Southern Hotel

"How did it strike you on arrival?As you pull into the forecourt, you see a Mission Revival-style building, the modernity of which belies the hotel’s history, which stretches back over a century to 1907. The interiors—the hotel was refurbished and reopened in 2014—are the very model of boutique charm. There is colorful contemporary furniture that doesn’t look cookie-cutter and modern art and other furnishings with personality. What’s the crowd like?The hotel plays host to its fair share of wedding parties, so family gatherings are a regular occurrence, but without too much competition for upscale accommodations on the North Shore, hip young couples venturing out of New Orleans are also a fixture. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.My Traditional King’s earth tones and jauntily-colored throws on the bed and armchairs made for a pleasing contrast, and the desk chair was leather backed. Clean, fresh carpets and wooden fittings that cruised along a rural-chic curve added up to a strikingly commodious stay. Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.A symphony of white tiling engendered a real sense of hygiene and style, and the water pressure was as good as anything in the city. Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?The relative remoteness of the location didn’t seem to affect the free Wi-Fi speeds at all. Anything stand out about other services and features?The imbibing and dining options here are worth a trip even if staying at the hotel isn’t on the itinerary. The Cypress Bar is a truly memorable spot, with its evocative murals surrounding an Art Deco–style bar in classy dark greens. Oxlot 9 is the restaurant, a light and airy upscale bistro that serves up elevated Southern dishes such as roasted stuffed quail with black rice and pan fried stuffed rabbit. What was most memorable about your stay?Even coming from a city as laid back as New Orleans, there’s a palpable change in pace, and time spent here feels even more relaxed. Bottom line: worth it, and why?It’s really the only choice for a North Shore stay that isn’t an anonymous chain hotel." - Paul Oswell