The Barnett - JDV by Hyatt

"Just one block away from the parade routes on St. Charles Avenue in the Warehouse District, the Ace Hotel’s location on Carondelet Street offers easy access to parades." - Lyndsey Matthews

"First impressions? The exterior is fairly nondescript, as are most of the office conversions in the city’s Central Business District. Inside though, there's a wistful Art Deco vibe. What’s the crowd like? Whether the brand shapes the demographic or the demographic shapes the brand, you’re firmly in fashion-conscious creative territory here, though in stubbornly unfashionable New Orleans, it’s less jarring than it might otherwise be. Expect to mix with young and beautiful people around the rooftop pool. And, the rooms?Some would describe my Medium Room as stark, others refreshingly minimalist. I found it calming. The dark tiling of the bathrooms creates an usually louche atmosphere, and the walk-in shower was spacious. The products are a mix of Rudy’s toiletries and Pearl soaps. My only real complaint was the lighting. It seemed a little too dim (I couldn't turn up the brightness). How about the little things? I loved the interior design, especially the French Deco wooden furniture, chic light fixtures and comfy, leather-covered window seat. Wi-Fi. What’s the word?Wi-Fi strength and reliability confidently reflected the social media-focused priorities of the hotel’s guests. Anything else stand out?Two favorites part of the hotel: The rooftop pool and the live music venue Three Keys. Both have hopping weekend crowds. The three dining options, osteria Josephine Estelle, rooftop bar Alto and oyster-touting Seaworthy are pretty fantastic, too. Bottom line. If you know the Ace brand, it’s not going to surprise you. One of the boutique properties that recently injected new energy into the city's hotel scene, it's steps from Lafayette Square and some of the hottest tables in town." - Paul Oswell

"In 2016, Ace added another link to its chain of ultracool hotels when it opened an outpost in a renovated 1928 building in the Central Business District of New Orleans. While the Ace employees here are just as edgy as their counterparts elsewhere, they temper that cool with the warm ease of New Orleans’s locals. Guests enter the hotel through a lobby of mismatched low-slung sofas and vintage coffee tables set in conversation-friendly groupings beside a lovely and ornate wooden bar.Most of the furnishings and artwork complement the hotel’s dominant forest green hue, which itself seems to have been inspired by the color of the streetcars that trundle past on Carondelet Street. Afternoon and evening and late at night, the lobby bar is kept busy by hotel guests as well as a stream of others drawn here by the stylish vibe. Some, of course, come for Ace’s dining options: Josephine Estelle is a well-regarded Italian restaurant (in a town full of stellar dining); Seaworthy offers cocktails and a wide array of oysters in a narrow tiled bar; a branch of Portland’s Stumptown Coffee serves the morning people strong coffee and pastries; and Alto, a covered bar beside the small rooftop pool, has a selection of snacks to offset a sizable menu of cocktails.Back on the ground floor, another attraction, Three Keys, is a small music venue that programs a busy schedule of live performances and deejays. Upstairs, past the old-school photo booth in the elevator bank, you’ll find eight floors of guest rooms in several configurations, all with black-out curtains and cork floors, amenities which nicely muffle any noise from the lobby and rooftop party scenes. All rooms come with a curated tray of local snacks (and some condoms), and a full-size refrigerator supplied with beer, wine, soda, and water, as well as a freestanding and dangerously well-stocked bar. Toiletries in the black-tiled bathrooms are from Rudy’s Barbershop. The guest rooms, painted in the same dark tones as the lobby, can feel a bit dimly lit, but are kept airy by the large windows and high ceilings. Your fellow hotel guests will certainly include bachelor/bachelorette parties, couples, people traveling with dogs, and some business people, but few families with children. Finding distractions in New Orleans is never a problem: The Ace's CBD neighborhood has some notable restaurants (Willa Jean, especially, for great breakfasts) and is walking distance to the French Quarter and the National World War II Museum, among other attractions."

"While the décor here definitely feels like an Ace, you’ll find none of the urban grunge of the New York location or the woods-y, hipster feel of the Portland and Seattle spots. The building itself is a 1928 art deco masterpiece in the Warehouse District, occupied by a Scandinavian furniture company for most of its existence, and now topped with a pool that’s open year round in the balmy, humid Southern weather here. The moody-but-elegant interiors are decorated (by no less than goop favorites Roman & Williams) in dark gem tones, with perfectly worn leather banquettes and thoughtful art deco accents. As this is an Ace, the restaurant is shaping up to be pretty great as well. Memphis food wizards Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, childhood best friends whose home-style Italian food is infused with a Southern kick, made it their first venture outside of Tennessee. "

"Swing by the Ace Hotel’s Josephine Estelle downtown for free lemonade and trail mix after voting." - Clair Lorell