Monteleone Hotel, New Orleans

The Monteleone Hotel is still owned by the same family that purchased it in 1886. Antonio Monteleone came from Sicily around 1880. He was a successful businessman in Sicily, and when he arrived in New Orleans he opened a cobbler's shop in the French Quarter. The hotel that Antonio purchased was named the Commerical Hotel. It had sixty four rooms and was set at the corner of Royal and Iberville Streets. Guests staying at the hotel have a front row seat for the Mardi Gras and other festivals of New Orleans.

The original building was taken down in the fifties so that more rooms could be added. There is a swimming pool at the Sky Terrace level of the hotel and a lounge that was built after the new hotel was completed. Many films and television shows have been filmed at the hotel, and it is one of the haunted hotels that the city is famous for.

There are six hundred rooms at the Monteleone and fifty five suites. The rooms are elegantly furnished and have high ceilings and decorative molding. They are non smoking and give guests a choice between double beds or a king size. Guests may have a view of the Mississippi River or the French Quarter. Every room has a mini bar, 25 inch television, coffeemaker and safe. Business travelers enjoy the high speed internet, twin phones that accept voicemails, and a desk area. Bathrooms in the rooms are marble and granite with comfortable robes and a hair dryer.

The suites at the Monteleone Hotel vary in size and offer plush beds and garden tubs in the bathrooms. In honor of the many famous authors that have stayed at the hotel there is a group of suites known as the Author Suites. They can accommodate large groups of people for entertaining or business meetings. King sized beds, second bedrooms, parlors and plasma TV's are part of the upgraded accommodations in the suites. Some of the authors that have rooms in their names include Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.

There is a fitness room with all the latest equipment and a full complement of spa treatments. They have two restaurants on site and a bar that is one of the more famous ones in New Orleans. The Carousel Piano Bar has live music from Wednesday through Saturday. It starts at 9:00 pm and goes until 2:00am. The bar is open seven days a week from 11:00 am to 2:00 am. The bar itself revolves and was made famous by various authors.

The Hunt Room Grill is open daily for dinner at 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. They feature seafood, gumbo and prime cuts of beef. The casual Le Cafy has a breakfast buffet or menu items. Breakfast is served from 6:30 am to 11:00 am. Lunch can be eaten from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Menu items are soup, appetizers, salads and various entrees of chicken, fish and beef.

Because the hotel lies in the French Quarter there are many museums, jazz clubs and shopping areas for guests to visit.