The beads hanging permanently in the oak trees across the streetcar tracks tell you something else: this is the primary Mardi Gras parade route, and the Pontchartrain is positioned directly on it.
The Pontchartrain Hotel opened in 1927 as a luxury apartment building on St. Charles Avenue, and for nearly a century, it has been accumulating both history and attitude in equal measure. Tennessee Williams lived here while writing portions of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” A framed page from the manuscript, on Pontchartrain letterhead, sits near the front desk. Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, The Doors, and two former presidents also passed through.
The 14-story building sits at 2031 St. Charles Avenue at the edge of the Garden District, a streetcar stop directly out front. A $10 million renovation in 2016 updated its 106 rooms and suites without stripping the history out of them.
Rooms are decorated in golds, mint greens, and pinks, with old-world furnishings and, in a nice touch, real metal keys instead of plastic cards. Minibars are stocked with local provisions: El Guapo bitters, Louisiana beef jerky, and Creole spice mix. The do-not-disturb sign is a red tassel on the doorknob. These details add up.
Hot Tin sits at the top of the building, a former 1940s penthouse redesigned as a rooftop bar with a 270-degree view of downtown New Orleans and the Mississippi River. The design is intentionally referential to that era, warm and artist-loft-ish, with period decor, a wall of curios and knick-knacks, and boho couches alongside the outdoor terrace.
Craft cocktails include the Champagne Safari with gin, Pimm’s, Aperol, and cucumber, and the Some Like It Hot with tequila, mezcal, mango, and habanero. Entry is first-come, first-served, and 21 and older only. On weekend nights, a line forms at the dedicated lobby elevator before it opens.
Downstairs, Jack Rose occupies the former Caribbean Room space and takes its name from Tennessee Williams’ play “The Rose Tattoo.” The menu mixes New Orleans-inflected Italian, French, and Spanish dishes, from Royal Red Shrimp Muddy Waters with squid ink campanelle to Pompano en Papillote to the famous Mile High Pie. The Living Room area up front is anchored by local artist Ashley Longshore’s glittering portrait of Lil Wayne holding a slice of that pie, surrounded by walls of vintage floral paintings.
It makes no sense and is completely on brand. Jack Rose was named the best hotel restaurant in the country by USA Today in 2019. The Bayou Bar on the ground floor rounds things out with live jazz most nights, a 1975 bayou country mural along one wall, and the steady rhythm of a neighborhood spot that knows exactly what it is.
The Pontchartrain is at 2031 St. Charles Avenue. The streetcar to the French Quarter runs directly in front. Magazine Street is a ten-minute walk. Book at thepontchartrainhotel.com. Valet parking is available for a fee.
