Creole Plantation B&B

The day after Mardi Gras, Don and I continued our Louisiana celebration!

After a few days of parades in New Orleans, we found ourselves relaxing in a totally different Louisiana setting. Our B&B in Lafayette, was a peaceful oasis, in the heart of Cajun Country.

Home from 1820

We arrived late afternoon and found the 200 year old home, tucked into the Sterling Grove Historic District. The peaceful house and grounds, sat just one half mile from downtown. 

I crossed fingers, as we pulled into a gravel lot. It looked awfully empty and quiet and I hoped there hadn't been a glitch with reservations.  

200 Years of Stories

Don and I have never spent a night in a 200-year-old plantation. I was happy about having another first for the Notable Night list. But I felt a tiny bit anxious, as I allowed myself to wonder about some of the history and stories.

I knew the Moutons built the home in the early 1800's, but who were the people who labored to create this home? Who were the women who cleaned and cooked... the men who worked in the sugar plantations? As we approached the side of the house, I realized we probably would never know those stories. 

Finding the Door

We parked and headed towards the walkway. I spotted moss growing on the roof of the carriage house. The grand oaks seemed to dwarf the house and other buildings.

We headed past the carriage house and followed the covered walkway.

The weather was a little chilly, but the brick patio with fireplace, looked inviting. There was a chiminea, loaded with wood and ready to be lit.

We headed towards the red-brown door in the rear of the old house. There was a sign saying "Check-in at 4". My watch said 4:01. Yay!

​Greetings

Our host Eric, met us at the door. He didn't have an Acadian accent like Charles Mouton, who built the house. But Eric had a wonderful French Canadian accent. He was from Quebec.

We entered the bright breakfast room, which was actually an addition. But it could have been added 100 years ago. I'm not sure.
​

Erik checked us in and gave us a key. The key wasn't for our guest room, since there was no lock on that door. The key was for the exterior kitchen door, if we came in late. 

​Through the House

Eric led us through the downstairs, towards the front of the house.

The breakfast room opened into another eating area. Then we passed through an interesting, wide door. 

That door led us into the parlor. Another set of blue doors took us to the front porch and garden.

Up Stairs

We headed up a narrow set of stairs, to the second floor. The wooden steps were comically warped and worn. They didn't look a bit like the grand staircases from movies like Gone With the Wind, and I liked that. 

The second floor had a set of doors leading to the balcony and another set of stairs heading to the third floor. 

The second staircase looked like it had been added in later years. We took a peek upstairs at the cozy rooms, with slanted ceilings. Who once slept there?

​The Voorhies Suite

Our room was one of two second floor guest rooms, on the front of the house. I believe our suite was named for the previous owners, a few years back. Mr. Voorhies was a descendant of the Mouton family.

I loved our tall skinny doors, even if there was no lock and we had to trust our fellow guests. The blue paint was soothing.

Chandelier and Fireplace

I haven't a clue who slept in our cozy rooms, 2 centuries ago. I loved imagining it.

Our front room had the fireplace, chandelier and balcony door. The middle room had a sweet four poster and closet, with coffee maker and fridge. The bathroom in the back had plumbing. Yay for that! Who knows when that was added.

Mr. & Mrs. Mouton

I liked imagining Charles Mouton and his new bride, enjoying this fireplace during the cold winter months.

For most of the year, I'm sure all the windows were open and the balcony got lots of use.

Fresh Air

There was lots of sunshine coming through our 5 windows. 

But the balcony was a little chilly, with wind and temps in the low 50s.

We had the whole balcony to ourselves, since no one had booked the other room. We should have taken a quilt from the rack in our room and enjoyed the view.

But we did take in the garden view for a bit. The trees were just beginning to flower and I spotted daffodils and some blooming azaleas in the yard.

We took a  walk around the property and tried to imagine what it was like when Charles first built the house. It was a nice, reasonable size. I like to think that the Moutons weren't pretentious.

​Trees and Land

​The home was built on property, that had been part a 300-acre plantation, owned by Charles' father.

I wondered about the age of the grand live oaks. Were they there, 200 years ago?

Social Time

When Eric checked us in, he let us know there was a social hour around 4:30

We of course went for Mint Juleps. We sat at the table near a festive display of flowers and Mardi Gras beads.

Bobby

When Eric went off to prepare our drinks, we introduced ourselves to Bobby, who sat at the end of the table.

Bobby apologized for his raspy voice. It was of course the day after Mardi Gras and he had spent the last few days performing and celebrating. He sang some Cajun tunes while he stomped and fiddled. And he shared stories with about growing up in Lafayette. 

Full Table

Before long, the table was full of guests. Some were staying in the other buildings. A family of 6 from Switzerland, was staying in rooms above us.

Eric greeted most of the guests in French. Bobby spoke Creole French, that he'd learned from his grandparents. As it turns out, Lafayette has become a travel destination for many French speaking tourists. We shared conversations with guests from Montreal, French Basque Country, Leon, Switzerland... and Atlanta. My photo fails to capture the warmth and fun of this group, all trying our best to communicate with one another!

Night 

Don and I headed to dinner and found downtown Lafayette a little quiet, on the night of Ash Wednesday.

And when the Swiss family returned a while later, we were again glad we had met our "neighbors". The old floors were squeaky. They seemed to be moving chairs around or unpacking and laughing and talking softly. Funny. It just felt homey and quaint. I went to sleep feeling like a mom, "Oh good the kids are home."

Morning

The whole gang (and a few more) showed up at the breakfast table at 8:30. We had been asked the night before if we wanted the American breakfast or a Creole.

Don and I chose both. He claimed his crawfish eggs with spicy Cajun sauce was excellent. Normally we would share, but Eric had encouraged us to spread out and our socializing distracted us from plate swapping. All in all, a great breakfast experience!

What's Notable?

We were totally surprised with our stay! The website was a bit vague, so we weren't sure what we were in for.

The house and grounds were charming and the people (host and guests) made the stay memorable. What a treat to experience a culture so different than our own (in Texas) just a few hours away!

We finally stayed! This hotel in the French Quarter, has been on the list for a while!

First Visit

I first fell in love with the idea of a holiday stay, in 2014.

We were in New Orleans visiting family for Thanksgiving. While wandering the day after, we came upon the fabulous Monteleone, already decked out for the holidays. Since my daughter was also decked out in her new hat from a nearby shop, I begged her to pose. The hotel went on my mental list, that day.
​

Christmas 2020

Five years later, Don and I found ourselves facing a Christmas without any kids! Instead of pouting, we looked into hotels in New Orleans. Monteleone had special Papa Noel rates! $136 !!

I was giddy as we headed toward the French Quarter, on Christmas Eve-Eve! Our hotel on Royal Street, looked as Royal as I remembered... with its flamboyant, Beaux-Arts style. In fact it looked like it had been plucked from a street in Paris and planted in New Orleans!  

4:00 PM

Royal Street was bustling when we arrived. Even our Uber driver was surprised by the mini traffic jam.

We were glad not to pay $40. a night for parking, but the parking garage couldn't have been cuter!

In We Go

We headed inside and awkwardly rolled our baggage up a few stairs. There was a ramp from the parking garage, evidently.

The space was not empty, like my photo!

There were lots of people in the lobby. Just off the lobby in the the Carousel Bar, there were even more people. The coveted seats at the rotating bar were all taken, with plenty of hopeful guests lurking nearby.

​Looking in the Lobby

Our room wasn't ready, so we lounged in the lobby and took it all in.

First I admired the lovely Christmas decorations. Then I took in all the permanent decor, from chandeliers, painted ceilings, arched windows and ionic columns.  

I heard the beautiful clock chiming, before I even spotted it.

The side of the classic antique clock, had a some sweet carved surprises!

The Monteleone Family

There were plaques and portraits to remind us, that the same family has owned the hotel for 133 years.

Antonio, a cobbler from Sicily, switched from shoes to hotels in 1886. Five generations and five major additions later, the hotel is still in the family. That's amazing.

​Heading Up

Before long, our room was ready and we headed to elevators. 

The elevator took us up in a building, that was one of the 5 additions. 

15th Floor

Our Papa Noel rate didn't get us one of the fancy suites in the grand, older section. But we got a 15th floor room, facing Royal Street.

I loved the small lion, greeting us from the door plaque. Our room felt cozy and classy. I appreciate it, when TVs are hidden.

There was a soft, reading chair. Two would have been nice. 

The linens were freshly pressed. The gold trim and lion logo, added to the royal feel!

The fridge and Keurig coffee maker came in handy. The bathroom was small and a bit dim, but there was a tub! 

View

However we weren't too high, to be free from the street noise. But that was fine. The distant sounds of street music and occasional honking and voices, just added to the flavor.

More Exploring

​After unpacking, we headed down to the Carousel Bar, but it was of course jammed. We wandered back up, to explore the roof deck. 

The roof top pool looked inviting, even in December. The poolside, Aqua Bella Bar was closed but would have been fun. We peeked again later and the water was warm and lovely. Bring suits next time!

Night Vibe

One of the biggest treats of our stay, was enjoying our location.

We could step out our door and easily walk to all our favorite places. Being so close to Christmas Day, meant we didn't deal with bachelorette parties and crowds of frat boys. The sidewalks were felt busy and friendly. What a nice surprise.

On Christmas Eve, we had reservations for Criollo.

The restaurant looked formal and quiet, when I peeked in earlier.

The lounge was not empty. Later, there was live music. Don and I laughed over our Christmas Eve dinner, when we heard a jazzy version of "Do the Hustle". 

Dinner with the Writers

Our reservations weren't until 8:30. I'm sure that would be considered early dining, by the famous writers who used to dine and drink at Monteleone.

We were seated in a small, side room. The space was decorated with curious art and objects, related to authors like Hemingway and Faulkner, who have histories with the hotel. I loved the framed image of Tennessee Williams (with rows of books) looking down from the wall.

Food

Criollo is the Spanish word for Creole. The menu got me excited about tasting all those Creole  flavors... Spanish, Italian, French, African and Caribbean! 

Here I am, ready to dig into my filet mignon, with scallop and shrimp. Merry Christmas Eve to that!

​Carousel Bar?

It was after 10 when we finished dinner. We peeked into the Carousel Bar.

Forget it. We thought the tourists would disappear on Christmas Eve and we'd finally get a seat. We gave up and I posed with the Christmas trees instead.

Morning at Monteleone

I was determined to see the hotel without crowds. On the morning of Christmas Eve I headed down the elevator before 7.

It was fun to see the street without cars and people. I was glad the holiday lights were still glowing.

​Christmas Calories

Then I headed through the quiet lobby and found my way to the fitness room.

All trips to Nola involve consuming lots of calories. I enjoyed a little workout with a view of the Mississippi.

Peaceful Lounge

I finished up and returned to the lobby in my grubby state. I peeked into the quiet lounge.

As I snapped a photo of the empty bar, I was greeted by Michael Dupree, the hotel's beverage manager. I asked him for Carousel Bar tips and he laughed. He said there is always a line outside the door, when the bar opens at 11.

Morning at the Carousel!

I couldn't have been more thrilled when Michael invited me into the closed bar to take photos.

It was so much fun to see the cushy couches and the colorful bar, without a single guest. 

Michael seemed incredibly relaxed for a manager, ready to face the holiday crowds. He talked about his love of New Orleans and the parades and the people. 

I thought about Truman Capote who claimed his mother gave birth to him at the Carousel Bar. Not true, but she did live at the hotel, when she was pregnant with him!

Michael and I shared a few stories about St. Louis and Texas and by the time I headed up for a shower, I was holding tickets for drinks at the bar. What a sweet guy!  

Christmas Morning!

Don and I didn't bring presents to the hotel, but we did bring our stockings.

Instead of calorie burning, I focused on calorie partaking. We enjoyed coffee and muffins... and candy for breakfast.
​

Finally!

After numerous attempts, we finally had the Carousel Experience! First Don and I lurked, like we learned from others.

Then a zebra seat suddenly opened! I sat and Don awkwardly walked beside me as I traveled on the platform. We learned quickly that people are drinking and no one cares. He squeezed on and rode next to me.

Don eventually got the lion seat, next to me. He had a Sazerac and I tried Carousel Bar's famous, Vieux-Carre. We enjoyed the people watching as much as the drinks. 
​

We chatted with a number of carousel travelers. We snapped pictures like tourists. We also jumped up and moved out of the way when there was a shift change. The bartenders have to hop over the bar, to get out of their circle!

What's Notable?

It seems ridiculously obvious, what is notable about a stay at Monteleone.

But the travelers and the locals we met, all seemed to be enjoying themselves. The hotel felt festive and the city felt welcoming. The only thing that could have improved our stay... enjoying it with the kids!

​Built in Nola's French Quarter in 1816

I've had my eye on this hotel for a number of years.

A Home, Before A Hotel

I spent much of my youth growing up in Iowa, so I can totally appreciate the cornstalk thing.

I love the black iron fence with yellow husks of corn.  I love the corn-yellow paint on the fabulous wood and stone house. Most of all, I love knowing that the decorative fence was installed in the 1850's by a caring husband. Dr. Bianmenti and his wife had lived in the home 20 years, but his dear bride was still homesick for Iowa.

A Home on Royal Street

​In past years I've walked along Royal Street, peeking through the black and yellow fence, admiring the grand home with garden patio and trickling fountain.

 There has never been anything hotel-like about the scene, besides the sign.

2-Night Stay

I was delighted when I learned the once private home, was indeed a functioning hotel! I was extra excited when we were able to get reservations for a reasonable price.

There were crystal chandeliers and colorful cherubs, frolicking on the surrounding trim.

Our Golden Room

​Our room was delightfully rich with the gold ceiling and satin drapes. ​

There was more gold, in the mirror frame and fireplace screen and wallpaper stitching. Maybe the rich gold was making me feel woozy? Actually it was the odd slant in the floor, which made me stagger a bit! 

Princess Stuff

​The king bed was quite lovely and comfy, but the phone (and satin wallpaper) was fit for a princess! ​

Hotels hardly need to provide phones anymore, so this was a fun surprise. I really should have just made a call for fun. 

More Details

​The room felt bright, with floor to ceiling windows. I loved the light shining through the curved, stained glass windows in the turret. 

In fact, morning came very early since we couldn't block some of the light. But I was happy to open my eyes and look directly above, to the chandelier... with more cherub figures!  

Evening at the Cornstalk

​In the evening, our son and his fiance hopped on the streetcar near their home and joined us at the hotel.  ​

We brought some wine and plastic cups onto the front porch for a little toasting.

Moving to the Umbrella

​Sharon our enthused host, insisted we use real wine glasses.  ​

She fetched a boxful and we moved closer to the fountain for our toasting.

Cheers!

We toasted to Scott's Tulane Law graduation, before meeting more family for dinner.

Music and Fountain

​Being a Thursday at 6 pm, Royal street was fairly calm.  ​

The sound of the fountain and a nearby street guitarist, was pretty lovely.  

Friday Evening

​On our second evening, we had Sharon join us on the porch for a photo. ​

She was quite the helpful and amusing host during our stay.  She was even very skilled at moving and parking guests cars in the small space beside the house.

Morning

​On Saturday morning, we walked with the "kids" to get coffee and pastries.  We sat on the balcony and laughed about the sounds we'd heard the night before. ​

With a room on the front, Don and I heard more sidewalk traffic, cars and music, than the others. There was even a little calliope music from a riverboat and train sounds, too! But no complaints from any of us. It was all part of the French Quarter experience. 

What's Notable?
​
Sleeping in an elegant home built in 1816, made the stay memorable.

Yes!  The fence is most notable!

We've driven by this impressive hotel with the festive porch on St. Charles, many a time!  At last, we stopped... and stayed!

Long Ago

It used to look quite a bit different when it was a private residence, built in 1883 by a wealthy tobacco merchant.

We didn't want to press our luck, so we took the stairs the rest of our stay.  They were probably just as dangerous as the elevator, though.  There was so much distraction in that extraordinary stairwell!  There was the domed skylight to stare up at and the hypnotizing, patterns on wall and floors. 

The dim, eerie lighting added to the dreamlike setting. Then there was a blast of bright color in the wall mural!

Reaching the Top

Then when we reached the top, the ceiling became so low that "some of us" almost had to duck.  I wasn't one of those tall people, but I suddenly felt tall when I leaned over the low railing to peer down. That felt oddly, disorienting... like I might tumble over.

After Five!

It was too nice outside to be in the dark bar, but what a place!  It was hard to believe this room was not aways a cozy lounge.  Before the residence became a hotel in 1915, this was the family dining room, with dark carved mahogany walls and gilded bronze chandeliers.

Looking Up!

Above the chandelier we could see the paneled mahogany ceiling that was imported from Honduras.  The Greek design wrapping around the upper room, was evident in some old photographs. 

Posing

Chali and I had some fun posing in the adjoining room, which got a little more crowded later.  The velvety Victorian seat, looked like something right out of a movie.  In fact we were in the midst of an old movie set.

"Pretty Baby" and "Twelve Years a Slave"

At least 2 films have been shot at The Columns.  I love being in a place where a movie was filmed and imagining the interaction between actors and crew. However, Chali and I were having a hard time thinking too much about the filming of Pretty Baby, starring 12 year old Brooke Shields playing the part of a prostitute. The movie was controversial enough in 1978.  I'm not even sure they could make that movie today.
​
Ballroom

It's funny how staying in old hotels often makes my mind wander to past places and even relatives.  Seeing the same room in the later evening made me think of my grandmother, Aunt Mary's older sister.

But whenever I'm in New Orleans I always recall my sweet and proper Daw raving about visiting the French Quarter and hearing the jazz performance at Preservation Hall.  I have always regretted missing that trip in 1978, with my mom, brother and Daw.  I wish Daw could have been right there with us, sitting in one of the formal chairs, barely swinging her crossed ankles... feet never reaching the floor. 

I was busy being impressed by the size of the door, when Don pointed out the massive, brass hinges. It took 8 screws to attach that ornate piece of hardware to the door.

The Upper Porch!

After dinner we wandered out to the porch on the second floor and had it to ourselves.  At least two guest rooms actually have giant windows that open to the porch, so we didn't exactly pull out our ukuleles!

Morning

the day, watching the wind blow the flags and listening to the streetcars rattle and clank on the street below.

Our Room
I should mention that we did sleep before that morning coffee! Our 3rd floor room was comfy and spacious.  It was also reasonably priced.  Under $150. in NOLA is good.

We could have taken the Pretty Baby Room on the 3rd floor, where scenes were filmed.  But that was just too weird.  We took this room which faced St. Charles, but really only had a view of the porch roof.  The king bed was built high, with shelves below and a set of steps... for short people.

And...

Just getting into the bathroom was entertaining.  You got to hoist open the door with a glass knob and climb up a step to get inside. Luckily there were no mishaps in the night.  And if we'd had wrinkled clothes that needed tending, not only did our room provide an iron and board, but we had a handy antique iron holder... or at least a silver radiator that did the job!

Halls

The halls sort of cracked me up with their decor.  The brownish hall shows the view from our guest room door.  The pillars were almost modern. The oil paintings, knight's armor and taxidermy gave the space a... unique vibe.  And the boldly-blue hall that took us to the porch on the second floor was lined with couches, lamps and racks of tourist pamphlets. In other words, there was no snobby perfection here.  I felt comfortable in our homey surroundings.

Ghosts?

It seems like every place we've stayed in the last few years has had a resident ghost or a few tales of eerie interest.  I don't even think about it anymore.  But our "home for the night" did look very creepy as we headed back after dinner.  Luckily (or sadly)  we had no encounters!

Breakfast in Albertine's Tea Room

By ten, Don and I were ready to hit the road and Scott was ready to hit the books... I'm guessing!  

We headed to our car, parked right on the curb.  It was as if this was just any neighborhood home.  What a fun overnight in the big old white house!

This wonderful inn, on St. Charles Avenue across from Audubon Park was out of a storybook.  It was built in 1884 as a hotel for the World International and Cotton Exposition.  It felt like we were staying in a gracious old home, but without that B & B feeling that makes you feel like you're intruding and need to whisper. 

When in Rome (or New Orleans) you want to experience some of the historic flavor.  We weren't even in the French Quarter, but we still got a feel for the festive history of Mardi Gras.  Throughout the inn there were colorful prints of the parade floats going far back. 

It was a warm August afternoon when we arrived.  We climbed the porch stairs and entered the grand hallway with 12 foot ceilings.  Even before days of air-conditioning I imagine there was a nice flow of air through the windows.  Our room turned out to be conveniently located right beside the dining room.   

Again, there was a nice mix. Cozy old house meets classy hotel.  The  lobby desk was located beside the staircase, with a glow of yellow light coming through the stained glass.  We had spoken with our hostess Lorie on the phone earlier and she seemed downright delighted to have us. She showed us our room and the dining area with complimentary wine, snacks and breakfast in the morning.  We were starting to relax.

After checking in, we did a little wandering. We could have played a little piano in the parlor.

We could have pulled up chairs in the dining room to enjoy some of the complimentary wine, but we were a little too eager to make use of the front porch.  

Yes, we did have a ukulele with us.  It's not every day that you can stay in a hotel and strum a ukulele tune on a porch... across from Audubon Park!

It was mighty hard to believe this room was 2 dollars cheaper than the cost of our stay at the place the night before.  We had an antique canopy bed and a lovely mahogany armoire.  And even a step up to the bed. Which I used!

Our bathroom was less comical than the one we'd had the night before. This one had a great shower and spotless black and white tile.  The toilet was new and did not run all night and it was NOT housed inside an antique phone booth. 

Morning
We had a great night's sleep. I even turned on the very fun "noise machine" to crickets.  The evening before, Lorie had insisted we invite Scott and Chali for breakfast, which was beyond nice.  We ate a lovely meal with peacock feathers in the vases and soft classical music playing and a view of the park.  A sweet woman named Pam made sure everything was perfect. She said the small pastel colored hardboiled eggs were naturally colored and freshly gathered. There was a sausage and egg dish and stuffed French toast and homemade biscuits.  What a way to end our stay!

This purple and green building is what we saw when we turned down Dryades from Napoleon.  We parked and fumbled with the buzzer and intercom, while a few neighbors congregated on a porch nearby and waiters took a break at Pascal's Manale across the street.  I was sure these folks in the neighborhood were used to having some fun, evaluating the guests who arrived at The Dive.  

Wayne seemed a little weary.  He admitted he usually lets his more sociable wife greet the guests, but then he ended up giving us a 25 minute tour.  He showed us the antique bar and the beer stocked fridge that works on the honor system. He pointed out the domed "lamella" structure over the pool, which was quite a big deal in 1927.  He showed Don how to open the cover of the pool and then turned to me with a little chuckle,  "Just knock on my door when you're ready to swim. " By this time I had already winced at a few of his joking comments about the perks of owning a "clothing op" hotel.  I hated to inform him that I had no intention of nuding up, so I just asked more questions about the history.

Back when they first opened, the guests wore clothes.  Folks were probably drawn to the place because it was different than your typical touristy French Quarter getaway.  Some, like actor Dennis Quaid came because it was away from the crowds and nosy fans.  After a few years of ownership, an upper level was added. The costly addition was completed just before 9/11.  The plunge in tourism that followed caused the owners to search for a gimmick to attract customers.  That's when The Dive began catering to the nudist community.

This was the room we chose online.  It was one of 4 rooms that were part of the original 1847 Creole Cottage, which was on the property when the Consulate purchased in 1908. I grinned to see that the decor was even more entertaining than I'd expected.  The woodwork and claw footed tub were pink. The toilet was enclosed in what was once a wooden phone booth.  The thick wood floors creaked underneath the carpets and a musty smell hung in the air.  But old sounds and smells are part of old hotels, so I was okay with that.

Wayne pointed out the tropical mural surrounding the bed.  He motioned to the wobbly bed post and explained,  "I think the woman last night thought she was Demi Moore doing a pole dance!"  (TMI, Wayne!) Wayne attempted to screw the post back in, but we found the wobbly thing a little precarious at bedtime...and removed it.

Our suite actually included a little sitting room with stained glass windows, a tiny kitchen area and a back door to the "garden".  

I guess $137. is a good price for a suite in New Orleans, but this is no typical hotel suite.  Guests need to be reminded that the white glove test would fail here.  Not complaining.  You get a little dusty when you're 167 years old and filled with hard to dust knickknacks.  I have a feeling the nude crowd is willing to pay a little more for the privilege.  I didn't get my money's worth by nuding up, but I did enjoy the figures in the window above the door.  And I was entertained by counting the duck figures on the inside of the phone booth toilet.  I think there were 39.

Don got his money's worth by swimming laps before we checked out in the morning. Yes, he's wearing a suit, but he didn't have to.  I was too busy back in the room trying to figure out how to pull the curtain around the old tub for a shower.