A few weeks ago, I got a special treat on Mother’s Day when my daughter and I checked into the newly refurbished SpringHill Suites/TownePlace Suites Hotel, a unique “blended brand” hotel at 1600 Canal St.
From the soaring spacious lobby with its modern bar to the elegant rooftop bar, known as Vue, the hotel is stunning. This is somewhat incredible since the building was built in the 1960s to house a gas and oil drilling company and later given to the University of New Orleans. But it has been empty since Katrina. Now, however, it has been restored to even greater heights than it ever had before. The concept of housing two hotel brands in one building is a first for New Orleans, although the two Marriott brands have been merged before in a hotel near the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. New Orleans is only the second city in the world to benefit from this particular all-in-one combo of two Marriott hotels.
The first six floors belong to SpringHill Suites and expect to accommodate short-term business travelers as well as tourists. The TownePlace suites on floors seven to 13 are designed for longer stays and are complete with well-supplied kitchenettes.
Our corner room on the 13th floor provided us with gorgeous views of the city, including the Canal Street streetcar line and the nearby Tulane Medical Center. The views are even more spectacular from the outdoor bar on the 14th-floor roof. While dinner is not served at the hotel, an array of small-plate appetizers, such as crawfish and artichoke dip and gator nachos, are available at Vue.
The breakfast buffet was sumptuous, with a variety of offerings including scrambled eggs, sausage, pastries, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, and, of course, coffee or juice. Everything was well-prepared, hot, and restocked as needed.
Our room itself was modern and clean with a large bathroom and queen-sized bed. Because of the hotel’s origins, each room may vary slightly in size or layout. Ours, weirdly, had no full-length mirror. Although that is probably only the vanity in me speaking and was the only tiny drawback in an otherwise impeccable atmosphere.
The customer service is top-notch, the staff pleasant and accommodating. Danny, the bartender in the lobby bar, was a personable representative of the company, and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent talking and laughing with him.
Other amenities include a well-equipped fitness center and a small market in the lobby with snacks and drinks.
The SpringHill Suites/TownePlace Suites Hotel is located on the streetcar line and only a short walk (or Uber) to anything you could want to see in New Orleans. I highly recommend checking this place out. And then checking in.
SpringHill Suites/TownePlace Suites, 1600 Canal St., 504-702-6800 and 504-702-6788.
Photos by Kathy Bradshaw.
