A Hotel Room with a (Spectacular) View

The following article was originally published on Examiner.com, Dec. 1, 2010

New Orleans New Orleans is known for its music, food and friendly people, but not everyone comes here thinking about the breathtaking views. Think again. Not only do many of the city's hotels offer phenomenal Mississippi River views, but also sweeping, panoramic chances to take in the city lights twinkling above the Quarter or Central Business District. Where to start? That's the challenge. Start with a great river view:

• The Westin New Orleans Canal Place

At 100 Rue Iberville, this NOLA staple is tucked conveniently between the Quarter and Warehouse Districts. Your heart-stopping view of the Mississippi will be punctuated only by the unusual way you're about to see the lights of Bourbon and vicinity. Enjoy high-speed Internet access from your ergnomically-adjusted desk chair after dining at its River 127 Restaurant -- yes, 127 feet above the river. Then, an urban cityscape:

• The Roosevelt New Orleans

According to a publicist with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, this hotel offers "very interesting urban views and a dense cityscape from their pool/rooftop lounge."At 130 Roosevelt Way in the French Quarter, this over-a-century-old gem offers 100 percent non-smoking rooms and touts a non-allergenic hotel policy. In addition, visitors will nearly faint when they see the Guerlain Spa. The hotel offers a full range of spa services including massages and facial treatments and hand therapy, "each personally tailored to relieve mind, body and soul." They also boast a 2,300-square foot fitness center, for anyone who finds her "serenity" in sweat.

Also worth your travel bucks: Loews - sweeping views of the Mississippi and a few blocks from Canal (away from the Quarter) so it's deliciously quiet.

Photo: Used with permission, The Roosevelt New Orleans.