The Windsor Court Hotel, located on the fringe of the French Quarter in New Orleans exudes elegance and charm, and hospitality begins at the front door.

The Windsor Court Hotel, located on the fringe of the French Quarter in New Orleans exudes elegance and charm, and hospitality begins at the front door. The hotel opened its doors in lavish style in 1984 with Princess Anne in attendance, and presidents, royalty and celebrities have continued to flock to the hotel for its discerning service and discrete privacy. This gracious, pet-friendly 23-story hotel has 324 rooms, of which 266 are suites. Pets are welcomed with special “woof” or “meow” packages, and there is even a special room service menu for them. Having stayed at the hotel a few years, we were delighted to return to find the same high-level of service during our August 2004 stay. Staff is attentive, and services abound with a year-round sparkling rooftop heated pool and Jacuzzi, world-class fitness center complete with separate men’s and women’s steam and sauna rooms, and a Business Center that is available 24 hours through the Concierge Desk, and really caters to the leisure as well as business traveler with free internet access. Afternoon Tea is served in the elegant lobby.

Although New Orleans has some outstanding museums, guests should take time to visit the hotel’s collection of world-renowned original paintings, prints and sculptures beginning in the courtyard with John Mills sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon, which has a decidedly New Orleans flavor with an alligator instead of a dragon. In keeping with its Windsor Castle theme, there is a model of Windsor Castle just off the lobby, which was presented to King Charles IV by Sir Jeffry Wyatville in 1824, as well as a painting of Windsor Castle from the Thames by Thomas Gainsborough, and paintings by Thomas Buttersworth, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Albert Goodwin and Thomas Sidney Cooper, among its vast collection.

We stayed in a large full-suite on the 18^th floor with a spacious foyer with bookcase filled with an assortment of books, and a kitchen with a full size refrigerator, stove and microwave, although with their award-winning restaurant The New Orleans Grill located on the 2^nd floor, and a short stroll to other outstanding French Quarters restaurants, that was one amenity we did not use. Our living room had a balcony with city views, a large television, 2 loveseats and a comfortable upholstered armchair, and a round table with 2 chairs which was perfect for enjoying our “Welcome” surprise of verbena lemonade, cake, cinnamon butter, strawberry conserves and rich chocolate candies. French doors separated the living room from the bedroom, where there was a large king bed luxuriously dressed with Filidoro linens. There was a pop-up large television at the foot of the bed, a desk, nightstands, as well as another balcony. In our dressing room, there was a vanity with “Hollywood” lighting as well as a make-up mirror, and the mirrored closet had an enormous safe complete with removable jewelry tray. For guests wanting to touch up their clothes, there was also an iron and ironing board. The large marble bathroom had an adjustable height shaving mirror, a combination tub/shower as well as a scale, and guests are pampered with robes, slippers and Penhaligon’s amenities from London.

We had breakfast and dinner at The New Orleans Grill, and were delighted with Executive Chef Jonathan Wright’s brilliantly creative menu. Since we had dined at the restaurant when it was the Grill Room on a previous visit, we were pleased to find that the same high-quality service and cuisine continues. Please read our article on The New Orleans Grill in the Restaurant section and sample Jonathan’s recipes in our Chefs’ Recipes section.

The Windsor Court Hotel has a winning location of its close proximity to the business district as well as the historic French Quarter perfect for whether your visit is for business or leisure.

To read more articles on New Orleans please read our articles in Hotels & Resorts, Restaurants, Chef’s Recipes, Events, Liquor Cabinet, Music Scene and Art & Antiques.

For information on New Orleans, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

Windsor Court Hotel
300 Gravier Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
United States
www.windsorcourthotel.com
 www.orient-express.com
1-800-262-2662
1-504-525-8449

© October 2004. Luxury Experience. www.luxuryexperience.com All rights reserved.