Come for the ghosts, stay for the PB&J
Built in 1907, Le Pavillon Hotel is nicknamed the “Belle of New Orleans.” Its interior is graced with crystal chandeliers from Czechoslovakia and French marble floors and railings, imported from the lobby of the Parisian Grand Hotel; spectacular carved Italian columns and 12-foot statues frame the front entrance.
The hotel has two charming repasts; the well-attended Sunday-morning brunch in the Crystal Room and the less known nightly serving of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches with milk or hot chocolate in the lobby at 10pm. The latter tradition began when a guest checked in late one evening and ordered a glass of milk at the bar. When the bartender asked about the atypical request, the guest explained that he traveled frequently and it reminded him of his daughter, whose favorite bedtime treat was always milk and a PB&J sandwich. The bartender that night happened to be the hotel’s general manager, and he used his sway with the kitchen to have them whip up a plate of the classic American sandwich. They’ve been doing so ever since.
Info
Address 833 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, +1 504.581.3111, www.lepavillon.com | Tip If you seek to round robin a series of stays at haunted hotels, other noted spots are the Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal St), which has more than a dozen guests who’ve yet to “check out,” and the Bourbon Orleans (717 Orleans St), where you may catch sight of the famous Lady in Red.
Like any good New Orleans hotel, Le Pavillon is also haunted. A paranormal investigation group found so much activity inside the hotel, they concluded it must be a portal to the “other side.” There are regular sightings of an aristocratic middle-aged couple holding hands and walking slowly into the elevators on the second and third floors. Even after they disappear, the smell of the man’s cigar lingers in the air.
If you happen to have extremely deep pockets, request Palace Suite 730—not for the ghosts, but for the bathtub, a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte. The tub is carved from a single piece of marble. It’s one of only three of its kind in the world. One sits in the Louvre. Another is in a private collection. The third is ready to receive you and your exfoliating loofah in Room 730.
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