New Orleans has always been a city that has inspired and motivated artists. Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner captured the city's essence with woods, while Louis Armstrong and Al Hirt brought it to soulful life through the blue notes of their instruments. However, it took Edgar Degas to etch it's rich fabric onto canvas. The only impressionist painter to ever visit the United States, Degas was staying with his mother's Louisiana relatives when he was inspired to paint one of his most famous works, the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. The historic building, which so captivated Degas, lives again as the Cotton Exchange Hotel. Located just one block from the historic French Quarter, the Cotton Exchange's decor pays tribute to the colorful palettes created by Degas and his fellow Impressionists. In addition to high ceilings and large windows which allow for vast amounts of natural light, all 102 rooms are decorated in vibrant colors, and the walls are hung with reproductions of Impressionist paintings.