Soniat House

Hotel description

Please note: Children under the age of 12 are not permitted at Soniat House.

Certain parts of New Orleans had been quick to trade history and atmosphere for a quick tourist buck. But the Soniat House is the precise opposite of the phony drunken theme park atmosphere which was once so readily available elsewhere. This, a peaceful residential district in the lower Vieux Carré, is the authentic New Orleans, all nineteenth-century Creole charm, and this hotel is as authentic as they come, three 1830s townhouses converted into the city's finest boutique hotel. A boutique hotel it certainly is - those who absolutely depend upon 24-hour room service, indoor pools, and "pampering" spa treatments may wish to book a less intimate venue. But this is a hotel for those who refuse to wear a necklace of plastic beads (speaking metaphorically). Despite the absence of certain five-star amenities, luxury is not lacking at Soniat House. This is more the sort of place to boast of Egyptian cotton bedsheets and goose down pillows than of a happening hotel bar nightlife scene, or fine dining available at all hours, just adjacent to the lobby. The rooms and suites are all unique, and though not theme rooms, they are distinct enough in character that staff and regular guests know them all by number. The interiors, both in the rooms and the public spaces, are decadently 19th century, in luxe fabrics and rich colors. Antique books and light fixtures add to the atmosphere, and some of the period furniture would not look out of place in a five-star Parisian palace. Service is another of Soniat House's strengths - the concierge staff purports to be able to secure the best table, the right tickets, the perfect tour, a private car for the guests. The attendants serving breakfast in the courtyard have been here seemingly as long as the buildings themselves, and are the perfect image of old-world Southern hospitality. The breakfast itself comes highly recommended as well, the biscuits alone possibly worth the price of a night's stay. This is a hotel for those who focus on enjoying the charm and history of the real New Orleans. Take refuge, and savor this place, one of the last of its kind.