Luxury with Soul
The hushed luxury guesthouse Maison de la Luz is an aesthete’s dream. The creatives of Studio Shamshiri, which conceived the space, found a rich muse in the city of New Orleans: a snake motif throughout references its mystic underbelly, eccentric collections of global art its port city status. Even the name is a nod to the Crescent City’s Spanish-French heritage. The sumptuous, scarlet-hued Bar Marilou—accessible to hotel guests via a secret door—offers its own richesse via aperitifs and French-accented bar bites (the crème fraîche and caviar-topped Pommes Marilou are particularly indulgent).
The flamboyant pastiche foils the circa-1908 building’s stoic beauty: soaring ceilings, wrought ironwork, original marble floors. Taken as a whole, the vibe telegraphs more private home than hotel. There’s no traditional lobby perpetually abuzz with weary travelers; in lieu of a plastic key card to access one of its sixty-seven rooms, guests are handed a silk-tasseled key fob anointed with a gleaming glass evil eye. Make no mistake, every detail is by design: Maison de la Luz is the first in a new line of luxe properties by Atelier Ace, best known for its impossibly hip namesake flagship concept. Whereas the Ace is like the cool kid you want to be seen with, la Luz by contrast is her older, well-traveled sibling who decided to come home and settle down for a spell.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
New Orleans’ Warehouse District is prime placement for a stay in the sprawling city—it puts you right in the middle of the action.
THE VIBE:
Like visiting the apartment of your posh friend who happens to collect art as a hobby. Decor throughout the property embodies the rich amalgamation of cultures that comprise New Orleans.
THE DIGS:
The nearly year-old Maison de la Luz fancies itself a home away from home. Its nexus is the “living room,” a common area with cozy clusters of seating and a sideboard outfitted with a well-stocked honor bar. In the mornings, guests can grab a plate from the continental breakfast set up there or order à la carte in the adjoining breakfast room, its walls painted in over-scaled Delft renderings of swamp plants. There are no closets in the tranquil lavender-painted guestrooms, rather wooden wardrobes, as found in many a historic New Orleans home. Hand-embroidered linens and bathrooms with Italian marble tile and soaker tubs say everyday luxury.
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