PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

This inn was extensively restored with an eye toward both guest comfort and preservation of the full Victorian aesthetic. It's a splendid choice for someone who wants both the classic Victorian B&B experience (look for period excess in the front rooms' gorgeous details) but also guiltily wants a room with modern amenities (Berber carpet, Jacuzzi tubs, and the like). If that's you, stay upstairs in the absurdly large top-floor rooms, as nice as any at the Ritz-Carlton, we think; they would be our base for a lengthy business travel stay. However, if you do desire traditional surroundings, the ground-floor rooms, with fireplaces and grand old beds, are for you. You'll find comfy communal sitting areas upstairs and in the bottom level. Room nos. 5 and 6 are large (for those with personal-space issues), while room no. 4 has a window seat. The hosts are very experienced in B&B running, and it shows in everything they do, including the continental breakfast, which during our stay included feather-light buttermilk biscuits, hard-cooked eggs, fresh cantaloupe and strawberries, and all the trappings. The gardens, wrecked under 6 feet of water (which also took out their meticulously designed basement-level rooms), have been replanted and are spectacular. All in all, this place is perfect in looks, style, and service -- plus, it's a block away from Mandina's restaurant and right on the new Canal streetcar line, making it an easy hop to either the Quarter or City Park, where the end of the line is just blocks from the racetrack and Jazz Fest. And say hello for us to sweet Milo, the black lab, and his best friend, Buster, the yellow lab. Note: At press time the inn was for sale, so it may be in different hands by the time you read this.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New Orleans 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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