Royal Barracks Guest House

We stayed in the bunk bed room and it was perfect.
The location was ideal. The room and courtyard were exactly what we wanted.
Kelly and Sugar B were very accommodating, welcoming and helpful on giving suggestions and tips for enjoying our stay.
Kelly was easily available and she was great to just chat with. We actually regretted not just inviting her out for a drink!
It was the most unique place I’ve stayed at to date.
I’d 100% stay here again!

So… I booked here based on the excellent Unilocal reviews that I read prior. The website also depicted beautiful and charming rooms and courtyard… Our experience here was a little different than what others mentioned.
My husband and I stayed in the Gothic Room. While the paint and decorations were interesting and had character, the room didn’t seem clean and there were lots of little issues that we discovered with each passing day (we stayed 3 nights). The first night, an unused tampon next to the mini fridge, and tampon wrappers under the bed. Then… While we were eating a late night snack, I saw something scurry across the carpet… I gasped. A giant cockroach! My husband killed it with his shoe. Needless to say, I slept with one eye open that night. I understand that there are a lot of cockroaches in NOLA, but I’ve never had one in any hotel/​motel/​BnB!!! If you stay here, don’t eat in the room and keep food in the fridge! You’ve been warned.
The bed was a saggy spring mattress and it was slanted due to the floor being slanted. The footboard of the bed was loose and moved back and forth. The shower didn’t have shelf space for soap and shampoo, and the bathroom and shower ceiling were filled with dead bugs that had been squashed. The table with the microwave and coffee maker was precariously placed and it almost collapsed a few times when I bumped into it. The room was also tiny! Much smaller than in the photos on the website. The bed basically took up the entire room. The room really just needs a deep cleaning and some updating. It looks tired and well-​used. For $ 109/​night, I expected better.
The good: Nice cold AC, quiet, fridge/​microwave/​cable TV/​coffee maker in the room, private entrance, GREAT location next to everything, including Frenchmen street, friendly owner (although she wasn’t as friendly to us as others mentioned. There was no drinking wine and chatting… she pretty much ignored us except to say «hello».) Late check out was nice on our day of departure. So. overall, a mixed experience here. Maybe the other rooms are nicer, but I can only speak to our experience.

I made a plan to visit New Orleans on short notice. I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon the Royal Barracks Guest House website but the price and location fit my needs very well. Its on the quiet side of the Quarter which is nice if you want to get away from the noise. Yet, it’s just a short walk from the all the action. It’s very close to Frenchman Street which is a big plus for me. There is no parking so you will need to find a safe place to leave your car if you are driving to the city like I did.
I booked the Garden Room for two nights. I had a little trouble finding the place at first because I was expecting to see some kind of sign from the street. I walked right past the front door twice before I found it. Tip: Look for the street number on the outside of the building. Kelly and her sweet little dog greeted me like I was an old friend. That was most appreciated!
My room was adorable! It is a small but very comfortable room with its own bathroom. Two people might feel cramped but it’s perfect for one.
My favorite thing about this space is that there is no key to keep up with! The locks are operated by number-​coded key pads and Kelly gave me a code that was based on my phone number.
I really enjoyed my stay here and I would certainly stay again.

My wife and I have been staying here since 2007 I think, and I agree with the other Unilocal reviewer who said: «this is where you stay if you want to feel like you live here». The innkeeper is a kick, you are right in the middle of everything and there is a great coffee shop down the street for when you drag yourself out of bed after reveling the night before. I always seem to find parking somewhere. This time the street parking on Rampart St was full during FQ festival but there was cheap event parking $ 20 a day on Decatur Ave on the other side of Elisian Fields Ave. This time after a long drive and crummy traffic on I-​10 we were greeted with a glass of chilled white wine… cool! This is where you get real Southern hospitality!

I want to go back!
We stayed at the Royal Barracks Guest House for ten days, and did not want to leave. It was like staying with a favorite relative. Our hosts, Kelly and her dog Sugah B, we’re gracious, welcoming, warm, funny, and attentive but not overly so. Her recommendations were spot on.
If you are looking for a full service place, this isn’t for you. If you want an inexpensive place to stay while avoiding the tourist traps and trying to feel like a local, look no further.
They have free wifi. It is probably not as fast or reliable as your wifi at home, but it is free, and you are on vacation, so leave your virtual world behind for a few days.
They do not offer parking, but you are staying in the French Quarter and it sucks to drive there anyway, so take a cab from the airport, they will drop you at the front door. Besides, walking through the Quarter is the best way to see it, and helps burn off some of those beignets.
There is no hot tub or pool, but that means fewer mosquitoes in the back courtyard. And you want to hang out in the back courtyard, because that means new friends, and drinks with Kelly and Sugah B.
They have brew it yourself CC’s Community Coffee. That on its own is reason enough for me to go back. There is no breakfast provided (not a B&B, after all), but there are so many places nearby to get awesome breakfasts (and every other meal), why waste money on mediocre continentals?
They are walking distance to all of the Quarter, to the CBD, to Frenchmans, to the Marigny, and to the Treme.
They are around the corner from Verti Marte. ‘Nuff said.

We were looking for something quirky and inexpensive (after a night in the Monteloeone). As soon as we walked up to the very cool and historic house, we knew we found the spot. Kelly was very friendly, and her poodle showed us to the Bunk Room. A little small but we knew what we were getting into after reviews. The décor was very cool… blue tiles all the way up to the ceiling, an old wine barrel as a sink, custom art on the walls, and the cutest courtyard out back. We came in late one night, put some jazz on and sipped on a hot tea… very cool. I don’t recommend booking the bunk room if you are married and looking for something sexy. I do recommend it if you like out of the ordinary, and want a slice of the real French Quarter. Very quiet… very affordable… very likely we will return.

A combination of its great location, wonderful value and hostess Kelly all make for a high recommendation of the Royal Barracks Guest House. I had the pleasure of staying with Kelly for a week, and was treated to two of the bedrooms during this time: the Bunk Room and the Garden Room.
I found the Bunk Room to be what many may find as an acquired taste; I however loved it. It is a small room with beautiful blue tiles, small shower and restroom area (not the most privacy) and larger– than– life bunk beds. The room reminded me of something out of an earlier season of MTV’s «The Real World.» While small, I loved the vibe of the space and with its location one block from Bourbon Street, one could not beat the amazing rate of $ 79– $ 89. It was well worth it, and a novelty within itself. Special note though to guests during the cold months; the room is rather quite cold during cool nights, and the wall unit wasn’t as much help. It is nothing that an extra blanket cannot cure, just be sure to bring one ahead of time.
Later in the week, we moved into the Garden Room. While less novel than the Bunk Room, I found this space to be remarkably cozy. Tucked away in the corner of the building, I felt as though I had great privacy and the room was warmer and very inviting. The shower and bathroom area were larger as well, and once again were such a great value.
Kelly is a separate facet of the Royal Barracks Guest House that must be commented on; what an absolutely charming woman. From the moment we each met Kelly, she was sharing glasses of wine, stories and plates of cheese and berries. She is an excellent hostess who was not only attentive, but warm, a true belle and provided all of the little extras that help make a trip to New Orleans unique.
Royal Barracks Guest House is not a Ritz Carlton, and should not be compared to one. Those who are looking to stay in the French Quarter at a low cost and experience an inn that is true to the history and flare of the town will love staying here. For those guests that want a high– end, polished and newer lodging experience, I would recommend one of the larger chains in the Central Business District. For all the rest of us, please do not hesitate to stay with Kelly; I was highly satisfied with the inn.

Finding just the right place to stay in the French Quarter was challenging. Those inns catering to we «common folk» slash their prices in the sultry summer months and quirky is definitely in abundance here, so I had no problem abiding by my accommodation rules — 1. No corporate chains; 2. Unique or highly friendly; and 3. Wallet friendly. The challenge was not in finding personality, but to avoid too much quirk. I finally decided on the Royal Barracks Guesthouse on the quiet side of the French Quarter.
Born and raised in New Orleans, the manager (Kelly) takes Southern hospitality to heart. By the time we pulled up to the front door, I had received no less than four phone calls (peppered with «sweetheart» and «darlin’») and felt as if I already knew her a bit. When we burst through a pair of real French doors into our room, I almost groaned with pleasure… the air conditioning was on turbo and Sophie was smiling. There were massive bunk beds to our right, a half-​barrel sink to our left, and French Quarter charm everywhere we looked. Later, when I shared a beer with Kelly, she informed me that the place even came equipped with a ghost… a friendly «green» spirit who preferred all things electric to be off.
Royal Barracks was a treasure for just $ 79/​night…

very cute. small, but very cute. there’s a little backyard area for breakfast, music, and hanging out. unfortunately the hot tub doesn’t work. I know my friends who stayed here, booked it and that was what sealed the deal. I’d say its been broken for some time. too bad. All of her emails talked about hanging in the hot tub, and I know she suffers from aches and pains. bummer.
great location. beautiful bathrooms, and nice people. tiny though. I would recommend this to friends, but only if the hot tub was fixed.
if your booking for the hot tub, I would suggest you call in advance, to make sure its really working.

i love this rbgh! the location is fantastic, the ladies that run the place are more than accomodating making sure everything was ok, and even picked us up from the airport simply because «i live right by the airport». how sweet. the décor is overly dramatic and very appropriate for the french quarter. Yes, the building is old and if you are looking to stay at the marriot suites this is not the place for you… but if you are looking to stay in a cute place run by people that offer genuine southern hospitality, at an affordable rate, this is the place. sheets were clean, beds were comfy. we stayed in the suite and didn’t bother with closing the room divider (like the other person reviewer complained about) because if you do NOLA right, you usually do not remember going to bed. the bathroom was clean and the shower was hot. we had a great time, thanks RB!

Really enjoyed our stay. We will be back and we will definately be telling all of our friends about this quant little place!

Yeah, more than a hidden gem. Read on. We stayed in the suite over the Independence Day weekend for $ 300/​night. I will say that the décor is appropriately gaudy and the location is fantastic as I prefer the quieter east end of the French Quarter.
However, once the charm wears off, you’ll find that quite a lot has worn off this place. In general the room is worn — beyond historic charm type of wear. For instance one of the two AC units was borderline useless preventing us from drawing the room divider as we wanted to. The hot water valve on the shower spewed hot water onto our feet during showers. The shades on the front door were just lame. The trundle bed was difficult to manage. Closer inspection revealed quick & dirty construction methods were used to shoehorn the bathroom in. Certainly not deserving of the price we paid.
To top it all off, the «outdoor bar» is just a shelf with a sink and on our visit housed a giant jar of condoms with another bulk-​size bag of condoms sitting on top of it. I had to wonder why there were hundreds of condoms for the taking at the jacuzzi?! Needless to say, not a place for curious kids… and also needless to say we did NOT use the jacuzzi and I hope they use lots of chlorine!

Somewhat hidden little gem of a place tucked into Barracks St, between Bourbon and Royal. This is not a «big name» box of a hotel. And that is a good thing. Most of the rooms are decorated for the period of the ancient house, and are generally not very expensive (under $ 170/​night). RBGH has a private courtyard with a jacuzzi and an outdoor bar. One of my favorite places to get away to in NOLA.