Hotel Saint Vincent
Located in the vibrant town of New Orleans, Hotel Saint Vincent is reflective of its glamourous and indulgent environment.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson
Photo: Douglas Friedman.
Photo: Douglas Friedman.
In a landmark 1861 building in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, Hotel Saint Vincent is a reimagining of architectural grandeur in the former Saint Vincent’s Infant Asylum. The 75-room hotel from Austin-based hospitality group McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality has been brought back to life, inviting the history of the building and its surrounds into the interior design.
‘My favorite hotels always seem to be properties that have been in a family for a long time and passed along to new generations, who in turn layer their own remodels and personal styles on top,’ shares CEO Larry McGuire.
When considering the new interiors, MML sister firm Lambert McGuire Design kept much of the original architecture in a restoration overhaul to enhance the property’s historic character.
‘Although the orphanage was built during the Civil War in New Orleans, it had remained fairly untouched structurally since it was built,’ says hotelier Liz Lambert. ‘So we approached the building in the spirit of restoration, with the additional intent of layering a new story on top of the historic structure.’
They embraced the 60/70’s decadence and 19th-century architecture of the Lower Garden District. ‘When you dig into New Orleans, you realize how much there is to draw from — Spanish, Italian, and French, to name a few cultural influences on design,’ says Liz. ‘So, we began with classical Western European details and then put on a full overlay of Italian Modernism. I love Italian modern style.’
Liz’s love of Italian modern style can be seen throughout the hotel with mid-century furnishings, vintage 70’s Murano glass chandeliers, custom-tailored furniture, plus commissions from local artists.
“We needed a full re-imagination of the place. We wanted to create something grand and a little debaucherous.”
Each of the rooms in the hotel have unique layouts full of luxurious materials like deep red mohair, salmon coloured velvet curtains, red lacquer millwork, and Carrara marble alongside an eclectic mix of vintage art and objects. Red and pink tile bathrooms are lined in a custom psychedelic ‘Voutsa’ wallpaper derived from traditional Florentine marble book bindings found within The Saint Vincent’s Infant Asylum founder Margaret Haughery ledgers.
Beyond the eclectic rooms, the hotel’s public spaces include an interior courtyard with a Saltillo enclosed swimming pool lined with tropical plants and water fountains. They also retained the original grand staircase and wide sweeping corridors and left much of the exterior the same — only adding sky blue ceilings on the verandas, looming palm trees and hanging ferns, and signature neon signs.
The opulent design continues in the Paradise Lounge with custom mosaic tiled floors inspired by the original and flora and fauna hand-painted walls by local New Orleans artist Anne Marie Auricchio. Or the Chapel Club with neon-lit entrance, hot pink velvet bar, and black and white marble top.
Alongside these, the hotel offers two restaurants — San Lorenzo, serving a coastal Italian menu, and a French-Vietnamese style café and bakery, Elizabeth Street Café. Plus, an offshoot of the Austin-based retail boutique, ByGeorge New Orleans.
Hotel Saint Vincent reveals the magic of retaining character in sensitive restorations — introducing the atmosphere that lives beyond the walls and interiors and into the life of the city.
Photo: Douglas Friedman.
Photo: Douglas Friedman.
“[Thinking about the former owners of the hotel], Liz and I imagined that it was our turn, and we were going to go 60/70s decadence over the beautiful base layer of New Orleans classic Garden District design that already existed.”
