The bed and breakfast way is a certain way to enjoy the ambiance of the wonderful city of New Orleans. The Chimes is one of these special places, filled with overstuffed comfortable furniture, great, soft, delightful beds and a breakfast that is prepared by a professional chef, the proprietor.
This is no simple hot and cot operation, not at all. The Chimes is pure comfort, with great food and hospitable people to meet and greet the tired guest. They know the city well, Charles and Jill; and they can provide information on how to get around to almost any place in town.
The Chimes is located in the Uptown District of New Orleans in the 1100 block of Constantinople, just blocks from Magazine Street. The bed and breakfast has a number of suites available, in addition to a two-tiered one that is like a little house both in exterior and interior design. The courtyards are rich in sculpture, flowers and thoughtfully arranged designs of rocks and foliage. It speaks of beauty and comfort and is the ideal place to sit and read a book or make light conversation with another guest. This is truly a place to forget one’s troubles and enjoy a life in the lap of luxury with interesting folk amid the interesting paintings and interior décor that puts the visitor completely at ease.
As the visitor comes up the walkway into the bed and breakfast, he or she is greeted with the sounds of chimes that are sprinkled here and there along the awnings and edges of the roof. That’s how the bed and breakfast got its name, of course. But it’s a special, gentle sound that seems to say welcome when the wind blows.
You can wander the city and locate a bed and breakfast independently, but it’s nice to have one recommended, as The Chimes was for me. I heartily recommend it to my readers because of the courtesy of the hosts, the desirability of the surroundings and the fine breakfasts that are served. The breakfast contains a variety of cheeses, fruits in season of several choices, a number of coffees and teas as well as juices, sweet rolls and bread. This is a Continental breakfast with elegance and style served on lacy tablecloth with beautiful china and silver.
I stayed in one of the suites where the Reuters staff stayed after Hurricane Katrina. Apparently all the suites were filled for weeks and months after the storm. Even so this is a popular enough place that it’s important to book a room well in advance of an anticipated visit. That’s particularly true near holidays, the jazz festival in late April and, of course, Mardi Gras.
The bed was comfortable enough, the bathroom down a short stairway wasn’t difficult to navigate even at night. The courtyard, however, was the most beautiful part of the experience as was the array of fine guests to interact with and enjoy. That’s part of the fun of staying at a bed and breakfast, making new friends.
So the next time you visit New Orleans, or if you are coming for the first time, let me make a recommendation for a place to stay. For $140/night you will feel safe, secure and comfortable and enjoy all the comforts you could ever want in this fine example of a bed and breakfast in the south. And you will enjoy New Orleans in a very special way.
