Overview
For vacationers and tourists alike, sometimes big hotel chains just don’t cut it when trying to capture the particular feel of one destination town or city. Cookie-cutter rooms with pressboard furnishings, mandatory hotel fees, and pricey Wi-Fi are just a few of the issues people face, which is why they often turn to more local places when they want to stay somewhere. In the soulfully southern magic city of New Orleans, inns, bed and breakfasts, and guest houses are known to be scattered throughout the city. One such hotspot situated in the very heart of the French Quarter is Lafitte Hotel & Bar, formerly known as LaFitte’s Guest House, a boutique hotel with a supremely haunted Room 21, often requested by visitors hoping for a paranormal experience.
Lafitte Hotel & Bar stands three stories tall at the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Philip Street. The corner property originally was the site of San Carlos (Charity) Hospital, which mysteriously burned to the ground in 1809. The home that stands as the hotel today was originally built all the way back in 1849, when it was privately owned by the Galieses family until 1866, when it was sold and passed through a variety of different owners over the years. The genesis of the name of this popular boutique hotel is rooted in the infamous Lafitte brothers. French-born privateers and smugglers who operated throughout the Gulf area, Jean and Pierre Lafitte became legendary figures in New Orleans history. The brothers had historical connections to the property through Marie Louise Villard, who purchased the residence in 1816 and was associated with Pierre Lafitte. However, despite the name, it’s not the ghostly spirits of Jean or Pierre Lafitte that are said to haunt the namesake hotel, but instead a young female named Marie.
Without a doubt, one of the most talked-about haunted spots in the hotel is Room 21. It is here that the spirit of a young girl named Marie is believed to reside. According to local legend, she was a daughter of the Galieses family who fell victim to the yellow fever epidemic of the mid-1800s. Just outside this room, an antiquated mirror was once said to reveal young Marie’s reflection to hotel staff and visitors. A young child’s reflection in faint period-piece clothing, looking very sorrowful and borderline helpless, reportedly had passersby doing double takes before young Marie vanished. However, accounts suggest that the mirror has since been removed. Inside the actual room, guests have reportedly heard light coughing and crying sounds said to resemble that of a small child’s voice, despite no child being anywhere near the room. Another entity is said to haunt this particular room, along with other spots throughout the hotel, and many paranormal enthusiasts believe this to be the spirit of Marie’s own mother, who is rumored to have died in that very room under mysterious circumstances shortly after Marie. Lights flickering on and off and objects mysteriously rearranging themselves are among the other reported paranormal occurrences. The most baffling activity reported has been the sound of something incredibly heavy being dragged across the top floor at different hours of the day, even when no one is believed to be staying on that floor!
Today, Lafitte Hotel & Bar continues to welcome visitors looking for a unique boutique hotel experience in the heart of the French Quarter. With its historic architecture, Bourbon Street location, and chilling reputation, the property offers guests a stay surrounded by both New Orleans history and paranormal legend. Visitors hoping to experience Room 21 should contact hotel management directly when making their reservations to inquire about availability.
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