Since the 19th century, visitors to New Orleans’s Uptown district have been enchanted by the clacking of the St. Charles streetcar and the neighborhood’s many distinctive mansions. Last year, local hospitality group LeBlanc + Smith converted one of those grand old houses, an 1891 home designed by noted NOLA architect Thomas Sully, into The Chloe, a 14-room boutique hotel. Here are four ways the property perfectly fits the Big Easy.
Bohemian Chic
Decorator Sara Ruffin Costello created a truly stunning space. Garden tables and a tiled veranda out front set the stage for the interior’s signature feature, a massive wooden staircase with a blood-red carpet punctuated by white alligators. Parlor rooms are stuffed with antiques—birdcages, Chinese lanterns, gilded mirrors, inviting armchairs, paintings, photographs, taxidermy. The unique guest rooms, meanwhile, boast a variety of amenities, such as soaking tubs, four-poster beds, custom robes by local textile company Lekha, and House of Hackney velvet chairs. In several of the rooms, repurposed armoires hide the bathroom entrances, creating a real Narnia effect.
Big Easy Listening
The custom Bluetooth-enabled turntables in every room come courtesy of Peaches, a beloved record store located just a few blocks away. Call down to the lobby to request a stack of LPs; the selection is diverse, including hometown heroes in genres ranging from jazz (Louis Armstrong) to hip-hop (Lil Wayne).
Cocktail Choices
Like any self-respecting Crescent City institution, The Chloe employs bartenders who can mix a mean drink. Try an Uptown Funk (a mix of Haitian clairin, coconut rum, dry vermouth, and aloe) in the charming lobby bar or in the backyard beside a glittering, Palm Springs–style pool that’s open 24 hours for guests.
Graves and Gardens
The neighborhood is an architecture lover’s dream, with 951 homes designated historically important. Nearby Magazine Street is home to dozens of independent boutiques, coffeehouses, spas, antique stores, and art galleries. Also within walking distance is the famed Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, which has been, ahem, immortalized in Anne Rice’s novels and films such as Double Jeopardy and Hard Target.
From $303, thechloenola.com
