Left My Heart in the Big Easy - Part One
Written: Dec 13 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This hotel was an escape into a different era.
Cons: I had no complaints.
The Bottom Line: If you want to be close to the debauchery of Bourbon Street and still have a quiet escape, this is your hotel.
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| jasonkirk's Full Review: Dauphine Orleans Hotel |
If only three days was long enough to fall in love. I thought it was and that I fell in love with and in New Orleans. Funny how sometimes a place is enhanced or tainted by the taste of lust and desire you find there or by the pain and bitter truth that seek you out as a stranger in a new setting. But you probably don't know what I am talking about. Too many Hurricanes and Mint Juleps you say . . . well, I won't deny the possibility. I'll try to explain and weave a story in the manner of one special Cajun man who still holds a piece of my heart.
New Orleans was the culmination of a three-week roadtrip from Seattle. I traveled with a good friend of mine from my high school days and all together we racked up 4,700 miles on my '95 VW Jetta. To add a little more contextual background - we are both early twenty somethings without jobs and just out of school (or in my case on sabbatical!)
So, where were we? Oh, yes, in New Orleans. I suppose you might want a bit of my opinion on what to see and do and where do see and do it. Damn picky readers . . . did you want to read a travel review or a travel essay? Maybe I can accommodate both options.
Part One - The Hotel Dauphine Orleans
With our trusty AAA guide book, we started making calls as we crossed over the Louisiana - Texas border. I must say that the AAA guidebook for Louisiana is a far cry better than some of the other states. We had been disappointed up to this point, but as we booked our room at the Hotel Dauphine Orleans we started to have some better feelings about AAA.
The Dauphine was located on Dauphine (surprised, aren't ya?) and just two blocks from the raucous Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. I would highly recommend this hotel. It is immaculate and relatively inexpensive. We paid $99 per night for two beds. The room had two balconies and was very well decorated. The hotel serves a deluxe continental breakfast as well as high tea.
You will also find a swimming pool on the premises. I am often impressed with the small details and with the hotel insignia painted on the bottom of the pool, I was impressed. A warning if you travel to this hotel in the fall or winter - the pool isn't heated and even though the Big Easy is mild in November . . . it was c-c-cold!
As you arrive you are given a complimentary drink card to redeem at the bar on the premises. I would recommend trying an Old Fashioned. I was not a bourbon fan, but this made one out of me. We pumped the bartender for info and she was very obliging. If there aren't many customers in the bar, I would recommend asking a few questions and getting a good local's perspective on the French Quarter.
The hotel staff was accommodating and helpful. I didn't see as much of the southern charm in them as I did in other places, but the service was still better than acceptable. One of the benefits of the Dauphine was the fact that they have their own garage and parking is inexpensive at around $12 per day. If you stay, park here rather than trying to save money at a lot away from the hotel.
If you like a well stocked wet bar then you will be happy. Other details that were impressive were piroulines on the pillows, Hotel Dauphine bathrobes and allergen free rooms.
If/when I return to New Orleans I will definitely try first to get reservations at the Hotel Dauphine Orleans. And speaking of going back . . . I still haven't gotten to the story of that Cajun man who stole away my heart . . . looks like you'll have to wait. We just checked in and it's time for some bourbon. Maybe we'll head next to Bourbon Street and check out the festivities or hit a bar or two. Don't worry, we'll get there, but at a southern pace, honey child.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jasonkirk
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Member: Jason Kirk
Location: Charleston, SC
Reviews written: 111
Trusted by: 101 members
About Me:
Seattle transplant living in the deep south . . .
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