Maison Metier

It’s a rare hotel, in New Orleans or anywhere else, that can so effortlessly combine the youthful good looks of a hipster-brand boutique hotel with the grown-up glamour of something substantially more luxurious. Maison Métier, however, confidently threads this particular needle. The look is unapologetically luxe, right down to the jewel-like colored marble tiles in the bathrooms. But in these hands, luxe doesn’t mean stuffy — the accommodations feel like bedrooms in the home of an eccentric, mysteriously wealthy friend, one who’s careful to make sure you never feel underdressed.

The location, in the city’s Warehouse District, places it close to much of what’s most desirable in town. In contrast with the neighborhing hotels, however, Maison Métier feels intimate, thanks to the generous spaces, the residential vibe in the rooms, and the service, which brings youthful energy to New Orleans’s characteristic warmth. It helps, too, that the hotel’s Living Room is for guests only, lending the Maison an air of members-club privacy. There’s plenty of nightlife close at hand, though — the Maison has its own private entrance to Bar Marilou, the Parisian cocktail bar and small-plates restaurant next door, and guests have priority access to reservations at neighboring restaurants Seaworthy and Josephine Estelle as well.