Banana Courtyard

Had a good 4 night stay at this little B&B. Located just outside of the Quarter, it’s an easy walk to everything you want to get to.
The B&B coordinated a driver, Stanley — who is amazing in his own right — to pick us up from the airport. He was gracious, kind, communicative and affordable. Had great recommendations for the city — and truly loved to talk about it. He had all sorts of history on the parishes, and the neighborhoods within them. If you need transportation to this hotel, ask them to book Stanley for you!
We stayed in the Pirate’s Attic, which is (as they point out) a very small room. It was fine for 2 of us, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to stay in there with anymore than that. The bathroom was clean. There was no hot water to the sink, but we did have hot water in the shower, so it wasn’t worth complaining about.
Breakfast was toast, croissants, fruits, and oj/​coffee/​tea, and if Hugh was there — apple fritters warmed up! Great way to start the day.
The only complaint that I had was that, overall, the place could use a thorough dusting. The issue is they have SO. MUCH. STUFF. that I don’t think it’s possible. They are cleaning day in/​out, but the dust did make it feel a little bit stuffy. However, for all of the benefits of this place — it was worth it.
Warm, welcoming staff. Great location. Incredibly KNOWLEDGEABLE about the area — with great recommendations on everything from asking certain places for «secret tours» (so worth it) to ducking into a catholic gospel mass, to hear the incredible sounds of a Sunday morning in NOLA.

Wife n I spent a week here n had an awesome time perfect spot close to all the crazy night life on bourbon or the more laid back of Frenchmen. Hugh n Mary were very helpful.

I don’t trust them out there employees. Musty, lots of old dusty memorabilia. Granted much of the memory’s are very nola related. You might be lucky to get one of there «other properties», but it may be illegal… a neighbor called the city on one that wasn’t supposed to be a bed and breakfast. P. s. no bed and breakfast in new orleans is allowed to actually cook for you, and while they say home made jam. Its from a smukers jar or something. (They just transfer it to home style mason jars)

Sleep in the Pirates’ Attic! We have stayed here twice. The Banana Courtyard does not disappoint. Hugh and Mary are knowledgeable about EVERYTHING New Orleans and the breakfasts are top-​notch. The location is awesome (close to Frenchman Street and the Quarter, but not so close that you will be disturbed by rowdy frat boys) and the prices are TRULY reasonable. There are lots of nice little add-​ons available to make your trip extra special, too, like chocolate dipped strawberries. The décor is awesome and unique – you get a real sense of eclectic history from the house rather than the over-​the-​top Victorian décor of some other B&Bs. It is also super close to Buffas and Port O’Call if you get hungry at night. I love the Banana Courtyard and will definitely stay here every time I return to New Orleans. Special shout-​out to Stanley, the BC’s awesome driver.

Ode to a B&B. Choose your favorite.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Convenient and Cheap
This place is for you.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
The owners are wacky
And lots of fun too.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Breakfast is scrumptious
Give me more food!

Such a disappointment
We made reservations at Banana Courtyard months in advance for our honeymoon. When I called to make the reservation I already had the room we wanted in mind (The hexagon room). Banana Courtyard touts itself as being full of charm and antiques which is just what we wanted for our honeymoon. When we were on the phone the girl I spoke with mentioned honeymooners also liked the Balcony room for its (one person) Jacuzzi tub and king size bed. Having seen pictures I wasn’t too impressed and well, I already have a Jacuzzi for one at home. What I don’t have at home is antique furniture and a steamer trunk from gone with the wind. We reserved the Hexagon room. 10 days prior to our trip when I emailed to confirm our reservation, everything was fine. The day of arrival we called (twice as requested) and still everything was fine. We arrive and Ooops! They double booked the Hexagon room. Because of the mix up they «upgraded» us to the Balcony Room but I can’t by any stretch of my imagination see how this was an upgrade.
So the room: The room is fairly spacious but is furnished in what I’ll call a garage –sale/​post-​college-​first apartment-​on-​my-​own style. There’s a futon which was comfortable for sitting but lumpy for sleeping (I’ll get to why we tried sleeping on it in a moment). There’s one metal and glass bedside table and another made of a block of wood and floor tile. The walls are painted an orangish/​tropical sort of color and are filled with a mishmash of «art.» There’s a map or Burma, there’s a framed 80’s modern piece, and then my favorite the ugly starburst which was surely picked out of the trash because it was merely a warped canvas tacked onto the wall. There’s a fireplace which is crooked, a small kitchenette with peeling cabinets, and a standalone metal rack which doubles as your closet. Let’s get to the bed, the King sized bed. I give them credit for being right about the size but frankly it was the most uncomfortable bed my husband and I have ever slept on, this is saying a lot since my husband has been deployed to Iraq 3 times and found his accommodations there more comfortable. You can feel every spring in the mattress and parts of the bed are taped together with digicamo tape (courtesy I imagine of Corey, bless his heart-​putting the man back in romance).
The bathroom: it was functional, mostly. There’s a Jacuzzi which works fine when there’s hot water. We didn’t have hot water on 3 separate occasions so that was awesome. Otherwise it’s kind of gross. I don’t know who installed the tub or did the surround but there was staining and abundance of waterproofing goop.
To sum up our accommodations: Possibly the least romantic and least comfortable place you’d ever want to stay on your honeymoon. To be fair the rooms in the main part of the BnB looked gorgeous.
The breakfast: They’re pretty defensive about this subject at Banana Courtyard but they really should call this place a Bed and Bread. For breakfast they serve orange juice, tea, and coffee. Each morning you have to call ahead before coming down. In terms of actual food they serve 1 type of bread (seriously either sliced bread or a roll) and 1 type of «local baked good» which when we stayed amounted to miniature muffins and on another morning miniature cinnamon rolls. You just generally get the impression that they’re trying not to spend any money at all on the whole breakfast thing. I understand that NO has rules regarding serving hot dishes but I travel a lot and primarily stay at BnB’s (many of which serve a cold breakfast) and I’ve never seen such a paltry offering. To sum up: Grab a cup of coffee but eat out.
The staff: While we were there Corey was the on-​site manager. He was probably the highlight of the whole BnB debacle. He was welcoming, friendly, funny, and very helpful when it came to recommendations for food and sightseeing. We kept asking if he could move us to another room and that was really the only way he wasn’t able to help us out.
The location: While the BnB is secure it is a bit of a walk to the quarter which is fine if you’re able bodied and sober. You do not want to be walking down Rampart at night and in general it feels like it’s either on the edge of the nice area or the area itself is just starting to go downhill a bit.
To sum up: We loved New Orleans and we’re already planning our next trip. It’s unfortunate that our accommodations were so awful (on our honeymoon of all things) but we did get a lot of funny stories out of the experience. We obviously will not be coming back to this BnB.

I stayed here for Mothers Day with my mom a couple years ago. The owners were very nice and accommodating. There is charm and character through out the entire house and courtyard. The price was fair. The rooms are small but clean. I would definitely stay again for a weekend in the city. I would recommend a first floor room they are a little larger, and also if you have a hard time with stairs as my mother did. The stairway is a bit narrow.

It’s good when nothing else is available. forget the «continental» breakfast, not worth getting up for. I’ve been here twice, the second time we stayed at another place that they rent out when they have no more room at their main place. I think it’s called the plantation house?, in the Faubourg Marigny. That place was the best place to stay. Very nice area too, close to Frenchmen street.

I stayed at this Bed and Breakfast right in the middle of July – hottest, most humid time in NOLA. Luckily, my friend and I picked a great place to stay at. Mary was very friendly and welcoming! She immediately took the time to thoroughly explain all the good restaurants, where to visit, and how to use public transportation. She was even considerate enough to offer to walk us over to all the exciting areas! If I owned a B&B, I know I’d be too lazy to walk my guests anywhere and I’d probably just throw them a map and be gone.
Another big plus was that Mary is so accommodating. When we decided to rent a car for the day, she had no problem squeezing us in even though it made things inconvenient for her. In the end I was lucky enough to find street parking, but the willingness and the gesture was the most important.
The room we stayed in the Cannonball room which was wonderful. If I remember correctly, the master bed that I slept on was built in the mid-​1800s (very fascinating but at the same time made me really paranoid to sleep on something with so much personal value and history). There is also a second smaller bed on the side that my roommate slept on. I was very happy with the air-​conditioning, the remodeled restrooms (it’s a small restroom though), and the variety of channels on our tv. The ceilings were relatively high so it didn’t feel too small or anythinhg. The only thing was that the lighting was a little darker than what I’m used to, but it was fine.
And just as a heads-​up, I see an earlier review saying that the rooms were not nice. I just want to say that this is an old building and standards should be adjusted appropriately. It’s more of a quaint, comfortable, home-​y, antique-​y kind of establishment. If you’re looking for new, spacious, hospital-​esque kind of clean, then maybe a hotel would be a better option to look into.

The Banana Courtyard was an experience onto itself. I’m really glad I chose to stay here for my first trip to NOLA.
The Banana Courtyard is an acquired taste. It’s definitely not a regular B&B, it’s more like staying with eccentric relatives. Which has it’s pros and cons, but I enjoyed it.
Here are the Pros:
Everyone was super sweet and attentive. I really felt safe and welcome.
The location was great, it’s on the far side of the French Quarter, away from the craziness but close enough to walk to everything.
Cons:
I don’t know if it’s like this in the other rooms, but my room (Pirate’s attic) had an old smell, probably because the place is old, which translated to not quite clean.
My bed wasn’t great, not horrible, but didn’t make my back very happy.
This isn’t a con against BC, but a general complaint against B&Bs in NOLA: apparently B&Bs can’t serve hot breakfasts — which really screws the B&B and the guests.

If there was a 0 star option I wold use that. This was the worst hotel/​bed and breakfast stay my husband and I have had. We had booked a queen bed and ended up in a room with 2 twin beds… not what we wanted for our 1^st anniversary! The bathroom was tiny and disgusting. Maybe some of the other rooms are nice, but ours was not.

LOVELY!!!
EVERYTHING about our stay at Banana Courtyard was wonderful! I have to focus so that this review does not turn into a book on the glories of this place. OK, here we go…
LOCATION…a very quick walk from the heart of the French Quarter or to Frenchman Street, even after drinking several Hurricanes… but far enough away to ensure a peaceful rest.
DECOR… makes you feel like you are in N’Awlins 1920 – 40. The rooms are studded with antique furniture, knick knacks and art from a bygone era. The atmosphere and feel of this place takes you back in time. I also loved the radio that constantly piped in old jazz and all the beautiful photos of Mary’s family. There is such a rich, warm history in this place.
SERVICE…from the time I first called the hotel for availability until the time I left my every question was answered promptly and every need was met. Mary also offers a plethora of valuable advice and guides on where to go, what to see, what to eat. She is your own in-​house travel agent.
SWEET MEMORIES… Mary Ramsey, the proprietor is just the sweetest, friendliest person you’d want to meet. All of the above are very good reasons to stay here, but the mood that Mary creates is unique and not easily duplicated. She does not make you feel like a guest in a B&B, but like a friend in her home. Other places may have great location, prices and services… but they don’t have Mary.
I will definitely stay here again and hope this review doesn’t lead to someone else taking a room I want when I want it :) Enjoy Banana Courtyard!

Although I have not stayed in the main B&B located at the above address, I have stayed many times at Banana Courtyard’s other properties (they are all owned by Mary and Hugh under the same name). I was more than satisfied with each accommodation. I recommend Banana Courtyard to any of my friends who visit New Orleans and I regret that I didn’t stay with them on my most recent visit (hence, the review to make up for it!)
What you’re getting here is special attention from two very passionate owners. All you need to do is take a look at their website. Then email them. Or call them. Ask them questions. Describe what you’re looking for and they will give you something to suit your individual tastes. They are so so so damn nice and seem to care about each and every guest who stays with them. You won’t get that at a Hilton or a Mariott. You won’t even get that at many boutique hotels.
I prefer their properties where it seems like you’re getting your own townhouse or apartment and I won’t give you their exact locations, but these are located in the Marigny, my favorite neighborhood to stay in when visiting New Orleans. It’s a quick walk to the Quarter, yet far enough away to avoid the crowds. Each accommodation is gorgeously appointed with cool décor that is very New Orleans-​inspired (especially the townhouse off Frenchman! All kinds of folk art throughout. Plus I love the wrought iron staircase that leads you to the bedroom upstairs).
Finally, the best part: the price, which is comparable to less interesting hotels in the area, but you’re getting so much more (like your own private courtyard and in one accommodation you get your own little pool, too!)
I will never stay anywhere else again, unless they are booked up!

This place is gorgeous. It is a little jewel at the corner of the french quarter. As the other reviewers already said, it is stuffed with antique decorations and each room is decorated differently.
Mary and Hugh, the owners, started running this place by accident when some guests of friends needed a place to stay and spread the word about this gorgeous place. Slowly they got more and more people coming in until they decided to really become a B&B. And just like that is their house, their webpage, and their New Orleans guide — it slowly grew, a bit chaotic, but absolutely wonderful.
Mary’s guide to the city and restaurant is gold and she also makes sure only to advertise tours that are worth the money.
If you fly into town and don’t have a car make sure to ask for their special cab driver, Stanley, as their place is difficult to find.

Banana Courtyard obtains most of its business through word of mouth, and it’s easy to see why they stay booked, even months in advance.
The entrance is unassuming, as with so many buildings in the vicinity of the French Quarter, but past the gate and through the front door it becomes clear that you’re in a place as lovely as it is unique. Inside, the building is filled with wall-​to-​wall books, prints, and other curiosities. Mary and Hugh make every effort to ensure that their guests feel like they’re staying at someone’s home rather than in a hotel — you can expect to be offered a beverage when you arrive and most reasonable, polite requests will be granted. Truly, Southern hospitality at its best.
Each room is different, with its own particular décor and accommodations. The courtyard is small, but it’s filled with plants and very comfortable. The upstairs rooms even have small balconies. Even though the B & B stays pretty full, the house stays quiet and cool — it can be either a perfect little getaway or a convenient home base for enjoying the sights and sounds of the Quarter.
Any description I could come up with wouldn’t do justice to the reality of the place. For a more comprehensive impression, I’d suggest looking at the website,
. It’s cluttered and cumbersome, but it’s also worth the reading. It certainly sold me; hopefully it’ll do the same for you.

For a great location and a quaint B&B experience the Banana Courtyard has it all for you. The place is filled with antiques and that totally gives it the charm you won’t receive at a corporate hotel. Mary and Hugh the inn keepers are great. I only saw Mary during my stay and she was absolutely wonderful. Everyone there was so accommodating and just plain hospitable. Everything during my stay with all my buddies for my bachelor party was just awesome.
This is definitely a place I would come back to and enjoy the magic of New Orleans as a couple.