Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2007 - (Page 28) two Penthouse Suites for their size (800 square feet), décor and large patios that afford wideangle views of the city and the Mississippi River. The two suites (P4 and P6), which were apparently cool enough for Brad Pitt, who recently opted for the one with a piano (P4) for a party he was hosting, are handsomely designed to provide a sense of place, starting with wide-plank old pine floors that would have been found in grand New Orleans homes of yesteryear. Tables and cabinets topped with Calcutta Gold marble pay homage to generations of Italian influence in the city. Tribal sculptures offer tribute to African craftsmanship and the city’s culture heritage. Big rococo mirrors and glittering chandeliers hint of New Orleans’ naughty days. Eclectic but practical, penthouse bathrooms have Jacuzzi tubs and separate showers. Throughout, the 113 guest rooms and four suites sport a minimalist look that’s softened by brown, taupe and vanilla furnish- ings; some bathrooms come with seven-foot-long soaking tubs and double sinks, while others have a glass-enclosed shower with dual rain heads. All guest rooms can be booked over the GDS. International House employs “vibe specialists,” rather than concierges, who keep a finger on the pulse of what’s cool, hip and most suited to the 30- to 50-yearold-crowd to whom the hotel caters. A vibe specialist is said to excel in executing challenging requests and in helping guests discover the soul of New Orleans; on very short notice, they have been known to organize a crawfish boil or a meeting with a local voodoo priestess. General Manager Amy Reimer (areimer@ihhotel.com; 504-553-9550) is available to welcome your VIPs. In her absence, contact Jessica Friedlander (jfriedlander@ihhotel.com; 504891-9555), sales and marketing director, or Aimee Foret (aforet@ ihhotel.com), guest services manager. INTERNATIONAL HOUSE HOTEL appeals to hip, young visitors with its mix of modern and classic styles (guest room shown). ADVISOR INSIGHT: “The most important thing travel agents need to know about New Orleans is that the city is fine,” says Linda Kibak of Linden Travel in New York City. “New Orleans is up and running; the hotels, restaurants, shops, French Quarter—all have reopened. Agents who are having trouble selling New Orleans need to go to see it for themselves,” she advises. Topping Kibak’s list for fine dining is Brigtsen’s (www.brigtsens.com), a bistro set in a beautiful house in the uptown area where James Beard Award–winning chef and New Orleans native Frank Brigtsen blends Louisiana’s two indigenous cuisines—Creole and Cajun. Another uptown eatery, Casamento’s (www. galatoires.com) is an 80-year-old New Orleans institution, famous for oysters and where you might rub shoulders with Tommy Lee Jones or Nicole Kidman. For a casual meal, especially for a family with kids, funky 28 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | November 2007 Port of Call (838 Esplanade Avenue, French Quarter; 504-523-0120) has “amazing burgers,” Kibak says. She often walks in Audubon Park enjoying the beautiful gardens, or along Magazine Street (www.magazinestreet. com), popping into upscale or funky shops like Petcetera (www.petceteraneworleans. com), a specialty store for pampered dogs, or House of Lounge (www.houseoflounge. com), a self-proclaimed “purveyor of retro glamour-luxurious lingerie and decadent indulgences for the boudoir.” She likes Jacques Imo’ (8324 Oak St., in the Carrolton area; 504-861-0886)—it has a folkart interior, a raucous bar in the front, kitchen in the middle and dining room in the rear—for its sophisticated Creole/soul food. Next door is the Maple Leaf (8316 Oak St.; 504-866-9359), which observers have called “the quintessential New Orleans club.” Another evening, she might head over to Frenchmen Street (two blocks beyond Esplanade Avenue at Chartres), where the bars and cafés have jazz and salsa. Her favorite is Apple Barrel (609 Frenchmen St.; 504-949-9399), a cozy bar with live jazz or blues. Another is the Howlin’ Wolf (www.howlin-wolf.com), a premier live music venue for local and national rock, blues and jazz. For an only-in-New Orleans attraction, Kibak suggests Mardi Gras World (www.mardigras world.com), which is easy to reach by a ferry (at the end of Canal Street) that crosses the river directly to it. Blaine Kern, Sr., known as Mr. Mardi Gras, has designed floats for all major parades for the past 40-plus years. “One of the charms of New Orleans is the ease of talking to people. You can strike up a conversation in a restaurant, shop, bar or most anywhere and ask people what their favorite restaurant, shop or just about anything is. It’s the way to pick up a lot of good tips,” Kibak says. http://www.magazinestreet.com http://www.howlin-wolf.com http://www.magazinestreet.com http://www.petceteraneworleans.com http://www.petceteraneworleans.com http://www.houseoflounge.com http://www.mardigrasworld.com http://www.houseoflounge.com http://www.mardigrasworld.com http://www.brigtsens.com http://www.galatoires.com http://www.galatoires.com
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