Set on Magazine Street in the heart of New Orleans, the Eliza Jane Hotel has a lot going for it: a great location, instagram-able decor, and a rich history.
Part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, the hotel is is located in a historic warehouse that was once the home of the city’s Daily Picayune newspaper. The hotel is named for the paper’s publisher, heiress Eliza Jane Nicholson—the first female editor of a major paper in the US—and the decor harkens back to the turn of the century with intricately tiled floors, exposed brick walls, high ceilings, velvet and leather furnishings, brass fixtures, and Art Deco wallpaper.
From the moment you walk in there’s something to photograph, whether its the teal check-in desk, the grand lobby library, the exposed beams and pillars of the lobby work space and Press Room lobby bar, or the chic garden courtyard with electric lanterns, brick paver floor, and neon fountain centerpiece.
Rooms have equal attention to detail, with teal and pink accents, brass fittings, high ceilings, and plush platform beds. I shared a room with my sister, who remarked that the bed was one of the softest she’d ever slept in. Unfortunately, our two-queen room was one of the worst rooms in the hotel thanks to its interior location. These rooms have only a single window—which looks out into the interior of the hotel, and therefore gets no natural light.
Between the soft bed and lack of light, my sister also joked that it was “the kind of room you could accidentally sleep until 4pm.” Our mother’s room, on the other hand, felt much brighter.
Lack of light aside, our 275-square-foot room was spacious and stylish, with plenty of room for us both to spread out, unpack and hang our clothes. The bathroom, however, while lovely with its white subway tile, was on the small side, with very little counter space.
The room ticked all the boxes in terms of features though: a small work desk, a minibar, coffee maker, iron, robes, hair dryer, AC and heating, a 55″ 4K UHD TV, C.O. Bigelow bath toiletries, and a small safe. For our short stay in New Orleans, it was almost everything we wanted (if a little dark).
There were, however, a few hiccups in service. First, as we returned to the hotel on the last night, I stopped by the front desk to ask about check out time. The desk agent informed me it was 11am. When I asked about late checkout, she told me I could stay until noon. “Do you need my room number?” I asked. She said no. So, I wondered, if anyone can stay until noon and she doesn’t know my room number (I wasn’t there when my sister checked in) doesn’t that just mean that check out is really noon? (No, it turned out. Starting at 11, I had frequent knocks on my door from cleaning staff checking to see if I was still there.)
The second incident was much more concerning. On our second night, my sister went down to the bar to watch the Super Bowl while I finished getting ready. As she sat down, the bartender said he remembered seeing her the previous night at the bar of the attached restaurant, Couvant. My sister told him he must have the wrong person, as we hadn’t been in the restaurant. The bartender then aggressively disputed this with her for several minutes, even after I arrived downstairs, insisting that she just must not remember being there and insinuating she’s had too much to drink to remember where she’d been. His insistence was not only mystifying (was it flirting gone wrong, or something else?), but quickly verged into making us uncomfortable.
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While that encounter definitely left a bad taste, the hotel’s bright colors, endlessly photographable decor, and prime location made for an overall pleasant stay for a short weekend in the Big Easy. Just be sure to ask for a room with an exterior window if prefer more natural light in your hotel room.
If you go: Room rates start at around $229 per night. Compare rates at an online booking site like Hotels.com or Expedia.
