It is said that the French Quarter begins in the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone and this New Orleans, Louisiana landmark, founded by Antonio Monteleone in 1886, and continuously owned by the Monteleone family for four generations, is the oldest hotel in the French Quarter, and the largest hotel in New Orleans.

I have stayed at the Hotel Monteleone on numerous occasions, with my last stay at the hotel in July 2008 for Tales of the Cocktail. The marble lobby is impressive with its antique hand-carved mahogany clock designed by Toledano, Wagan and Bernard in New Orleans and sculpted by Antonio Puccio in 1909 that stands at center stage, there are inviting lavish exotic floral arrangements, and four sparkling crystal chandeliers gracing the hand-painted ceiling.

Many of the staff has worked at the Hotel Monteleone for years and I always look forward to chatting with Ms. Cleatter Landry, the Concierge, every time I stay at the hotel as she always has a smile for the guests and the latest information on what is happening in the city.

The Hotel Monteleone was designated as a Literary Landmark in 1999 by the Friends of Libraries USA, and has hosted such illustrious authors as William Faulkner, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, Sherwood Anderson, Richard Ford, and Ernest Hemmingway.

Hotel Monteleone Lobby

The hotel completed a multi-million dollar renovation throughout, which includes marble and granite bathrooms with garden tubs or Jacuzzis in its 600 guestrooms (55 are suites), as well as robes in all of the bathrooms, Gilchrest & Soames amenities, special accommodations for the handicapped and disabled, in-room safes large enough to hold laptops, Internet access available in all rooms, custom millwork and new furnishings in the guestrooms.

The guestrooms have excellent appointments with mini-bars, ironing boards and irons, hairdryers, coffeemakers with complimentary coffee, dual port guestroom phones, in-house Movies-On-Demand, large screen televisions and digital music stations, as well as clock/radios. One of the more innovative ideas in safety that I found in my bathroom was an automatic nightlight that came on when the bathroom lights were turned off.

Rooftop Swimming Pool

Amenities at the hotel include a rooftop swimming pool, Fitness Center, two restaurants: The Hunt Room Grill and Le Café; Carousel Bar and Lounge, Business Center, and guests looking for Spa pampering will appreciate Spa Aria, the hotel's full-service Spa.

Carousel Bar and Lounge

New Orleans has a legacy of being a haunted city, and the same can be said about the Hotel Monteleone. The hotel prides itself on its "guests" who decided never to checkout, and the International Society of Paranormal Research documented its findings on the hotel in 2003, which included the doors to Le Café opening and closing on their own although locked, as well as other friendly interaction, usually on the 14^th floor of the hotel, which is of course actually the 13^th floor. Although I had stayed on the 14^th floor, I did not encounter any spirits that I was aware of, other than the ones served by Head Bartender Marvin Allen in the famous revolving Carousel Bar and Lounge, which has been featured in many books, and attracts locals, visitors, and celebrities alike.

Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal Street
Telephone:     +1-504-523-3341
Toll Free:        1-800-535-9595 (within the United States)
Email:              This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.HotelMonteleone.com

Read other articles on the Tales of the Cocktail and New Orleans in the Destinations, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Liquor Cabinet, Luxury Products: Gifts, and Awards sections.

For information on the Tales of the Cocktail, please visit the website: www.TalesoftheCocktail.com. For information on New Orleans, please visit the website: www.NewOrleansCVB.com.

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