The Old 77 Hotel and Chandlery, New Orleans

The Art District of New Orleans (also known as the Warehouse District) contains some of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in the city. As you walk around the area you really do get a sense of the charm, culture and history that make this part of New Orleans so unique.

I first became aware of the Old 77 Hotel and Chandlery when I saw in it on a list of the most anticipated boutique hotel openings of 2015. The concise summarization that I read only piqued my curiosity further so I had a feeling that a visit to the hotel would be in my near future.

As luck would have it, I did not have to wait for very long to find a reason to make this visit a reality as the opportunity arose for my husband and I to go over to New Orleans to pick up some furniture that we ordered for his office.

The hotel just recently opened in June so when we got there we did see that there are still some minor areas of renovation under way (they were barely noticeable). But, I felt that the opportunity to experience this hotel in its beginning stages to me far outweighed the minor inconviences of the progress taking place.

The front desk clerk was very helpful and gave us a quick run down of the building's history.

Dating back to the early 1800's, the Warehouse District was a thriving industrial area that depended in large part on trading, shipping and distribution of goods. A vast majority of buildings in this area exist today because they were built as warehouses for containment of these goods. The current location of the hotel was built in 1854 and first served as a coffee warehouse until it was bought by E.J.Hart and Co., when it then became a chandlery store for sailors who would come into the Port of New Orleans. I will freely admit to you that I did not at first know what a chandlery store was. That's the great thing about doing this blog.....it is a learning process.

Back in the day (early 1800's), the chandlery stores existed in ports of major cities to serve as general stores for sailors with inventory consisting of nautical tools and equipment as well as medicines and tobacco. In fact, as a way to preserve the history of the building, construction currently is in progress for a modern-day, smaller scale chandlery store in the lobby. I can't wait to see what goodies will be sold here but I have a feeling it will contain rum and vodka from local New Orleans distilleries (okay, maybe one of my sources told me that).

In the lobby there is currently a vintage/industrial style coffee shop which also aids in preserving the hotel's background as a coffee warehouse. The seating is provided by a large rustic wooden table with cast iron legs and industrial style chairs. I felt that the rustic/modern industrial style decor is well suited in this old warehouse with the interior brick walls left intact detailing the E.J Hart and Co. insignia which adds to the nostalgic charm.

We were upgraded to a queen suite on the 4th floor with a view of the Louisiana Court of Appeals. I love the entire set up and decor of the room. The furniture consists of a vintage mid century modern style dresser and a bright yellow leather chair. The unique art hanging over the bed and on adjacent walls is equally appealing. Also, the exposed pipes on the ceiling that you often see in industrial warehouses are painted red which I found to be a creative way to accent this vintage architectural element. All of this together with the brick walls again providing that modern-industrial delightful combination while at the same time maintaining the rustic historic feel of an old warehouse . . . well done!

But of course we didn't come here to spend time in our room so after a quick wardrobe change, we headed back downstairs to have a quick cocktail at the bar before venturing out.

I'm going to let the pictures of the restaurant speak for themselves here but, wow! The artwork immediately is the first thing that I found myself focusing in on. The vibrant colors of the landscape painting against the brick walls is a very nice touch.

The bartender told us that all of the artwork in the restaurant is by Michelopolis, a well-known local artist in New Orleans who has a gallery in the French Quarter.

There is also a large wooden wall hanging at the restaurant’s entrance that I found out was constructed from salvaged wood dating back over 100 years that was part of the original building.

The restaurant itself, Compere Lapin, is gaining national recognition due to the fact that the chef is Nina Compton who is known for her fantastic culinary skills and her appearance of Top Chef season 11 which was filmed in New Orleans.

Overall, The Old 77 Hotel and Chandlery has so many unique features that make it appealing. What you might not find is a lot of the frills that are present in a luxury boutique style hotel. The simplistic yet unique theme consisting of modernization of the this industrial warehouse with a unique past is enough to leave anyone with a greater appreciation of New Orleans' culture and history.