December is a slow month in New Orleans, tourism-wise.  Not many people come to visit this magical city during December.  Christmas in Connecticut?  Sure.  Christmas in New Orleans?  Not so much, for whatever reason.  Ask any professional New Orleans innkeeper if you should visit New Orleans in December and they will all answer the same, “Sure!”

New Orleans is nice in December, especially if you are from up north.  New Orleanians will complain about the cold but December in New Orleans is like springtime in Minnesota, Chicago, New Hampshire, New York City, Iowa, San Francisco, or just about everywhere else above the Mason-Dixon line.  It’s like summer in Canada.

In December, it is easy to spot who doesn’t live in New Orleans.  They are the people who aren’t bundled up in winter clothes when the temperature drops below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brrr-rrrrr!  You’ll find New Orleans a paradise in December.  There is no place like NOLA for the holidays.

During December, New Orleans innkeepers offer what is called a Papa Noel special.  Who is Papa Noel?  He is Father Christmas.  You call him Santa Claus but down here in Creole New Orleans we call him by his French name: Papa Noel.  No matter what you call him, the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in New Orleans.  The double row of palm trees that run down the center of Canal Street are all lit up with festive fairy lights to sparkle up the season.  It really is magical in New Orleans during December, as it is every time of year.

During December, it being a slow time on the tourism calendar, many of our professionally operated New Orleans bed and breakfasts and boutique inns offer enticements to make staying with them more attractive.  If you are thinking of coming to New Orleans in December, consider staying at a licensed B&B, a member of PIANO.  We aren’t called the Professional Innkeepers Association of New Orleans for nothing.  That’s what we are, professionals in sharing all that is good about New Orleans with the good people who choose to stay with us.

Discover another side of New Orleans.  Discover one of the city’s many colorful neighborhoods.

You’ll find that the big hotel chains also offer special discounts and rates during December.  The spirit of Papa Noel is everywhere in the city during December in New Orleans.  Can the big hotels match the hospitality of a small, intimate New Orleans B&B experience?  That’s an unfair question, like comparing plum pudding with sugar plums.  You know where our sympathies are—we’re innkeepers, not hoteliers.

Stay tuned to our blog for our next update on Papa Noel specials.  You don’t have to wait for us to announce them, though.  Look through the selection of inns on our website.  You can’t find a better deal than a professionally licensed B&B or inn no matter what time of year.

Thank you for visiting our website.  We are PIANO, the Professional Innkeepers Association of New Orleans, and all our members look forward to introducing you to the best parts of New Orleans.  Our members have 200 rooms scattered over the city—No two rooms alike.  New Orleans is a city of neighborhoods.