The Saint Hotel, Autograph Collection – Review

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The King Room at The Saint Hotel, Autograph Collection in New Orleans

The King Room at The Saint Hotel, Autograph Collection in New Orleans

by Becky Sue Epstein In the lobby of this stylish hotel, everything is oversized, from ceiling height to furniture. Peering through the sheer white curtains to the left, guests will see a sprinkling of cool-looking people around the pool table at any hour of the day or night. Behind another set of white sheers on the right is the restaurant Tempt, with a menu that claims to be an “updated takes on Southern and New Orleans cooking.” In-room dining, handled by the same kitchen, is offered from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. As an antidote, the gym is complimentary. This property is part of the unique Autograph collection of hotels. Autograph hotels are managed by Marriott, but serve as kind of anti-chain hotels, each one extremely individual in nature. The Saint was designed by owner/manager David Mark Wyant, Sr. and Jana Wyant. A few more clues about this property’s distinctive character can be found as you arrive at your room: the hallways are lit with blue lights, and the TV comes on to “The Creative Life Channel” rather than an ad for the hotel. The Saint has 166 queen and king rooms, all measuring in at 320 square feet, with very clean, white décor and laminated furniture; 36 of the rooms are double queens. Each room has flat-screen cable TV, mini-bar, refrigerator, terry robes and Niven Morgan “Blue” bath products, a signature scent for this hotel. The Saint makes it easy to move in for a few days or more since furniture includes long workspace desks; Wi-Fi and in-room coffee are free. The building was constructed as a hotel in the early 1900s, but was used as offices until the current renovation. The official opening was winter 2012, and the hotel is still awaiting many features, including a pool, rooftop sky bar, suites, banquet space and a basement cigar bar. In the meantime, the rooms are great, the richly decorated Burgundy Bar offers signature cocktails and great jazz, and the property couldn’t be more convenient: right on Canal Street, a few blocks up from Bourbon Street, where there’s always so much foot and car traffic that it feels safe even at night.             The Saint Hotel, Autograph Collection 931 Canal St. New Orleans, LA 70112 504-522-5400 www.thesainthotelneworleans.com     Related Content: New Orleans 72-hour vacation guide on GAYOT.com Louisiana Travel Guide on GAYOT.com Search for New Orleans hotels on GAYOT.com You can click on each photo to enlarge. Tempt on Urbanspoon