The Delta Queen isn’t a hotel per se—it’s a steamboat that began her long and illustrious career way back in 1927. Envision the America captured by Mark Twain, cruising along the Mississippi at a leisurely eight miles an hour, and you get the idea. The regal, fully restored steamboat boasts gleaming teak handrails lining each deck and the stairways that deliver you the ship’s many levels, along with Tiffany windows, crystal chandeliers and 87 suites and staterooms with riverside views and period antique furnishings. The three on-ship lounges perfect the otherworldly, Old South feel of the Delta Queen, whether you want to dance to the rhythm of the river in the Texas Lounge or recline in the chill atmosphere in the Betty Blake Lounge. But you can’t separate the Delta Queen from its river tours—themes include Jazz Celebration, Big Band, the Kentucky Derby, Cajun Culture, the Civil War and Cajun Christmas.

The Delta Queen, the only floating Historic Hotel of America, was inducted into the National Maritime Hall of Fame in 2004.

Original Property Opened: 1927

Rate Range:
PP Double:
Three nights: $795 to $2,350
Up to eleven nights: $3,400 to $8,605