FAULTless Fever Dream: Hotel Saint Vincent New Orleans Review
Hotel Saint Vincent – New Orlean’s very own sinfully delicious disco-fever dream, of the best kind.
Hotel Saint Vincent is not a hotel that subtly announces its presence, but rather screams it. A tickle and a slap to the face with its decadently kitsch aesthetic, we’re talking floor-to-ceiling blue-soaked corridors, bubble-marbled bathroom wallpaper torn from the walls of Barbie’s acid dream house. Every turn you make in this 75-room hotel leads to unexpected design choices that make your senses sing.
Built in 1861 and completely restored and given the TLC the building deserves in 2021, the Hotel Saint Vincent is slap bang on the corner of Magazine street and Race street in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. The area is known for its classic New Orleans architecture and a hub for great restaurants, art galleries, salons, and vintage shops.
The rooms at HSV are well-sized with tall ceilings, a walk-in closet, and a shower bathroom.
Our room had a large balcony perfect for morning yoga in the sun. The rooms are decked out in a surprisingly sullen gray paint which works by pulling your focus to the vintage furniture, fixtures and artwork.
The real treat however is the bathroom- a real feast for the eyes, salmon tiles line the walls along with the previously mentioned bubbly marbled print wallpaper aptly dubbed “Topless Sunbathers”.
Talking of sunbathers, the hotel boasts a beautiful courtyard with a heated pool and conveniently placed poolside bar.
The hotel is by no means short of dining options, housing the relaxed French-Vietnamese Elizabeth Street Café, a go-to for your coffee and pastries needs as well as offering delicious pho and Banh mí options for lunch and dinner accompanied by a glass or three of natural wine.
The hotel also has the Paradise Lounge and San Lorenzo restaurant. Our particular favorite hangout was the more relaxed Paradise lounge which is fitted with tropical murals and a sumptuous marble bar made by local millworker Daniel Bell.
At the Paradise lounge, you can order bar snacks, which include a hefty wagyu burger during happy hour no less. Note: Don’t miss happy hour- from 3-5 pm everyday.
The San Lorenzo restaurant features the work of chef Laura Collins’s take on traditional Italian cooking- such as Spaghetti Vongole and Lobster Bucatini!
If these three options don’t satisfy you, then you need to have a quiet word with yourself, or wander down to the guest-only Chapel Bar, a naughty little spot that opens in the evenings. Nude paintings galore and small hidey-holes to gossip away the evening in true southern style.
ByGeorge, the hotel’s fashion and lifestyle boutique, is another little gem of the hotel. Located on the ground floor opposite the lobby, this small boutique offers some truly lavish items featuring luxury brands such as Dries Van Noten and Missoni. You can also purchase the Saint Vincent kimonos here, the same robes you will have undoubtedly twirled around in, as they serve as your hotel bathrobes.
The staff were extremely attentive and friendly, well and truly keeping the culture of southern hospitality alive. Hotel Saint Vincent is firmly placing itself as one of the many jewels of New Orleans- an accomplishment not for the faint hearted in a city where creativity and imaginative design are as abundant as Hurricanes cocktails and Beignets.
Hotel Saint Vincent is a romantic hotel that has been able to find its feet at the sweet spot between daring design and classical hospitality.
For more information and bookings, please visit www.saintvincentnola.com