Loft 523 New Orleans

The building that once housed carriages and dry goods in the 1880's has recently been remodeled into the Loft 523. It is located at 523 Gravier St and features 16 Soho type lofts. They are very roomy, with 600 square feet of space. Two of the penthouses have terraces with gardens. The building had immense doors to accommodate the businesses and the architects have brought them down to size using hand hammered copper doors. There are twelve foot ceilings once the guests enter the room, so they get a feeling of remarkable space. This is also achieved by the floor to ceiling windows.

Some of the standard features of the rooms at Loft 523 include; a CD, DVD, and surround sound. The penthouses have a flat screen plasma TV attached to the wall. High speed internet is available throughout the hotel. If guests do not have wireless capability the hotel can provide a CD for them so that they can program it. There is also a special PC card that can be used to get internet service provided by the hotel.

The rooms have king sized beds with three sheets of Frette linens and king size pillows, and a throw pillow completes the bed design. The tables next to the bed are low to the floor. There are chairs that are Italian in design, and custom made pecan wood desks in each room. A Herman Miller desk chair complements the desk. The lamps and other amenities in the rooms add to the feeling of space. The bathrooms offer luxury with the Agape "Spoon'' tub. It complements the spa feeling of the bathroom's 120 square feet of space. The limestone and glass showers have two showerheads to massage the body. Aveda bath products are featured for their guests use.

The International House has a twenty four hour fitness center and the guests of Loft 523 may take advantage of this amenity. Guests who are traveling on business have the use of 12,000 square feet of meeting and banquet rooms. Pets are allowed at the Loft 523 and a onetime fee of two hundred dollars is charged. There is twenty four hour concierge service available, and each guest has a personal assistant throughout their stay.

There is a bar at the hotel that takes the guests to a grotto room. It is discreetly revealed after the guests enter through an old fire door. There are unique sandblasted glass walls that define the men and ladies rooms.

Many of the attractions of New Orleans are close by the Loft 523. Jackson Square is adjacent to the Cabildo, Presbytere and St Louis Cathedral. Statues and National Historic Landmark buildings inhabit this area. Restaurants that serve Creole and Cajun cuisine line the streets of the French Quarter. Cafy au Lait and beignets are a staple of New Orleans that are available at many of the restaurants. Many famous jazz clubs feature live music nightly. Mardi Gras is celebrated every year and there is an attraction called Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World that allows visitors to see how the floats are constructed.