Soniat House

One of the best litmus tests for hotel coolness, especially if the hotel is located in a big city like New Orleans, is how well it blends into its surroundings. Because a hotel that doesn't have to advertise its presence, usually has something quite special to offer.

By that standard, the posh but decidedly low key Soniat House takes the prize because I walked past it about four times before realizing I had found the place.  No doormen or taxi stands here, just a pair of old school antique-looking double doors that lead to a restored French Quarter mansion.  Once I rang the doorbell, a gentleman's gentleman in a white jacket and gloves answered the door and led me into a almost silent gardened courtyard. It felt transporting, almost like stepping through a wardrobe or into Diagon Alley, except it was real and an authentically different world.

Once inside, everything seems designed to transport you back at least a century to the Creole New Orleans that no longer exists. Each room is decorated with original period antiques (think four poster beds armoires) and what few pieces of technology to be found are tucked away out of sight. It may not take you back as far as the 1870s, but it sure feels like the 1920s.  Oh, and breakfast served in that Garden? Very romantic.