Excerpts from a Guestbook Monday, Sep 29 2008 

People say the nicest things about us in the guestbook, or at least they used to before Tennessee moved in.  Now, almost every page has a note about the cat.  But that’s alright with us…we love him too.  Here are a few of the recent comments in our guestbook:

     “Classy.  Breakfast in bed is a rare and glorious treat.  Tennessee was icing on the cake for a great experience here.  Thanks for making our stay so memorable!  – Jon & Erin”

     “Beautiful hotel & staff.  We had a lovely experience here.  Loved the courtyard, cat, turtles, and cold AC!  Thanks, The Prewitts”

     “#11 in the courtyard was everything we had hoped for.  A wonderful and enchanting stay – Thank you, Cindy & Brian”

Hurricane Preparedness Thursday, Sep 11 2008 

In case you were wondering, we’ve got this hurricane thing down pat.  With seamless teamwork, we prepared for the arrival of Gustav (who, thankfully, was not as tough as he originally seemed) by boarding up the windows and bringing all the potted plants, flags, and outdoor furniture inside.  Then, after a few days of being hunckered down or evacuated, the staff was back in action putting the hotel back together.  Hopefully we don’t have to repeat this all again until at least next hurricane season, but just in case, we’re keeping the boards handy. 

Thanks to all who expressed concern for the hotel and it’s staff….we are all back safe and sound and look forward to welcoming you back to New Orleans.  Oh, and Tennessee is safe and sound too.

Go Away Gustav Tuesday, Sep 2 2008 

Everyone at the hotel seems to have weathered Gustav’s arrival and departure. Everyone’s houses are fine and all the staff are safe.

Tennessee Williams and the turtles are all fine and happier now that the storm has passed. The hotel is fine and even has power. (But unfortunately no internet access, CDG is posting this for us via my Blackberry.)

We may have to delay re-opening until Saturday or even Monday to give the staff time to return to their homes and to work. It will depend on when they re-open the city to allow everyone to return. Stay tuned for details.

Thanks for all your good wishes and thoughts.

Pimmtini, anyone? Thursday, Jul 3 2008 

The Bistro's Signature PimmtiniFor all of you Bistro regulars, there is a new reason to dine with us this summer…the Pimmtini.  What’s that, you ask?  Why, only the most delicious drink ever! 

     Loosely based on the ever popular Pimm’s Cup, this refreshing cocktail adds a kick of cucumber-infused vodka to the traditional Pimm’s Cup ingredients resulting in a cool, crisp beverage that goes down so easy you’ll be wanting more in no time.  Not to worry, in celebration of the one year anniversary of the re-opening of The Bistro, these tasty ‘tinis will cost you just $1 each. 

     If a liquid lunch is not your style, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the Sizzlin’ Summer Lunch Tasting Menu is back.  For $28, you can enjoy 3 selections from the menu and a glass of wine.

Sleeping on the job…. Wednesday, Feb 27 2008 

Since I first wrote about the hotel’s cat, Tennessee Williams, I’ve gotten a few messages from people wondering how he’s doing, if he can see the hotel’s ghosts, if he is up for adoption, and what he does all day.  So, I thought I’d answer those questions: 

–Tennessee is doing fine – he loves the spring-like weather we are having.

–If he does see the ghosts he has not told us about it. 

–He is not up for adoption, we would miss him too much.  Sorry.

And regarding what he does all day……

Tennessee Sleeping

 As you can see, Tennessee has been hard at work sleeping on my desk.  At least he gave me a good excuse not to file any of the papers in that stack that he is lying on.  He also tested the durability of my glass fleur de lis paperweight from Studio Inferno.  He knocked it off the desk just moments after I took this picture and although it sounded bad, it is still intact.

 So there you go.  I promise to keep you up to speed on all things Tennessee.

Best,

Courtney 

Get your robe on! Friday, Feb 15 2008 

Maison de Ville Robe
 The City of New Orleans is called the Big Easy because of the  laid back way of life that those of us that live here enjoy every day. At Hotel Maison de Ville, we want you to experience that laid back feeling for yourself.  One way we do that is by offering the most luxurious robes we can find for you to enjoy during your stay.  But it doesn’t have to end there!  Now you can take a piece of Maison de Ville home with you by buying your very own plush velour hotel robe, which are priced at $75 each.  Give as a gift or keep for yourself – either way we promise that this robe will make you feel like you are still on vacation…and who doesn’t want that? 

Tennessee Williams alive and well at Hotel Maison de Ville. Friday, Dec 28 2007 

Tennessee the CatTennessee the Cat

Ok, so it’s not the REAL Tennessee Williams, but rather our furry feline friend that lives in the courtyard.  Most of you are already familiar with our turtles, Sporty and Big Girl, but we’ve recently welcomed Tennessee the Cat to our Maison de Ville family.  Be sure to look for him during your next visit.  Tennessee is very friendly and talkative and loves a good belly rub. Now if we could only teach him to write maybe he could win his own Pulitzer Prize!

What a difference a drape makes…. Friday, Dec 14 2007 

drapes-002.jpgdrapes-002.jpg

So, the wait is finally over.  We’ve been promising that we were putting new drapes up in the Main Parlor and they have now been installed!!  As you can see, it really changes the look of the parlor and gives it a warm, cozy feeling.  They are well worth the wait.  Thanks to our friends at Wren’s Tontine Shade and Design Shop for their time, energy, and expertise in helping us create the perfect look.

Greetings from New Orleans! Monday, Nov 26 2007 

Hello and welcome to our new blog! Many of you may be familiar with our popular “Ask the Concierge” column on the Hotel Maison de Ville’s website. Well, we decided to take that a step further and create a blog as a means of talking with our dear friends and future guests about the Hotel and the surrounding areas as well as answer any questions you all might have. New Orleans is an exciting city, and while we may be a bit biased, we firmly believe that EVERYONE should come and visit us to experience the history and culture that is so abundant here in Louisiana.

We look forward to welcoming you to our city and to our hotel.

Courtney, Vickie, and the staff at Maison de Ville