Olivier House Hotel - New Orleans, LA

828 Toulouse St.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.958012,-90.067104

www.olivierhousehotel.com 

            Only steps away from the karaoke spectacular that is Razzoo’s bar where tourists flock to drop all inhibitions by showcasing their horrible vocal skills, sits the Olivier House Hotel. This is a great place to stay if you want that historical feel while still being close to all of the activity. As I’ve said before, proximity is the key when you are stumbling around at four in the morning and you are seeing three of everything!
            The history of the Olivier House Hotel begins with a young woman by the name of Madame Marie Anne Bievenu, who was born in 1772. At the tender age of sixteen, she would marry Nicolas Godefroy Olivier, who was a well-known painter in the community. The Olivier family would grow to be very prominent in the city, becoming one of the wealthiest families in the area. By the 1830’s, Nicolas had passed away, leaving behind a handsome inheritance to Marie and their nine children. With her newly found funds, Marie decided that she would build a grand home on a piece of property she already owned on Toulouse Street.

            Construction of this large mansion began in 1838 and it was completed in 1839. The home was very ornate for the time, with large archways and a ballroom on the top floor. As with many homes in the local area, the first floor was designed to serve as a business, should it be needed at a later time. After Marie Anne Olivier passed away in 1843, the property passed into the hands of Felix

Photo of the home circa 1930.

Labatut, and then onto Ms. Elizabeth Locoul. During the Civil War, as with many of the structures in the city, Union forces attempted to destroy or deface many them. Fortunately, the Olivier House would survive with only minimal damages. Ms. Locoul was able to return to her home and continued living there until her death in 1895.
            By the turn of the twentieth century, the Olivier House would go through numerous hands and continued being used as a private residence. In the 1950’s, the house would once again dodge an imminent future when a Texas-based investment group bought the house with the intention of demolishing it in order to make room for a parking lot. Fortunately, with enough protesting by the local community, the home was saved. Sure, the city continues to be in desperate need for additional parking but not at the expense of our historical homes. By the 1970’s the home would be purchased and with the aid of a multi-million dollar renovation project, the Olivier House Hotel would be born.
            The guest list of this quaint little hotel extends well past the living. Several spirits tend to linger around such as a Confederate soldier and two of the previous owners, Mrs. Olivier and Ms. Locoul. The sightings of the soldier are few and far between but the apparitions of the two elderly women are the most commonly witnessed. They are normally seen wandering through the hotel, dressed in Antebellum-styled dresses. If you happen to stay at the Olivier House hotel, try and request either room 104, 106, or 216, as they are said to be the most haunted.