Last Thursday night, New Orleans welcomed its first brand new hotel to open since Hurricane Katrina. Harrah’s Hotel New Orleans opened in the city’s downtown area near Harrah’s Casino, the French Quarter and the Mississippi River. The 26-floor, 450-room property includes a fitness center, jazz lounge, Gordon Biersch Brewery restaurant and a French brasserie restaurant called Riche.

Guest rooms feature high-definition flat screen TVs and high-speed Internet access.

Check out the hotel’s Hot Deals section for low rates. While weekend nights can run as much as $399, weekday rooms in October 2006 can be had for as little as $79.