Staying at the Haunted Andrew Jackson Hotel in New Orleans’ French Quarter

New Orleans is full of historic hotels — but the Andrew Jackson Hotel feels different. Small. Intimate. It feels personal. Situated along Royal Street in the French Quarter, the Andrew Jackson Hotel feels less like a place to sleep and more like a place to listen to stories of years gone by.  The courtyard is hushed, the brick walls are worn by centuries of humidity, and the city’s hustle and bustle fades the moment the doors close behind you.

And that feeling only grows stronger once you know the stories.

The Andrew Jackson Connection

The hotel takes its name from Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans and later the 7th President of the United States. After the War of 1812, Jackson became a legend in Louisiana — the general who defended the city against a British invasion and secured American control of the Mississippi River.  At one point, a federal courthouse was built on the site. In 1815, Jackson was fined $1,000 for contempt of court there, hence the hotel’s name. 

Despite that, his popularity here was enormous. Streets, squares, statues, and businesses were named for him, and the French Quarter embraced his legacy as part of its identity. The nearby Jackson Square still anchors the historic district, and the hotel stands as a reminder of how deeply the city connected with the man who helped save it.

But Andrew Jackson’s most famous story isn’t presidential.

It’s paranormal.

A Brief History of the Andrew Jackson Hotel

The current hotel was built in 1890; the land on which it is situated has a much longer history. In the early 1790’s, a boarding school and orphanage for boys was located on the grounds. 

In December of 1794, a catastrophic fire ripped through the French Quarter, burning everything in its path to charred rubble. The boarding school was one of the buildings that burned. While many escaped, five young orphan boys perished in the flames. 

Now… legend has it that the souls of those boys still play in the courtyard, run around, and laugh. Some people even tell stories of playful pranks from the ghostly orphans, such as turning a light on or a television on.  

Not everyone who stays at the Andrew Jackson Hotel experiences its haunted reputation, but you, like us, want to seek it out. There is one way to increase your odds. 

Andrew Jackson Hotel Ghost: The Boy Named Armand 

Stay in Room 208. This is exactly what my wife and I did on a visit to the Big Easy. This is a room you don’t accidentally get—you request it, which we did well in advance. 

One of the Orphan boys is thought to have slept in room 208 when the deadly fire happened. Stories vary on how he died. Some say he was thrown off the second-story balcony. Others say he jumped to his death to escape the flames.  One thing is certain, many believe Armand, as he is known… never left. 

Room 208 is where activity is most often reported. Guests describe footsteps across the floor when no one is there, sudden cold spots in humid New Orleans air, and the unmistakable feeling that someone small is standing near the bed staring at you.

Walking into the room, you don’t think much of it. It looks like an ordinary hotel room, a bed, a chair, soft lighting, creaking floorboards.

Staying in Haunted Room 208

During our stay, we hung out in the room and the beautiful courtyard for a while before checking in, having a couple of drinks while we waited for reservations to catch a Jazz show at Preservation Hall.  After the show, we hit the piano bar at Pat O’Brien’s  for a couple of Hurricanes and sing-alongs.  

Late at night, as we were walking back through the French Quarter, the noise faded as we got closer to the hotel. 

Settling into the room sometime after midnight. Curiosity won out over common sense, and I started quietly “looking” and calling for Armand. It’s up in the air if it was the cocktails or something else, but every creak sounded intentionally louder, every shadow felt taller, and I may or may not have whispered “hello friend “at a dark corner like it was a completely normal thing to do. 

Nothing actually appeared, but the room felt a bit creepy and fun, but definitely not empty.  In the moment and looking back, I’m not sure if it was the history, the rum, or a small unseen guest sharing the room.