Among the many little inns in the French Quarter is Soniat House, regarded as a lovers’ choice, with wrought-iron balconies, spiral staircases and a courtyard that inspires romance in . . . : New Orleans

Candles flame and lamps line the carriage entrance to Soniat House, where shadows dance across ancient walls and water spills musically into a lily pond . . . and the throaty whistle of a paddle-wheeler echoes off the Mississippi. It is the cocktail hour, and Burley Eugene, the kindly black man with the bow tie and huge smile, hurries up a spiral staircase clutching a bottle of champagne for the couple watching the horse carriages passing below their balcony, while gas lamps flicker in the growing darkness.

While the couple sip the champagne, the happy music of a calliope drifts from a river boat and suddenly the night is filled with magic, soft street noises and the sweet scent of jasmine.

In our lineup of little inns in the French Quarter, the Soniat House, at 1133 Chartres St., stands out as a leader. Hidden in a peaceful corner, it is considered New Orleans’ finest small inn. Offering the comfort of an earlier era, the Creole-style townhouse of a one-time plantation owner provides shelter for guests in 24 rooms, no two alike.

English and French antique furniture from the collection of proprietor Rodney Smith sets Soniat House a world apart from other inns. Oriental rugs cover floors, and guests snooze in brass and four-poster beds alongside elaborately carved tables and chairs. There is the sheet-metal side table by sculptor John Dickinson, and walls are hung with paintings on loan from the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Breakfast at Soniat House--fresh-baked biscuits, homemade strawberry jam and orange juice--is served on Villeroy & Bosh porcelain, either in one’s room or in the courtyard with its fountain, magnolia trees, hibiscus and wisteria vines that climb the ancient walls.

Some stroll around the corner to Croissant d’Or, a French patisserie that turns out fresh blueberry, almond and raspberry croissants, along with apple and praline tarts, cafe au lait, espresso and cappuccino.

Dating from 1829, Soniat House is a lovers’ choice, with wrought-iron balconies, spiral staircases and a courtyard that inspires romance. Guest rooms of various sizes and shapes are priced from $100 a day single to $115/$145 double, with suites fetching $175 to $400.

Across the street at silver-haired Mrs. Junius Underwood’s French Quarter Maisonettes (1130 Chartres St.), seven rooms go for the bargain rates of $39/$45 a day. While Soniat House features Jacuzzis in several of its rooms, Mrs. Underwood’s Maisonettes provide showers, a settling quiet and the warm hospitality of Mrs. Underwood herself, who steers guests on tours throughout the French Quarter.

Old and snug--the little inn dates from 1825--French Quarter Maisonettes wraps itself around a sunny flagstone courtyard where the plants are tended by Jesse Palmore, who has served Mrs. Underwood and her guests for more than a quarter of a century.

Ground-floor guest units open onto the courtyard and its locked gate, while those overhead look down on both the courtyard and a fountain that serves as a centerfold for this friendly and surprisingly inexpensive hideaway whose neighbor is the 1734 Ursuline Convent.

Besides its reassuring tranquillity, Mrs. Underwood’s Maisonettes is only a short stroll from the French Market and Jackson Square, where artists set up easels to capture the scenes of passing carriages and buildings that have stood since the South’s opulent pre-Civil War era.

Vying for the attention of the discriminating guest is the little 16-room Maison de Ville, directly behind the Court of the Two Sisters at 727 Rue Toulouse and only steps off Bourbon Street. The oldest structure serving as a hotel in the French Quarter, Maison de Ville is a former private residence with rooms that overlook a fetching courtyard and a fountain where guests take their morning meals.

It is here that Tennessee Williams completed “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Rooms at Maison de Ville feature French antiques and marble fireplaces. In the evening there is the glow of lamps, and the air is redolent with the perfume of flowers. This is old, old New Orleans--an ancient shelter squeezed between Bourbon Street and Rue Royal. Rates range $100/$135 for a single to $110/$145 for a double.

Barely a block away, the same proprietor operates the renowned Audubon Cottages at 505 Rue Dauphine, where naturalist James Audubon turned out several of his celebrated paintings. Half a dozen cottages face private courtyards, with guests sharing a garden and an inviting swimming pool. It was Audubon Cottages that Elizabeth Taylor chose as a hideaway during one of her theatrical appearances in New Orleans. The rates: $275/$325.

Hotel Ste. Helene: Although this little 16-room, European-style hotel falls into the budget category (summer rates start at $58.50), it offers excellent value. A complimentary continental breakfast is served in the courtyard and the swimming pool is an inviting attraction on one of those muggy New Orleans afternoons.

Situated in the heart of the French Quarter, Hotel Ste. Helene (508 Chartres St.) was the original home of the Pacific Concert Saloon. While rooms are a trifle small, they are both clean and comfortable. Ask for accommodations with a balcony overlooking the pool.

Rising at the far end of the French Quarter, The Frenchmen (417 Frenchmen St.) is both bright and cheery, with a brick courtyard, swimming pool and a deck for sunbathing.

Rooms feature period pieces, air conditioning and ceiling fans. A full American breakfast is served on the patio or in the privacy of one’s room, and snacks are available in the hotel’s cafe.

With its wrought-iron chairs, marble-top tables and the heady fragrance of magnolia blossoms, The Frenchmen exudes a true sense of the South. Its only disadvantage is the rather long walk to the center of the Vieux Carre. Rates: $64/$99, single or double (including breakfast).

In the same neighborhood, Lamonthe House, at 621 Esplanade Ave., glows with the warmth of a bygone era, a Victorian gem that’s crowded with gilt-edged mirrors, candelabra, four-posters and 18th-Century armoires.

I recall when the late proprietress, white-haired Gertrude Munson, poured morning coffee from a 200-year-old Sheffield urn, returning in the evening to stir flaming cafe brulot, a blend of brandy, coffee, curacao and spices in a ritual she conducted with the aplomb of a symphony conductor.

Now that she’s gone to her reward, the urn has been retired and coffee is prepared instead in an ordinary vessel. Still, with the soft ticking of a Victorian clock and rooms filled with period pieces, one senses a feeling of having crossed the threshold to a time of early Southern comfort.

The old three-story mansion with its green shutters faces Esplanade Avenue and magnolia trees that burst with blooms the size of popcorn balls. Lamonthe House: 20 rooms and suites priced $75/$195. Parking is available without charge.

The bargain buy in the French Quarter is Grenoble House, at 329 Dauphine St., where a third-floor, split-level suite capable of sleeping six guests rents for $735 a week, which figures out to less than $123 per person. (One-bedroom suites start at $375 a week.)

A wedding of three townhouses dating from 1834, Grenoble House offers the amenities of a modern hotel without losing the charm of an early New Orleans residence. Featured at the 17-suite inn are kitchens, exposed brick walls, fireplaces, lofty ceilings, spiral staircases and a combination of contemporary and antique furnishings.

Guests barbecue in the bricked courtyard with its swimming pool and potted plants, and afterward they relax in the hotel’s cheery lobby. This small, all-suite hotel is a block off Bourbon Street.

Le Richelieu: This inn at 1234 Chartres St. is the hideaway of Beatle Paul McCartney whenever he’s in town. Housed in an old mansion and an ex-macaroni factory, the hotel is known for its friendly staff and four-diamond AAA rating.

Guests sunbathe on the patio, where lunch is served beside a swimming pool. Other meals are taken in the Terrace Cafe, and parking is complimentary. Most rooms at Le Richelieu are equipped with ceiling fans, and its balconies spotlight either the courtyard or the French Quarter. Rates: $65 single, $75 double; suites from $185.

Just around the corner from Soniat House, the Hotel Villa Convento at 616 Ursuline St. is operated as a small inn by Larry and Lela Campo and has 24 comfortably furnished rooms. Rates are surprisingly inexpensive ($39/$59), with suites going for $89. No. 401 offers a bird’s-eye view of the Mississippi. Others overlook the patio and the street.

Breakfast is served in the courtyard with its fountain and garden, or one can step out the front door to Croissant d’Or, the French patisserie directly across the street.

The Cornstalk: This small hotel operating out of an 1800s mansion at 915 Royal St. is colorful, albeit a trifle scruffy. Just around the corner from Bourbon Street, it got its name from the cornstalk posts on the lacy iron fence out front. There are those who enjoy The Cornstalk and others who grumble that it’s a bit seedy. Nevertheless, The Cornstalk exudes the sort of atmosphere that appeals to the adventurous lodger.

The former home of the first chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, The Cornstalk provides rooms furnished with four-poster and tester beds along with a display of interesting antiques. Rates from $65 single to $75 double, with a continental breakfast and newspaper delivered to one’s room.

Outside the French Quarter we visited the city’s smartest new hotel, The Windsor Court at 300 Gravier St., with its smartly furnished suites, swimming pool, sauna and steam room. The suites have his-and-her dressing salons, wet bars, marble baths and kitchenettes.

Without question, The Windsor Court is the handsomest hotel in New Orleans, its corridors lined with art and its lobby providing the feeling of an expansive den. It is here that high tea is served each afternoon to the accompaniment of chamber music. The Windsor Court: 300 rooms and suites ($145/$195).

For reservations and information:

--Soniat House, toll-free (800) 544-8808.

--French Quarter Maisonettes, (504) 524-9918.

--Maison de Ville and Audubon Cottages, toll-free (800) 634-1600.

--Hotel Ste. Helene, (504) 522-522-5014.

--The Frenchmen, toll-free (800) 831-1781.

--Lamonthe House, toll-free (800) 367-5858.

--Grenoble House, (504) 522-1331.

--Le Richelieu, toll-free (800) 535-9653.

--Hotel Villa Convento, (504) 522-1793.

--The Cornstalk, (504) 523-1515.

--The Windsor Court, toll-free (800) 262-2662.

For more on New Orleans, see Travel Tips (P. 3).