NetMichelle - In New Orleans I love the Monteleone Hotel - Its old and beautiful - and privately owned. I have also stayed at the Cornstalk Hotel in NOLA - it is an old gorgeous home that has antiques and four poster beds - real furniture - unfortunately, you aren't spoiled to much there, which is why I prefer the Monteleone, as it is a historical boutique hotel with ammenities and wonderful service to boot.
I love the Hotel Chelsea in NYC. (This is where Sid Vicious commited suicide. I stayed in Janis Joplin's old room.) I loved the massive art collection in the stairwells, and the whole underbelly, seedy, yet elevated in artistic snobbery kinda charm: marble staircase, well worn wooden floors, and antique furniture. Sydney Poitier was filming here last night with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn btw! I had a fantastic bagels for breakfast and I found this poem in my dresser drawer. I thought I would share.
TWO DOLLARS
AND
ANOTHER STEEL CAR RIDE
FROM FRESH
SIGHTS
AND
NEW SOUNDS
ALL CONTAINING
THE SAME
STALE URINE
SMELL
EMBEDDED IN THE
NEW YORK CITY
SIDEWALK
~ PEEV '03
Isn't this fantastic? Please let me know of the names of hotels like this that you know of as I am setting up my tour schedule and would like to not add to the Hilton sisters fortune, but directly donate toward the restoration and preservation of historical landmarks.
The US Grant hotel in San Diego is nice. Independent classy upscale hotel across from an 4 level outside mall and near the Gaslight district. (Just went there for a wedding two months ago). Supposedly, most of the US Presidents have stayed there while in town.
Makes you wonder if Bill Clinton had any "fun" there.
In San Francisco...
try www.sealrockinn.com
Hunter S. Thompson lived/worked there at one time. The 3rd floor rooms have fireplaces...and the west side has Pacific Ocean views.
In SF- the El Drisco in Pac Heights
NetMichelle - In New Orleans I love the Monteleone Hotel - Its old and beautiful - and privately owned. I have also stayed at the Cornstalk Hotel in NOLA - it is an old gorgeous home that has antiques and four poster beds - real furniture - unfortunately, you aren't spoiled to much there, which is why I prefer the Monteleone, as it is a historical boutique hotel with ammenities and wonderful service to boot.
There are many hotels in the Quarter that would meet your criteria and a few uptown on St. Charles Avenue as well. St. Charles Ave. has as the added attraction of the streetcar which runs from Canal St. out past Audabon Park to Carrolton Ave. Just do a search on any of the travel websites like Expedia.com or Sidestep.com for hotels. Have a great time if you make it down there. Im frankly envious as I used to live there. I supose I could hook up with you all there..well no I better not!
I'm not sure if providers travel to Memphis very often or at all. The town just doesn't seem to be able to keep up with other major cities in this industry for whatever reason. However, if you're ever there just to visit, the Peabody downtown is really nice. Really expensive too, but really nice. And if you want to see ducks living in an indoors fountain and marching in line you can do that and I don't think you have to be a guest to see that. They march at 11 and 5. If you get an upper floor, you may get a nice view of the river. According to the website, the duck tradition started in the 1930's. Actually, after looking at some of the prices, they aren't that bad compared to places like NYC.
Several of the hotels in the theatre district are old. Do not know how classy they are. I was recently in two and the decor was a strange combination of modern and old. If you like that type of stuff then knock yourself out.
-- Modified on 3/18/2004 5:55:59 PM
The last time I visited our Alabama office, the lady whom I was seeing suggested the Tutwiller in Birmingham. It has a certain amount of old southern charm that I found very appealing.
I forget which one Jim Morrison stayed in...lol
I know it was after
"Break on through to the other side"
Btw, Was Janis Joplin on that Jeykl and Hyde's troubador's list?
Cheers!
They all died too young, but are not forgotten.
...if they were still here,that Jim and Janice would cut a CD of old standards...
I can just here Jim and Janet dueting "Pennies from Heaven"
Hendrix strumming an acoustic guitar in the backround.
...nevermind Bill Bailey
Cheers!
The owner also owns an art gallery. Every available space has a painting or print. Half a dozen Motherwells on the fourth floor. Actors, showbiz tradespeople wandering the halls. Foreign languages echoing about. Charming rooms w/ sunken sleeping quarters. Wont' break the bank.
The Biltmore Hotel in Miami (Coral Gables to be exact)
Very very old, legend has it that it is haunted.
Plenty of old pictures and art work.
http://www.biltmorehotel.com
When in Rome visit Hotel Eden (800-543-4300), a Royal Meridien Hotel located just off the ultra-chic Via Veneto.
Vannessa