Most visitors to New Orleans tend to gravitate towards the beloved, if touristy, French Quarter. Set along a straight drive out on Tulane Avenue towards Mid-City, the newly opened 20-room Drifter Hotel offers a quieter, but equally escapist, alternative.
Starting with the original awning and restored neon road sign, Concordia Architecture and Nicole Cota Studio have preserved the silhouette and retro-vibe of the low-slung 1956 motel, while layering on nostalgic American-highway period references by way of white geometric lattices, mid-century furniture, concrete walls, palm-leaf wallpaper, floral-patterned breeze bricks and Oaxacan tile-work. A particularly surreal moment is the huge disco ball over the bijou swimming pool.
Encased in slick grey concrete walls, the bedrooms are dressed in Frette and Aesop bath products, but the more entertaining diversions are to be found pool-side with frozen cocktails and sakes, while on-site food trucks dish up Mexican, Cuban and Trinidadian standards.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
3522 Tulane Avenue
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nicole Franzen
-
Fendi celebrates 100 years with all-out runway show at its new Milan HQIn the wake of Kim Jones’ departure, Silvia Venturini Fendi took the reins for a special co-ed A/W 2025 collection marking the house’s centenary, unveiling it as the first act of celebrations within Fendi’s expansive new headquarters in Milan
-
‘Leigh Bowery!’ at Tate Modern: 1980s alt-glamour, club culture and rebellionThe new Leigh Bowery exhibition in London is a dazzling, sequin-drenched look back at the 1980s, through the life of one of its brightest stars
-
Inside the unexpected collaboration between Marni’s Francesco Risso and artists Slawn and SoldierNew exhibition ‘The Pink Sun’ will take place at Francesco Risso’s palazzo in Milan in collaboration with Saatchi Yates, opening after the Marni show today, 26 February
-
West Hollywood restaurant Somni is as comforting as it is whimsicalChef Aitor Zabala relaunches Somni, orchestrating an artful blend of textures, flavours, and techniques for dreamlike dining
-
A local’s guide to Los Angeles by defiant artist Fawn RogersOregon-born, LA-based artist Fawn Rogers gives us a personal tour of her adopted city as it hosts its sixth edition of Frieze
-
Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gustoConceptualised by Nusla Design and led by chef PJ Calapa, Marea Beverly Hills brings in a sophisticated dining party ambience to flourishing Camden Drive
-
Enchanting culinary entertainment awaits at this fine dining restaurant in Santa MonicaChef Dave Beran returns to his fine dining origins with Seline on Main Street, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli
-
New York restaurant Manuela masters the art of contemporary diningThe latest restaurant from Hauser & Wirth’s hospitality arm, Manuela offers a masterclass in nourishing connections
-
Milanese modernism meets Eastside cool at this LA pizza parlourWildcrust dishes up Neapolitan flavours courtesy of chef Miles Okabayashi, and seductive interiors by Jared Frank Studio
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
