Just booked my room for SAA in New Orleans in August. The conference is at the Hilton Riverside, a big, sprawling, shiny hotel. I may regret this, but my inclination is to stay somewhere less sterile so I booked a small hotel in the Quarter, just a couple blocks from the streetcar that goes right to the Hilton anyway. It might end up being so hot and damp that I'll be kicking myself (limply) for not staying in the same building, but it's worth a shot. The hotel in the Quarter is quite a bit cheaper, too. It came down to two choices and I went with the one that has fridges in the rooms, though the ambiance is a little less funky. Since it's right by the farmers market, hopefully I can rely on that for some of my meals.