Loft 523
Loft 523 is a boutique hotel located at 523 Gravier Street in New Orleans, Louisiana,[1] in the New Orleans Central Business District.[2] The building was erected in the 1880s[3] as a carriage and dry-goods warehouse,[4] and it was purchased and renovated by real-estate developer Sean Cummings.[3] It features eighteen loft style guestrooms, three of which are penthouses.[4]
Minimalist design
Loft 523’s style has been described by Frommers as “Jetsons-futuristic-meets-New York City-minimalist fantasy,” incorporating modern design, as well as elements that reference the building’s origins.[4] A desk in the lobby was made from cypress beams salvaged from the renovation, and the rooms feature stained concrete floors and doors clad in hand-hammered copper.[2] Elements of the original structure can be seen throughout the building, including exposed plasterwork, cast-iron columns, and raw timber beams.[1] Revealing elements of its history as a warehouse, many of the rooms have twelve-foot ceilings and full-length windows.[5]
The rooms are designed to resemble loft apartments, rather than traditional hotel rooms, and they are numbered apartment-style (1A, 2B, etc.) Furniture and fixtures include Agape "Spoon" tubs,[5] Fortuny floor lamps,[2] and platform beds by local craftsman Shane Porter. Two of the penthouses have rooftop aquatic Zen gardens.[3]
References
- Holt, Laura. "The Big Six: Stylish Stays in New Orleans". The Independent / Independent Traveller.
- Marcus, Frances Frank. "Travel Advisory: A New Orleans Hotel Skips the Traditional". The New York Times.
- Boyd, Malia. "Big Easy Living". Travel and Leisure. American Express Publishing Corporation. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- "Loft 523". FrommerMedia LLC. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- "Loft 523". Tablet. Retrieved 20 December 2012.