The Chloe

This sophisticated boutique hotel in a renovated former Victorian residence allows guests to instantly plug in to the Uptown neighborhood scene and offers a stylish retreat from the madding crowds of the Big Easy.

• The eclectic retro-cool design and original details of this former Victorian residence, which feels like a private oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter
• Each room has its own unique look and feel, including one with a speakeasy bathroom hidden behind a cabinet.
• The Uptown neighborhood social clubby vibe and the offerings at the onsite restaurant and bars, along with complimentary breakfast croissants, biscuits and oatmeal-chocolate chip muffins and currant jam

There’s plenty to like about this charming 14-room boutique property, with its distinctive, sophisticated vintage style, indoor and outdoor dining, two bars, a front porch with rocking chairs and a pool out back. The hotel, part of the LeBlanc+Smith Hospitality Group, is housed in a Thomas Sully-designed Victorian on one of Uptown’s poshest streets—St. Charles Avenue—and is within easy walking distance of the Garden District’s shops and restaurants. Restaurateur Robert LeBlanc and NOLA designer Sara Costello have embellished the space with stylish touches and memorable details—from the low lighting, dark wood work, moody deep blue and green walls to the bold scarlet carpet emblazoned with alligators descending the front stairs to the classically appointed rooms that connect the main salon to the bar, lounge and indoor dining nooks. 

You won’t find a key card in sight at The Chloe: Guests are given brass key chains with old-school room keys that make that satisfying clicking sound that signals you’ve arrived in another era. Each of the guest rooms has its own original look, with four-poster or spindle beds, antique pieces juxtaposed with contemporary art and tall whimsical golden bird lamps with chic black shades. Marshall speakers and turntables branded with a Peach Records logo and vinyl albums on loan invite guests to sample the label’s local musicians and bands during their stay. Mini bars and bathrooms are similarly stocked with favorite locally made indulgences like Piety and Desire chocolate bars, and modern soaking tubs come with Oxalis body oil and bath salts. Some rooms have delightfully surprising, if quirky, features (one comes with a speakeasy bathroom—access is through a door in a cabinet that might call to mind The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)*. *

The courtyard patio restaurant under myrtle and oak trees, helmed by executive chef Todd Pulsinelli (formerly August), offers additional refuge, if the pool amid the palmettos and lemon trees out back isn’t enough. The Chloe draws a lively local 30-plus set, who also stop in at the bar and know the bartender at the poolside bar by name. The restaurant serves New Orleans classics such as alligator soup, beet salad, crab and baked oysters, shrimp dumplings and hanger steak. 

The staff throughout is helpful and discerning, especially when it comes to NOLA restaurant recommendations. Reservations can also be accommodated at other LeBlanc+Smith restaurants, including Sylvain and The Will & The Way (French Quarter), Anna’s (The Marigny) and Barrel Proof (Lower Garden District). The pool area has an intimate sitting area and a bar with an entertaining bartender who knows how to make a perfect mojito with his own special pineapple rum twist (“just the right amount of sugar and acid and lots of mint”). ​​

Sophisticated couples and friends looking for a more intimate scene, away from the madding Big Easy crowds