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    Eight hotel interiors enriched by decadent jewel tones

    Plush velvet upholstery, Moroccan rugs and chinoiserie-style ottomans feature in this lookbook of hotel interiors that use saturated jewel colours to bridge the gap between cosiness and luxury.

    Shades of ruby red, cobalt blue and emerald can help to create interiors that are rich in depth and dimension, especially when accompanied by tactile materials such as silk or leather.
    Read on for eight hotel interiors that demonstrate how to translate this palette into modern interiors without it feeling stuffy.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring 70s-style interiors, biophilic homes and innovative stone furniture.
    Photo by Paul CostelloThe Chloe hotel, USA, by Sara Ruffin Costello

    Interior designer Sara Ruffin Costello set out to emphasise the grand Southern Victorian architecture of this 1800s family mansion in New Orleans when converting it into The Chloe hotel (top and above).
    Cobalt blue walls and matching chinoiserie ottomans help to complement the building’s original tall ceilings and dark wooden floors, as well as the burnt umber tiles that encircle the fireplace in the reception room.
    “The Chloe is moody with dark, antique furniture, with an emphasis on Orientalism but updated and made culturally relevant through a very special art collection,” Costello told Dezeen.
    Find out more about The Chloe hotel ›
    Photo by Ricardo LabougleNobu Hotel Barcelona, Spain, by Rockwell Group
    This Barcelona hotel by restaurant-turned-hospitality chain Nobu introduces elements of Japanese craft and design into the Catalan capital, with nods to traditional ink paintings, shoji screens and the gold-lacquer mending technique of kintsugi.
    In the hotel’s moody suites, this is realised in the form of inky blue carpets and built-in millwork finished in saturated lacquer colours, while bathrooms feature traditional ofuro soaking tubs.
    Find out more about Nobu Hotel Barcelona ›
    Photo by Christian HarderEsme Hotel, USA, by Jessica Schuster Design
    Interior designer Jessica Schuster worked with the Historic Preservation Board of Miami to revive the Mediterranean revival “grandeur” of this 1920s hotel in Miami, making liberal use of plaster and travertine. Pecky cypress, a type of cypress wood containing small holes, was used on the ceilings.
    These are complemented by decadent furnishings, vibrantly clashing patterns and saturated colours, with bedrooms finished in either a rose quartz or emerald green colour scheme.
    Find out more about Esme Hotel ›
    Photo by Nicole FranzenHotel Kinsley, USA, by Studio Robert McKinley
    Interior designer Robert McKinley wanted to steer clear of the typical upstate New York aesthetic of “antlers or plaid” when designing Hotel Kinsley in the Hudson Valley.
    Set over four historic buildings – including a former bank – the hotel instead draws on an unexpected material palette of boiled wool, intricate garnet-red Moroccan rugs and velvet upholstery in shades of mustard yellow and topaz.
    Find out more about Hotel Kinsley ›
    Photo by Atelier AceMaison De La Luz, USA, by Atelier Ace and Studio Shamshiri
    Housed inside the former annex to New Orleans’ town hall, this 67-room guest house offers a modern take on Southern hospitality by integrating furnishings and artworks that draw on the city’s uniquely multicultural heritage.
    Among them are references to New Orleans as the home of America’s first pirate, alongside quirky details such as the sapphire-blue concierge desk, where guests can collect their tasselled keys.
    Find out more about Maison De La Luz ›

    Chief Chicago, USA, by AvroKO
    Down to the service ducts, every surface in the lobby of this Chicago members’ club is painted a rich shade of green, with matching tiles laid across the floor.
    This serves to set the backdrop for a mix of eclectic furnishings and abstract artworks, which design firm AvroKO chose to provide an alternative interpretation of traditional old-world luxury.
    “Saturated walls are intentionally bold, balanced by the warmth of plush upholstery and broken-in leather, creating approachability with an overall style that is fresh and enduring,” the studio said.
    Find out more about Chief Chicago ›
    Photo by Riikka KantinkoskiHotel Torni, Finland, by Fyra
    Originally built in 1931, Helsinki’s Hotel Torni once served as a meeting place for spies during world war two and was later favoured by artists, journalists and other cultural figures, including Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.
    Now, local studio Fyra has renovated the building while preserving its “bohemian ambience”, sticking to a moody emerald-green colour palette and layering different styles of furniture, including modern pieces by Swedish designer Gustaf Westman alongside tubular steel seats that were typical of the time.
    Find out more about Hotel Torni ›
    Photo by Heiko PriggeThe Hoxton Poblenou, Spain, by Ennismore
    The Hoxton’s outpost in Barcelona proves that jewel tones can also work in sunnier climates, drawing on a slightly more muted palette of rust red, mustard yellow and aquamarine.
    The scheme was informed by the distinctive colours and forms used by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, whose studio was located nearby.
    Find out more about The Hoxton Poblenou ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring 70s-style interiors, biophilic homes and innovative stone furniture.

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    Life House transforms motor lodge in the Berkshires into hotel

    A former motel in rural Massachusetts has been transformed by American hospitality brand Life House into a hotel decorated with objects influenced by 1970s hospitality.

    Life House converted an existing, two-storey motel property with its in-house design team. While the 64 guest rooms maintain the same layout, a new extension was added for the lobby, restaurant and lounge.
    Life House, Berkshires is a reimagined 1970s-era lodge”Set in the middle of the mountains, Life House, Berkshires is a reimagined 1970s-era lodge that culls inspiration from the lodge styles of the past century and reinterprets the architecture via modern materiality and forms,” said Life House.
    The property is located in the Berkshires mountains, between the towns of Pittsfield and Lenox.
    Its design “culls inspiration from the lodge styles of the past century”Visitors access rooms via exterior walkways, a feature that Life House has reinterpreted for a more contemporary hotel set-up.

    “The exterior is rendered in oat-colored wood shingles juxtaposed with dark gray trims that give the building a cozy and luxurious appearance,” said Life House.
    The main communal space is called the Club RoomThe most important addition to the property was the communal space, which is nicknamed the Club Room.
    In addition to being the first space visitors see as they enter the hotel, this is the main gathering space, as it contains a fireplace, the bar, lobby and a restaurant.
    A custom mural covers the wallsThis double-height room features cathedral ceilings, exposed wooden beams and ornamental chandeliers that give the space a warm light and a sense of scale.
    “The gargantuan, 28-foot ceilings house custom Murano glass chandeliers handmade in Venice by Sogni di Cristallo and hang high above the bar millwork that showcases a marble countertop and leather upholstered panels,” said Life House.
    The terrace provides a space to loungeA custom mural painted by artist Lei Xing covers the walls of the Club Room. Vitage prints and found objects – as well as other electric accents – cover the walls.
    This indoor space is connected to a terrace via sliding glass doors, where guests can lounge on several large couches surrounding fire pits.

    Tourists hotel in The Berkshires takes cues from classic American motor lodges

    “The design of the outdoor spaces exudes the nonchalance of its environs telegraphed via a color palette inspired by the striking sunrises and sunsets of the Berkshires,” said Life House.
    Throughout the property, the team selected furniture and decor pieces that create a sense of nostalgia.
    Life House selected furniture that intends to evoke nostalgiaWithin the guest rooms, there are custom wardrobes created by the Life House team, alongside lamps and armchairs with a vintage aesthetic.
    “Collage artwork by Annie Lynch, whose pieces present black and white portraits of female figures with superimposed aerial photographs of local landscapes, are hung alongside framed poetry by artist Russell Markus who used an antique typewriter and vintage paper to produce each art piece,” said Life House.
    Custom wardrobes by Life House feature in the guest roomsOther hotel properties that can be found in the region include Hotel McKinsley, which was designed to avoid the typical aesthetic of “antlers or plaid and reclaimed wood” and a property in Armenia, NY that is set within an English-style country home.
    The photography is by Sophie Fabbri for Life House.

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    Matteo Thun draws on Czech art heritage for design of The Julius Prague

    Italian architect Matteo Thun looked to the work of Czech artists Alphonse Mucha and František Kupka for the interior design of this Prague hotel, which features pastel colours and natural materials.

    Located in an art deco building in the city centre, The Julius Prague has apartment suites with kitchenettes as well as smaller hotel rooms that were designed to have the feel of a home-away-from-home.
    Matteo Thun used soft colours for the guest rooms at The Julius Prague”In exploring new forms of living, we had to think about how to create that home-away-from-home feeling – providing privacy and independence, whilst also offering flexible communal spaces such as co-working areas, meeting rooms, and open lounges,” Thun told Dezeen.
    “The rooms are designed as apartments, and the public areas are conceived as an extension of the rooms.”
    Rooms overlook a central courtyardThe interior design of the colourful hotel was influenced by the way in which Czech Art Noveau painter Alphonse Mucha and Czech abstract painter František Kupka used colours.

    Mucha’s soft, pastel hues were used for the guest rooms, many of which overlook a central courtyard with a light-filled conservatory, while Thun looked to Kupka’s brighter colour palette for the communal areas.
    The hotel’s lighting was informed by bohemian glass work”Inspired by Mucha’s work, we selected a pared-back palette and pastel hues for the guest rooms, working with natural materials and soft textiles to create a calming and welcoming atmosphere,” Thun said.
    “Meanwhile in the communal areas we chose a more vibrant colour palette, drawing on Kupka’s abstract pieces, for a more energetic atmosphere,” he added.
    “For lighting, we were inspired by the bohemian art glass work, emitting a warm ambient glow.”
    More vibrant colours were used in the communal areasTactile natural materials were used throughout the hotel, including in the bathrooms, which are clad in a striking marble-effect ceramic tile.
    “We used ceramic tiles with a marble effect from a leading Italian tile producer for the floorings of the public areas and the kitchens and bathrooms of the residences,” Thun said.

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    “We love to work with natural materials and have used oak-flooring for the serviced residences, featuring spacious living environments with open kitchen and generous smart-working spaces,” he added.
    “Throughout The Julius, custom-made furniture and pieces ensure every space arouses curiosity.”
    Bathrooms were clad in ceramic tiles with a marble effectThe Julius Prague is the first hotel from the Julius Meinl family, a gourmet-food retailer and manufacturer based in Vienna that Thun has previously worked with.
    “We have enjoyed a rewarding relationship over the last 15 years and their flair continues to be invaluable in channelling design towards authentic, novel and inspirational projects,” Thun said.
    The hotel was designed as a “home-away-from-home””In this case we have contributed our experience to their first hospitality project, designing a timeless scheme in tune with new expectations: a contextually aware nomadic way of living,” he added.
    Other recent projects in Prague include a pop-up market with a turquoise scaffolding design and a spa with curved-cement walls and glass detailing.
    The photography is by Gionata Xerra.

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    Philippe Starck draws on mid-century modernism for Saint-Tropez hotel

    French architect and designer Philippe Starck used warm tones and modernist references in his renovation of Villa W, a boutique wellness hotel on the coast of Saint-Tropez.

    Created as a little sister to the existing Starck-designed Lily of the Valley hotel which is located nearby, Villa W is a fitness and wellness hotel located in an existing villa that was renovated by Starck.
    Villa W is a hotel in Saint-Tropez designed by Philippe StarckThe 1,559-square-metre villa, which is situated on the southwestern corner of the peninsula in the French Riviera town, was designed as “a romantic hideaway” where guests can relax as well as work on their fitness and health.
    “We’ve all dreamed of a little cabin, chalet or fisherman’s hut by the sea,” Philippe Starck said. “We don’t have to dream anymore, because we’ve made that dream a reality – a romantic hideaway nestled in a pine forest that looks down onto the Mediterranean at La Croix-Valmer.”
    It has a 17-metre-long swimming pool along the frontSet over two floors, the boutique hotel has three double rooms and can cater to up to six guests at a time. Each bedroom has its own private terrace with views of the surrounding lush landscape and the Mediterranean sea.

    During the renovation process, Starck decided to emphasise the original architectural features of the villa. It was built in the 1960s by a local architect called Jean Nielly.
    The interior is dominated by brown and beige coloursMade from vast sheets of glass, concrete and steel, the villa already had unparalleled views onto its surroundings. In a bid to celebrate this, Starck focused on drawing attention to the length of the villa, adding arbours made from chestnut wood along its long, south-facing glass facade.
    Large French doors set in aluminium frames allow plenty of natural light to brighten up the interiors and merge them with the exterior, while a decked terrace that wraps around the edges of the building has a private 17-metre-long pool.
    There are six double bedrooms on the second floor”Villa W boasts views that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years,” said owner of Lily of the Valley Lucie Weill. “So, when we were designing it, we felt it was essential to keep this unique, panoramic view of the Mediterranean.”
    “That’s why we placed so much importance on the length of the villa so that guests would be able to see the sea from every room,” Weill told Dezeen.
    “The effect is quite something: instead of feeling like a building nestled against the hillside, Villa W feels more like a boat moored on the coast.”

    Philippe Starck restores time-worn interiors of the Quadri restaurant in Venice

    Inside, Starck Starck drew on the mid-century modern style found in Charles and Ray Eames’ home in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighbourhood for Villa W.
    Guests enter the hotel through a main lobby and reception area where tan leather sofas, wooden ornaments and rust-coloured rugs can be found.
    Off to one side of the lobby is the terrace area with rattan seating, while a bar at the back of the space serves what the hotel calls “a healthy Mediterranean gastronomy.”
    Extra touches of warmth are provided by the wooden flooring and soft furnishings.
    Starck sourced vintage furniture for the roomsThe warm colour palette is continued upstairs in the hotel’s bedrooms where vintage items sourced by Starck, such as a brown Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen and wooden Walnut Stools designed by Charles and Ray Eames, can be found.
    The three bathrooms have a cleaner, lighter aesthetic with marble floors and floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which the designer incorporated to emphasise the omnipresence of the Mediterranean.
    Each room has views of the Mediterranean seaStarck is one of the most prolific designers in the world. Although is best known for his product designs such as the Icon Chair and Juicy Salif citrus squeezer, he has also produced a number of notable interior projects.
    These include renovating the interior of the Quadri restaurant in Venice. Earlier this year, he led the art direction for Villa M, a hotel in Paris covered in plants.
    Photography is by Novembre Studio.

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    Esme Hotel in Miami draws on the “bohemian grandeur” of its past

    Saturated tones, Mediterranean patterns and decadent furnishings are found throughout this renovated boutique hotel in Miami with interiors by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.

    Originally built in 1927 as a cultural hub for artists, the building, formerly known as Spanish Village, is located on Miami Beach’s pedestrian plaza, Española Way.
    Esme Hotel is located along Miami Beach’s pedestrian stripEvent planning and design company Infinity Hospitality Group collaborated with Jessica Schuster Design on the transformation of the hotel, which has 145 guest rooms.
    The architecture of Española Way resembles the Mediterranean villages of Spain and France. Schuster looked to the rich local architectural history as a starting point for the interiors.
    Jessica Schuster Design transformed the building into a boutique hotel”We wanted to create an artful collage of bohemian grandeur alongside Miami’s historic Española Way,” said Jessica Schuster, founder of Jessica Schuster Design.”We had fun playing with furniture, lighting and fabrics to create something timeless and exciting at the same time,” Schuster told Dezeen.

    The interior has Art Deco elementsGuests arrive at a lobby with plush velvet flooring and benches clad in a fabric that recalls the patterned ceramic tiles often seen in southern European countries. Plants potted in wicker pots add to the hotel’s bohemian theme.
    “We wanted to create something that spoke to the Mediterranean culture of South Beach, Miami,” said Shuster.
    “This was achieved using vibrant colours, fun textures and details that remained true to the historical aspect of the hotel’s original design.”
    Clashing patterns feature throughout the hotelAfter passing through the lobby, visitors can sip cocktails or sample Latin-inspired dishes at El Salón, a cocktail bar inside the Esme Hotel.
    Here, stools fringed with tassels are stationed around the edge of a circular mahogany bar. The adjoining, dimly lit dining area has a similar decadent arrangement, with candlelit tables spread across the checkered floor.

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    Schuster worked closely with the Historic Preservation Board of Miami to replicate some of the original building’s elements.
    The studio used materials such as the limestone travertine and plaster, which featured heavily in Mediterranean revival design in Miami.
    The rooms are coloured in saturated, rich hues associated with opulence”It was a historical property, so we worked to bring back the integrity of the original designs that are unique to South Beach, being that most buildings are from the Art Deco period,” Shuster explained.
    “We reused a lot of pecky cypress wood detailing on the ceilings and throughout the hotel. We also uncovered an original fireplace that we gave life to again and kept the original arches,” she added.
    The bathrooms incorporate gold elementsThe Art Deco aesthetic is continued upstairs in the hotel’s bedrooms and bathrooms where bath and skincare products by Grown Alchemist can be found.
    Many of the rooms have a rose and emerald colour scheme with gold accents and vibrant clashing patterns that create striking decorations for floors and walls.
    On the rooftop, there is a vintage bar and swimming pool with frilly red awnings and pinstriped seating.
    The rooftop has pinstriped furnishingsEsme Hotel isn’t the only interior that references the opulence of Miami’s past. American designer Ken Fulk styled The Goodtime Hotel to reflect the art deco architecture of the area.
    Fulk also decorated the interior of the Swan restaurant in Miami with soft, candy colours that remind diners of Miami’s 1920s heyday.
    Photography is by Christian Harder.
    Project credits:Client: Infinity HospitalityInterior design: Jessica Schuster Design

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    Patricia Urquiola turns Michigan’s Haworth Hotel into a “design showcase”

    European brands intermingle with furniture from US company Haworth in a Michigan hotel that has been reimagined by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola.

    The Haworth Hotel is housed within a multi-level brick building in downtown Holland, a small city along Lake Macatawa. The hotel sits within the campus of the private school Hope College.
    The historic Haworth Hotel in Michigan was renovated by Patricia UrquiolaThe renovation was backed by the Haworth family, which owns the office furniture brand by the same name. The hotel is meant to accommodate visitors to the company’s global headquarters in Holland, along with visitors to the college.
    “The hotel was completely redone as part of a large initiative to turn a campus hotel into a design showcase while enhancing the guest experience,” the company said.
    The staircase is made of bent metal and oakTo revitalise the hotel, the company turned to Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, who runs a studio in Milan. Urquiola has created several products for Haworth, including a sofa and pouf, and has a knack for balancing “warmth, playfulness, sophistication and multiple brand experiences”.

    For the hotel project – Urquiola’s first in the US – the designer was charged with creating a distinctive space that is both durable and comfy.
    The hotel lobby has furniture brands like CappelliniThe property contains 48 guest rooms, a range of meeting spaces, a fitness centre and a newly added coffeeshop that is open to the public. There also is a ballroom that doubles as a student dining space.
    Guests step into a bright lobby featuring pale wooden flooring and white walls. Daylight streams in through street-facing windows.
    The accent wall of the dining room is clad in white oakA centerpiece of the lobby is a wide, spiral staircase made of bent metal and oak. The stair rises up from a podium with geometric tile designed by Urquiola for Mutina.
    Just off the entrance is a lounge space fitted with furniture from Cappellini, Cassina, Poltrona Frau and Haworth. Underfoot is a grey rug from Gan, a division of Gandia Blasco.

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    Similar brands are featured in other areas of the hotel.
    For instance, a room with powder blue walls is fitted with poufs and stools from Haworth, Cappellini tables made of terrazzo and faux marble, and a modular sofa system designed by Urquiola for Haworth. Affixed to the walls are disc-shaped lighting fixtures from Pablo Designs.
    Meeting rooms were part of the renovation of the Haworth HotelIn a dining area, the designer placed tables and chairs from Cassina and a Big Shadow lamp by Marcel Wanders for Cappellini. An accent wall is clad in white oak.
    Guest rooms are intended to foster relaxation. Furnishings include Haworth poufs and chairs, bedside sconces by Louis Poulsen, and millwork designed by Urquiola and fabricated by Cassina Contract.
    The rooms include millwork designed by Urquiola”The Haworth Hotel is a blend of residential and commercial solutions – durable enough to withstand years of accommodating guests and with a vibe that feels like home,” the team said.
    Other interior design projects by Patricia Urquiola include a Maggie Centre for cancer care in Barcelona that has a bright and homely atmosphere. The building was designed by Benedetta Tagliabue of EMBT.
    The photography is by Haworth Hotel.
    Project credits:
    Interior design: Studio UrquiolaArchitectural design: GMB Architecture + EngineeringGeneral contractor: Owen-Ames-Kimball

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    Sara Ruffin Costello fashions quirky interiors for The Chloe hotel in New Orleans

    Inky blue walls, alligator-print carpet and grand four-poster beds appear inside The Chloe hotel in New Orleans, which has been designed by decorator Sara Ruffin Costello.The Chloe hotel comes as the latest venture from restaurateur Robert LeBlanc and is situated amongst the picturesque streets of New Orleans’s Uptown neighbourhood.
    It occupies a family mansion that was originally designed by American architect Thomas Sully in the 1860s.

    Top image: The Chloe’s entrance lobby. Above: an alligator-print carpet runner features on the stairs

    Sara Ruffin Costello, who is a native of New Orleans, was tasked with devising the interiors of the hotel.
    “Sully’s architecture is grand Southern Victorian – exceptionally tall ceilings, incredible tile work and plaster mouldings and a Byzantine layout,” Costello told Dezeen.
    “I ran with the romance of that era and played around with the notion of New Orleans being a port city, kind of that ‘what news do you bring from the outside?’,” she added.
    “To translate that into a vibe, The Chloe is moody with dark, antique furniture, with an emphasis on Orientalism but updated and made culturally relevant through a very special art collection.”

    Plush furniture decorates the reception lounge
    Guests enter The Chloe via a lobby that features inky-blue walls and dark wood floors. The building’s original ornate staircase is left in place but updated with a quirky, deep-red carpet runner that depicts an alligator creeping down the steps.
    “Last time I went for a kayak in the Bayou, not five minutes into my paddle two giant alligators got into a splash fight right in front of my boat – alligators are a real part of life here!” added Costello.

    Inky blue walls appear throughout the hotel
    Adjacent to this is = a reception room arranged around a large fireplace. Just in front are a couple of plush, claw-footed sofas perched on a blue floral rug, while an oversized cream lamp has been suspended overhead.
    A doorway in the corner of the room looks through to a cosy blush-pink seating nook with trellis-style walls.

    A bird-print mural is the focal point of the hotel’s salon
    The hotel’s restaurant serves signature New Orleans’ dishes with a contemporary twist. Drinks can be enjoyed in the bar and salon, where one wall has been painted to feature Egret birds fluttering amongst spindly tree boughs.
    A burnt-orange leather sofa runs along the lower half of the wall, accompanied by a handful of fringed seating poufs and tiny lamps that dimly illuminate the room.

    Guests can also enjoy dinner and drinks out on the patio
    Guests can alternatively sit with cocktails on the hotel’s porch – the floor here is clad with the tiles that date back to the 1860s.

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    Outdoors there’s also a swimming pool shaded by palmetto trees, a herb garden and an alfresco bar.

    Bedrooms come complete with four-poster beds
    A more pared-back design approach is taken in the bedrooms, where walls have been painted eggshell-white.
    Touches of drama are added by the four-poster beds and freestanding soaking tubs that take centre stage in the bathrooms.
    “Since The Chloe is actually a house, it feels like you are getting invited over to a local’s – which is all I ever want to do when I travel,” concluded Costello.

    The en-suite bathrooms also include freestanding tubs
    The Chloe joins a number of charming spots to stay in New Orleans, where tourists continue to flock to experience its rich history, vibrant live music scene and revered Mardi Gras parade.
    Others include The Eliza Jane, which takes over seven historic warehouses, and Maison de la Luz, which is designed as if it’s the home of a well-travelled woman that’s come to acquire several worldly souvenirs.
    Photography is by Paul Costello.

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