International House – New Orleans, LA
Gay Travel Information
International House / 221 Camp Street / New Orleans, LA 70130 / 1-504-553-9550
Pulling up to International House with my wife this past May, I knew we were in for something truly special.
International House is an impressive century-old, 12-story Beaux arts building. It’s first incarnation began in 1906 as the Canal Louisiana Bank & Trust Co. In 1943 it became the nation’s first World Trade Center before being purchased and receiving a bohemian makeover from entrepreneur and celebrity interior designer Sean Cummings in 1998.
Sean Cummings and LM Pagano, whose private clients include Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage, have created a sensual, seductive, urban boutique hotel.
Everything about our stay was impeccable. From the attentive service of the (sharply dressed) valet attendants to the friendly, down-to-earth attitude of the hotel staff. You can’t help but relax when you step into International House’s opulent, candlelit lobby with its high ceilings and illuminating aromatic candles.
There was this ambient, trance-like music playing that made my wife and I feel like we were in a celebrity’s sexy after-hours house party.
Local artwork and furniture adorn the interior and beckon you to sit, relax and soak in the environment.
The hotel’s onsite bar, LOA, will seduce you with it’s panoramic windows and eclectic decor. In the Voodoo tradition, the “Loa” are benevolent deities.
The name suits the bar because it is a place where the city’s spirits can be identified. Loa’s menu features boutique wines and the most progressive cocktails int he city.
The bar was packed each night during our three night stay and seemed to attract a nice mix an affluent, trendy after-work crowd and tourists.
After our quick and effortless check-in Jennifer and I headed up to our Apple King room, #1005.
Upon entering the room I was immediately impressed by the high ceilings.
The marble bathroom was very large for this standard size room (which is always a welcome feature!)
I was also happy to find Aveda toiletries.
International House’s Apple King Rooms offer abundant natural light and original black and white photography of today’s local music greats snapped by Herman Leonard among others.
One cool feature was the Apple TV device which allowed us to watch programming direct from our iPhone. This comes in handy when there is nothing good on and you have the desire to watch Long Island Medium episodes via YouTube late at night! 😉
Each of International House’s 117 rooms, suites and penthouses are designed to “uplift the human spirit.” All feature spacious bathrooms, architectural artifacts, complimentary 100 MB WIFI, Sony and Sharp LCD TV’s, iHome micro-stereos, Modern Fan Company fans and Aveda bath amenities, as well as furnishings, linens and color palettes selected by designer LM Pagano. The hotel is also entirely smoke-free.
One of my favorite things to do when I check into a hotel is to walk around and take in all the unique features. International House offers more up than most. Everything from the wrought-iron chandeliers to the vintage mirrors providing a sense of mystique as you walk down the hotel’s dark corridors.
International House definitely has a unique vibe of creative expression.
GOOD TO KNOW:
- International House is located two blocks from the French Quarter in the historic Central Business District of New Orleans.
- International House is a smoke free environment.
- International House offers an assortment of room types including: Terrace King, Panoramic Corner King, Garden View King, Apple King, Double Bedded Room, King Room, Queen Room and “Rockstar” Windowless Rooms. Click HERE for more information on each.
- There is no onsite restaurant, but you are walking distance to numerous dining options and convenient stores to stock up on necessities such as drinks and snacks for your room (which has a mini fridge).
- Overnight valet parking is available for $32.
- Wi-Fi is complimentary.
- International House has Fitness / Spa and Yoga Center with Schwinn IC Elite spinning bikes & Precor trainers, to name a few. For more information click HERE.
- International House has Executive conference and board rooms and would be a great spot to host your next meeting or conference. Click HERE for more details.
- International House Rituals – Intrigued? Learn more HERE.
- 24-hour concierge service is available.
- Valet dry cleaning is available.
- International House is a GREEN hotel – Extremely conscious of the hotel’s impact on the earth, International House has taking preventative measures to make sure they are doing everything they can to reduce their carbon print. Click HERE for more information on their impressive efforts.
SPECIAL OFFERS & PACKAGES: International House offers many great deals throughout the year including a 4th night FREE promo. Click HERE for more details.
GAY & LESBIAN FACTOR:
New Orleans is one of the world’s most popular gay & lesbian travel destinations. So much so that New Orleans CVB has a special section on their web site dedicated to LGBT travel! Click HERE to check that out. As the web site states, New Orleans is “colorful and flamboyant” and a “haven of tolerance for homosexuals in the South.” New Orleans is also home to one of the country’s top LGBT events, Southern Decadence, which draws hundreds of thousands of LGBT revelers each Labor Day weekend.
The beautiful thing about New Orleans is that ANY time of the year gay nightlife is abundant and exciting. You will find a wonderful selection of gay bars, especially in The French Quarter, which is considered to be the heart of New Orleans gay nightlife. Café Lafitte in Exile is said to be the oldest gay bar in North America. Nearby you will also find Oz and the Bourbon Pub Parade—which face each other at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets. Several other gay clubs and bars fan out from this epicenter, creating a nexus of activity where everything is in immediate walking distance. Gay neighborhood bars also abound in the Bohemian areas known as the Marigny and Bywater.
In addition to the abundant nightlife, New Orleans is equally famous for its many gay-owned and gay-friendly restaurants as well as fabulous shopping.
International House is by far one of the most gay friendly hotels in the city! Amy Reimer, General Manager, was so accommodating and sweet to work with. She welcomed Gay Travel Information with open arms and took great care of my wife and I. The same could be said for the hotel staff! Everyone we came in contact with was so down-to-earth and eager to assist us. The hotel is sexy, romantic, hip, artsy and a fantastic choice for anyone visiting the area. I wholeheartedly “OUT” International House as LGBT friendly and worthy of our business.
It is clear to see why trendsetters and celebrities stay at the International House Hotel.
It is a truly beautiful property oozing with sensuality and laid back sophistication.
A “boutique hotel in America’s boutique city” — I cannot wait to return!
Desiree Sousa
Owner / Editor in Chief
Out & About Travel / Gay Travel Information
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