The Hotel Perle pays homage to streetcar heritage in New Orleans
The Hotel Perle has opened its doors in New Orleans, marking the launch of ‘A Hotel for Groups’.
Designed by NYC-based design firm Ward + Gray and New Orleans-based architecture firm Rome Office, the hotel – which has been envisioned to cater specifically to group travel – comprises suites with multiple bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces, allowing groups to stay together without sacrificing privacy or connection.
Built in 1916 as the Alberta Hotel, the three-storey brick building tells the story of New Orleans’ golden age of innovation. Its ground floor, with its large windows, was home to some of the city’s first automobile showrooms, making it a cornerstone of the historic Auto Row that helped drive the city’s modernisation.
Above, the Alberta Hotel offered sophisticated accommodations with a prime view of the St Charles streetcar line – the oldest continuously operating streetcar system in the world, running on cars designed by Perley Thomas. His elegant streetcars, known for their distinctive arch-roof design and meticulous woodwork, have become symbols of New Orleans’ dedication to preserving its heritage while moving forward, and have inspired Hotel Perle’s name and vision.
“As with all our projects, we strive to capture the character of the surrounding location and carry this into our design,” say Christie Ward and Staver Gray, founders of Ward + Gray. “The beautiful and intriguing part of New Orleans style is that it’s an amalgamation of various design eras and influences. We wanted to capture this dynamic and rich history and honour it with a design that feels collected and evolved with time.”
They continue: “Walking around New Orleans, you are instantly struck by the colour palette. We were particularly inspired by the Creole Cottages; a succession of pastel-coloured houses – one right after the other – in shades of blue, pale yellow and soft pinks. This inspired our colour palette for the guestrooms. Each bedroom is enveloped in a different, soft colour, each pulled from cottages in New Orleans that we photographed on various trips to site.”
Furnishings are inspired by a range of eras, with the designers spending time in local antique shops to source unique pieces. “We were struck by the style variation – French colonial influences mixed with the gilded opulence of heirloom quality Louis XV and Louis XVI antiques, next to rattan pieces inspired by the nearby Caribbean,” the duo reveal. “This diversity of styles brings with it a juxtaposition of formality with rusticity – part of the fabric of New Orleans. We tried to reflect this in the furnishings we designed for Hotel Perle. In the bedroom, you will find a traditional headboard shape with velvet pillows, which feel quite formal next to a French colonial-inspired rattan armoire. In the living room we used a wrought iron and antique mirror coffee table next to a jewel-coloured sofa. Crystal chandeliers, de rigueur in the living rooms of grand New Orleans homes, were custom designed for the guestrooms and throughout the hotels’ public spaces. Each guestroom will incorporate local antiques, including tall ornately gilded mirrors, that we sourced on various visits to the city.”
