OLD MEETS NEW IN BIG EASY HOTEL
Upper East Side Manhattan feel, New Orleans charm
Walking into the Maison de la Luz hotel in New Orleans is like strolling through your television into a quirky Wes Anderson movie. It may not be exactly like his Grand Budapest, but it’s still pretty extravagant.
Antiques and crazy colours cover the inside of the former New Orleans City Hall Annex, complete with 67 guest rooms. Los Angeles-based Pamela Shamshiri, designer of the hotel, said the surrounding neighbourhood is unique, allowing guests a place to stay in an otherwise commercial area that’s located beside the famous Ace Hotel New Orleans.
“It is unique to have the luxury of an intimate experience next door to all the lively social happenings at Ace — their events, bars, restaurants, coffee shop and pool,” Shamshiri told Elle Decor.
In her partnership with Maison de la Luz — owned by Atelier Ace, a luxury spinoff brand of Ace Hotel — Shamshiri said she wanted to create something that wasn’t available in the Big Easy, playing with the idea of an Upper East Side Manhattan residence, but with that New Orleans charm.
Drawing inspiration from French and Spanish hotels, the use of colour and vintage decor seems like it belongs in a painting instead of a hotel open for booking. The communal dining and sitting areas have a “more is more” sensibility, while the actual guest rooms are more stripped back and neutral.
The building is old and filled with history, but Shamshiri’s crew focused on what they wanted to update almost immediately.
“The whole team knew we wanted a bar in the law library and that we wanted a living room and breakfast room. It was really natural to lay it out and the whole team was in agreement on the spaces,” Shamshiri said.
The breakfast room’s white walls are painted with blue flowers matched to the seating, accented by gold light fixtures. The library has a more subdued classic look, most of the bookshelves and furniture being dark wood, with cushions in yellow.
The bar is the standout public area. Red walls, tiger-stripe upholstery on the bar stools and blue furniture come together in one of the most extravagant watering holes in which hotel guests can imbibe, while not being over the top, Shamshiri said.
“It feels like the sultry red corner of the hotel,” she said. “It added the right amount of edge to the overall design concept.”