Ask the team · Bywater, New Orleans
FAQ
Questions & Answers
Everything a krewe of thirty tends to wonder. Something else? Ask below.
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Booking & rates
Is there a minimum stay?
Usually three nights. Shorter windows do open up between bookings, though — ask us and we'll happily check your dates.
How do rates work?
Per villa, per night, by season. Split across the group, it beats fifteen hotel rooms — and booking directly here is the lowest rate anywhere, guaranteed.
Can we split the payment?
No — one organizer pays on one card and signs one agreement. How the krewe settles up afterward is your business.
What's the cancellation policy?
Fully refundable until 60 days before check-in. We'll spell it out in the agreement, plainly.
How far ahead should we book?
Peak weekends — Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, the big wedding Saturdays — book out six months or more. Nine months ahead is the comfortable window; summer is kinder to last-minute plans.
Should we get travel insurance?
Recommended for any large-group or event booking, especially June through November — hurricane season. It protects the deposit if plans collapse inside the refund window.
Can we tour before we book?
We'd love to show you around — by appointment, whenever a villa is vacant. Planners and travel agents especially welcome.
The villas
Is this really a hotel?
Yes, one hotel license (Permit No. 24-XSTR-24029) covers all three villas. No short-term-rental gray area hanging over a thirty-person trip.
How many does each villa sleep?
Up to 30, 14–24 is the sweet spot — twelve rooms (eleven bedrooms plus an office with a queen sofabed), 17 beds, 8 baths. A full buyout of all three holds 90.
Is a villa accessible?
The Florentine is our Accessible Villa, with a ground-floor queen and an accessible tub. Tell us what you need before booking and we'll make sure it works.
Are the pools heated?
Year-round, with a hot tub beside every pool. January included.
What's included in every villa?
A heated pool with a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen under a covered pavilion, a chef's kitchen with double refrigerators and dishwashers, a dining table for 18, washer-dryers, central air, fast Wi-Fi and smart TVs, premium linens, and Malin+Goetz in the baths.
Can we eat the bananas off the trees?
If you're here when they're ripe, they're yours. Leave some for the next krewe.
What krewes use it for
Do you allow bachelor & bachelorette parties?
Yes, happily. See the occasions page for how a weekend here goes.
Can it be our wedding HQ?
It's made for it — ceremony at your venue, everyone sleeping here: the getting-ready house, the welcome party, the rehearsal dinner, the day-after swim. Take all three villas and the block holds your whole guest list.
Can you arrange chefs, massages, music?
All of it comes to you: private chefs, massage therapists, yoga instructors, hair and makeup artists, nail techs, brass bands, wine tastings, bartenders, party decorators. Ask the house and we set it up.
Can we rent a villa for a daytime event only?
Yes — day-rate rentals happen regularly. Tell us the date, the headcount, and what you're planning, and we'll quote it straight.
Corporate retreats?
Yes — sessions under the pergola, everyone sleeping on-site, one agreement and one invoice.
Family reunions?
Three generations on one block: cousins in the shared rooms, grandparents in the Florentine's ground-floor accessible queen, dinner at one long table.
House rules
Overnight guests
Seventeen beds in every villa — and if you need a few more sleeping spots, we supply air mattresses.
Parties & events
We host everything from bachelorettes to small rehearsal dinners. Event fees or permits may apply depending on headcount and vendors — tell us early.
The pool after dark
Yours all night. Inside, any volume; outside, keep it reasonable — the Bywater sleeps close by. Quiet hours are 10 PM – 8 AM.
Smoking, pets & kids
Smoking outside only; no glass in the pool area — the pool itself is yours around the clock. Well-behaved pets are confirmed case by case, with a refundable pet deposit. Kids are very welcome — turf lawn, basketball hoop, pack-and-plays on request.
Is there daily housekeeping?
Every stay gets a full professional clean before and after. Daily service is available for an added fee — arrange it before arrival.
Out of paper towels at 2 AM?
Stop by reception, staffed 24/7 with complimentary extra supplies and lockout help. Exterior cameras only, never indoors.
Getting here & around
How do we get there?
The French Quarter and Frenchmen Street are ten minutes by car; the airport is twenty-five. Rideshares reach your gate in minutes.
When is check-in and checkout?
Check-in 4 PM at the gate; checkout 11 AM. When the calendar allows, early check-in at 12:30 and late checkout at 1:30 are complimentary; truly early or late hours are a paid option, subject to availability.
Is there parking?
Five spaces per villa — two inside your villa's gate, three across the street — plus unlimited free street parking nearby.
What's walkable?
Ten minutes from the Quarter and Frenchmen Street — and Bacchanal, Vaughan's, and BJ's are a stroll from your gate.
Is the Bywater safe?
A creative, walkable neighborhood — galleries, coffee, Bacchanal down the street. The property itself has reception staffed 24/7, monitored entry, and exterior cameras (never indoors).
Still wondering?
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Check availabilityAsk the team · 1319 Japonica Street · Bywater · New Orleans