenings, jockey for one of the intimate couches on the secluded terrace where drinks are served.) The 98 rooms feature pillow-top mattresses, duvets, and in-room CD/DVD players. Slate-tiled showers, though spacious, take the place of the bathtubs more standard in the French Quarter—historic adaptations have their limits, apparently. Upgraded carriage-house rooms are an exception, with full Jacuzzi tubs on the lower floors (the higher ones have private balconies instead). The small pool is great for cooling off, but fitness swimmers can head over to the high-rise W New Orleans, six blocks downtown, a 423-room property with exercise facilities and a larger pool (333 Poydras St.; 504-525-9444; www.whotels.com).