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SPOTLIGHT:
New Orleans, Louisiana
A Room of One’s Own
Hurricane Katrina Brought
Hints of Eloise to The Soniat House in New Orleans, but This Time a
Grown Man Moved In!
Mr. Katz is the first to
admit that he’s rather contrarian: the New Orleans native who eschews
the rich cuisine of his birthright in favor of fresh fish, yogurt, fruit
and nuts. Who -- although he shed his share of tears alongside his
fellow citizens -- remembers the day he returned to the city after the
five-week post-Katrina curfew as one of the most exhilarating in his
life. He decided at once he was here to stay.
At first, he wasn’t the
hotel’s only resident-guest; it was a distinction he shared with The
Honorable Lindy Boggs, whose beautiful house on the lesser known, very
dignified stretch of Bourbon Street was also unlivable. He remembers her
fondly, and for a year or two, before she moved to Washington, the two
of them shared the pleasure of being long-term residents of New Orleans’
finest boutique hotel— The Soniat House.
www.soniathouse.com
The wind and water having
pummeled his lake-front condo into an un-inhabitable state, he spent his
first few nights uptown with friends, and set about implementing his
“near-term solution”: seeking a full-service situation in the French
Quarter until things stabilized. These were not normal times, after all,
and he knew he’d need more than simply a roof over his head.
Katz, a real estate
investor, had lived in the Quarter twice previously, first in the
coveted historic Pontalba Apartments overlooking Jackson Square in the
‘80s; then in a condo within a historic Royal Street house he’d
converted in the ‘90s. And so it was that he returned in autumn ’05,
introducing himself to Frances Stall-Smith, who with her husband Rodney
Smith owns Soniat House, an elegant boutique hotel they’ve created by
uniting three adjacent nineteenth-century Creole townhouses on the quiet
residential end of Chartres Street. As there were not many people coming
to town those days, they must have been especially glad for this
pleasant and respectable would-be guest. Together, they worked out a
situation on a day-to-day basis, which became week-to-week, then
month-to-month. Almost five years later [approaching the 5th
anniversary] – he’s still there!
Right away, he divested
himself of nearly all his belongings, donating them to charity. It was
cathartic, he explains, finding that you don’t need as much as you
think. He whittled a dozen suits down to three or four, and with a
couple of sport coats, gets along just fine. In giving and receiving
presents, he prefers consumables – Champagne, in particular, or a good
dinner somewhere. He has few furnishings of his own, pieces of art and
personal photographs, along with his mountain bike, comfortably placed
in his room at the Soniat House.
Katz has inhabited a
number of different rooms during his residence at Soniat House, enjoying
the distinctly different style and décor of each space. That’s where the
good-humored flexibility comes in. The perks, beyond the ideal location,
exquisite interiors, and sun-dappled courtyards where he likes to read
his Sunday paper, include daily housekeeping and access to the kitchen.
He found it easy to get used to the fine linens; but the housekeeping is
slightly modified in his case -- they have an understanding about
certain things like nightly turn-down, which is a nice touch for the
visiting guests, but unnecessary for a resident.
On balance, Katz clearly
loves his life at Soniat House. He points out that Soniat House is in
the book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die. Although he has yet to see
them all, he considers himself fully vested, as he’s now spent well over
1,000 nights at one…
www.soniathouse.com
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