The Big Easy
Virgin Hotels New Orleans
Virgin Hotels New Orleans is the place to be right as you walk in the front door.
The fun, cheeky decor and lively vibe blew us away. Everyone was so happy! Coming out of the dark and gloomy that is home a big portion of the year, the eclectic atmosphere and the sheer energy of every single person at the front desk and the porters that help you as soon as you walk in is an instant pick me up. I felt right at home with the pink walls, library, and statue of Richard Branson in a bunny costume playing checkers in the corner. I admit there is every colour of the rainbow looking you in the face when you come in. It feels like it shouldn't match, but it REALLY does, and it's full, welcoming, and fun.
Then we went up to our room.
You know, we all have this preconceived notion of what a hotel room should be or the standard of expectation. This was not that. It was nothing short of FANTASTIC. I looked right at my husband and said when we remodel, we need to make our house a spin on this. You enter the room through the bathroom, a whole dressing area complete with double doors into the bedroom. In a hotel room, like What?! The red and white rain shower had a bench behind its door, and the toilet had its own water closet; then, the area you entered was this ornate closet with a sink and a vanity. Whoever designed this was thinking it through. It felt more like a fabulous, trendy apartment than a hotel room. I wanted to hang out and take a piece of it home with me, that's for sure.
About the food…
Being the full-experience person that I am, we, of course, had to investigate both of the restaurants on-site, the Commons Club, for dinner and the Funny Library for Breakfast. As much as I travel, hotel food is basically wedding food on so many occasions. It will likely be edible and get the job done, but it will not be over the top and not a destination in and of itself. That's just what I've come to expect from my days on the road.
This was not the case here.
I present Wild Mushrooms with Gumbo z'herbes to you. You want to talk about a rich but delicious vegan appetizer. I looked at it coming out, then put it in my mouth, and it was seasoned to absolute perfection. Then we ordered another appetizer, the Fried Brussel Sprout Salad, which was also wonderful. So we tried the tempura fried squash, which was crispy and delightful. We were so taken by how delicious each appetizer was, and neither ordered an entree. We let ourselves get full right here. However, after we ordered a grand total of 3 appetizers, it was time for dessert. So we got two of those, the Olive Oil cake and Apricot Bread Pudding. It was so good, serenaded by the live jazz band playing in the restaurant with the dim lights and a little mocktail action; it was a lovely kiss goodnight.
The Funny Library is a hopping library dining spot in the morning with a barista, coffee service, and breakfast food. Now, reading about it before the trip, I thought we'd look at a pastry case and was completely fine with the idea. Nope! Surprise! I had King Cake Waffles. It consists of a banana-infused waffle, sweet cream cheese, maple syrup, brown sugar crumble, and banana brulee topped with purple and green sprinkles, and then I washed it all down with a mocha with oat milk. Was it sweet? Yes, was it worth it 100% yes! My other half delighted in a Fried egg sandwich that came on an English muffin with applewood smoked bacon (I'm the vegetarian, he is not) and cheddar cheese fermented chilli aioli. He was happy; I was stuffed. It was an excellent way to start the day!
