Le Pavillon Hotel - New Orleans, LA (Peanut Butter Jelly Time!)

Photo courtesy of www.timjoyce.com

833 Poydras St.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.950262,-90.072809

www.lepavillon.com  

            Today, Poydras Street is one of the busiest areas in New Orleans, hosting many grand hotels and major businesses, not to mention some incredible po-boys from the famous Mother’s Restaurant. Taking a stroll down this bustling street, one could not imagine that in the early 1800’s, this area was simply wooded swampland, bordering a busy French Quarter. This area was considered a “no man’s land”, being home to dangerous swamp critters and a place where really bad people went to do really bad things! By the 1830’s the overgrown canal area was cleared to make way for the oldest railroad in the city, the New Orleans and Carrollton, which extended Baronne Street across the Basin Gravier.
            The growing railway system began to expand the area. In 1867, on the corner of Barrone and Poydras Streets, the National Theatre, frequently called the German Theatre, was built. Not long after being built, a tense legal and financial dispute broke out over the property. In 1889, the theatre was destroyed by a mysterious fire that was believed to be intentionally set. It was decided that a grand hotel now be erected on the property to further boost this newly growing part of the city.

            In 1907, the Hotel Denechaud was complete and was a one of a kind hotel for the time. Lavished and extremely ornate, the business had many amenities unheard of for the time such as the

Photo of the old Hotel Denechaud in 1908

first hydraulic elevator and basement ever to have been built in the city. It may not sound like much, but a basement in New Orleans is a rarity even to this day. Another oddity to the hotel is that the front porch contains the largest gas lamp in the world. People from all around the world flocked to the Hotel Denechaud, as its reputation and luxury was second to none. By 1970, the hotel began to show its age and a massive remodeling was set into motion. While keeping the original style and architecture, added décor was installed such as elaborate crystal chandeliers, beautiful artwork and imported marble flooring. One of the suites even houses a beautiful marble bathtub that was a gift to a wealthy plantation owner from Napoleon himself. Finishing touches were made and the hotel, which had now been renamed Le Pavillon Hotel, was reopened for business.
            Le Pavillon remains to be one of the more upscale places to stay in the city. I have stayed here numerous times and have been highly impressed every time I have visited. The lobby is gorgeous and the rooms are immaculate. If you happen to be up and about and in need of a late night snack, the hotel continues a long-lived tradition, as every night around 10:00pm, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are served with milk. Get there early, as you will soon be swarmed with a lobby full of kids in their pajamas wanting their complimentary snack. I’m a no-frills sort of guy and am pleased enough that the hotel offers the city’s rare commodity of on-site parking!

Beautiful lobby of Le Pavillon.

            Beyond the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you may encounter another late night surprise, as the hotel is also rumored to be extremely active by numerous spirits. Although I have never encountered any strange events during my stays, many other guests have reported unexplainable things happening to them. The apparitions of a young woman, a happy couple and a mischievous male have all been seen. The male often enjoys playing pranks on the cleaning staff, which is why many of the maids still refuse to go to certain floors of the hotel unless they are accompanied by a co-worker. Guests have also heard the sounds of children laughing and playing down the hallways but when they open their door, no one is present. In a little more spine-tingling rendezvous, guests have awoke to witness an elderly gray-haired woman sitting at the foot of their beds, pulling on bed sheets or even stroking the hair of guests. I can only imagine a guest running down to the lobby at two in the morning in their pajamas. The attendant says, “I’m sorry sir, but you are a little late for our complimentary snack.” Little do they know, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the last thing on this guy’s mind!