Tuesday, May 31, 2011

New Orleans, Louisiana



R.G. recently celebrated the end of the semester with a trip to visit her old friend A.T., currently residing in Mobile, AL. Their Gulf Coast holiday started in New Orleans, where, although she had never before visited, R.G. has been harboring a secret desire to move. That fantasy has been bolstered. New Orleans is true R.G. territory. The hotels are not cheap as in Mexico or even Paris, but many of them boast R.G.'s other requirements of history, charm, minimal decor, quiet street locations, balconies, etc.

One of these, thanks for asking, is the Hotel St. Pierre on a lovely, residential street in the northern French Quarter. The St. Pierre is sort of a collection of small buildings, the oldest of which dates to 1778. Most of the rooms face inward and many have internal balconies, which, particularly in the French Quarter, are the best kind. Because they demanded this double twin room set-up, A.T. and R.G. had to forgo the balcony. Their room was very cute, though, and R.G. wishes she had captured the darling bathroom. She also wishes she had swam in one of the pools (you know how R.G. likes a hotel pool!), but she was under the misapprehension that the rest of the trip would be spent in the ocean. (In fact, they went from New Orleans to Ship Island, Mississippi by ferry and spent a beautiful blue-skied day on the beach, where, unbeknownst to them, they were frying themselves halfway to Kingdom Come. R.G. was trying raspberry seed oil as sunblock, which, it turns out, is not sunblock, is not sunscreen, is not, in the last analysis, much of anything at all. Such are the tolls of an open mind. To give their epidermises a rest, A.T. and R.G. had to spend the duration indoors, heavily drinking. It's a good thing Mobile has such excellent bars and beer.)

The St. Pierre's free breakfast is not good, which is really its only downside. The staff are no-nonsense, which R.G. likes in staff, and the parking is free, which is important if you've driven there, like A.T. did. When she goes back, which she definitely will, R.G. plans to try out a few other hotels, but the Hotel St. Pierre did her right.

Hotel St. Pierre, 911 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA, ph. 866-539-0036, http://www.frenchquarterinns.com/hotelstpierre, $125 for a double twin.

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