Gravier Place

The gated lot next to the building has 8-12 spaces, and I found parking easily even though it’s first come, first served. My reservation included it. The neighborhood seems to be changing and is mostly quiet. I felt safe, though I’d recommend having a car since downtown and the French Quarter are about 10-12 minutes away. I’m here for a conference as a hotel alternative, and the spacious one-bedroom, one-bath unit has exceeded my expectations. It has a full kitchen, high-end appliances, and nice furniture. During weekday mornings, a job training and placement program run by the New Orleans chapter of the Center for Employment Opportunities uses the building’s ground floor. People sometimes wait on the stairs between about 7 and 9 a.m., and the front gate is occasionally left open for them. I saw people gathered outside only on weekday mornings, roughly 7-10, and the group is gone after 5. I never saw the gate left open in the evening. A few things were less comfortable. The bedroom feels sparse and cold, and the very firm bed sits low, so I had trouble getting comfortable. There’s no bedroom TV. On the second floor, the front door can slam loudly; one guest came and went several times late in the evening. The living room TVs use Chromecast and an antenna. Casting from your own device is the only way to use Chromecast, and I was uneasy to see I could control other TVs in the building over the Wi-Fi.

The house is about a mile from Bourbon, Canal, and the riverwalk, and the balcony was nice for people-watching. The neighborhood is low income and surprisingly quiet, though people outside the gate sat around all day and did strange things. One entrance gate is locked, but the other is broken, so I didn’t feel the car was secure. I was told parking was free, but that wasn’t the case when I got the digital codes. We had a two-bedroom, two-bath unit with a balcony. It looked great at first, but the bedroom AC didn’t blow at night. I contacted Sounders and was told there were no rooms available to move us to. They offered only a fan. At $250 a night, that wasn’t enough, especially with the temperature at 101 degrees that weekend in NOLA. The tech also said I couldn’t set the unit above 70 degrees because it would damage the HVAC. I won’t book with Sounders again, and I couldn’t get a good night’s sleep. The beds are extra firm, the pillows soft and fluffy, and the shower gets so hot you’ll want to be careful. There are no TVs in the bedrooms, and the living room TV has only basic channels, no guide, apps, Roku, or Fire Stick. The house does have some nice qualities, but waking up in a sweat isn’t for me.

The room was gorgeous, with thoughtful decor, and the bed was comfortable. There’s even a vinyl turntable in the bedroom with two John Coltrane records, a nice nostalgic detail, though jazz isn’t really my thing. The couch sat too low to be useful, and I ended up working at the dining table, which I had to push against the wall to reach an outlet for my laptop. Finding room 303 after a long day was a bit of a hunt. It’s tucked behind what looked like a service entrance, and a small sign pointing the way would help. The property itself is stunning, with hardwood floors, modern decor, and a warm feel. Getting in took persistence too: the keypad’s #4 button seemed not to work, though I eventually got through. Reaching the hotel meant a quick drive through a neighborhood that kept me alert, followed by a secure parking gate. The kitchen didn’t have a frying pan, so I improvised: steak under the broiler, scallops in an 8-quart pot, and eggs in a sauce pot using a creamy recipe from Gordon Ramsay. The TV remained a mystery to me. I open carry, so the neighborhood didn’t bother me, but I can see why others might feel uneasy. It has lots of character and potential, though the missing basic cookware and small hassles leave me unsure about returning.

I stayed at Sonder Gravier May 25-28, 2023, for my granddaughter’s graduation from Xavier (XULA). The place was clean, comfortable, and in good working order, and I felt safe. Check-in was contactless and easy. All the codes worked, and I made sure the gate and building doors locked behind me. I didn’t see people congregating around the building, though it may have been because we were there on a holiday weekend. Even then, the area and building were peaceful, with little traffic. The building seemed like it might have been a renovated school, and reminded me of old school buildings in Detroit. Our unit had a creative layout and new appliances, including a washer-dryer. I could shop for groceries and make breakfast each morning, and both the living room and bedroom were well appointed. I didn’t mind the lack of a bedroom TV or limited channels and streaming options. It was a very good value, and I enjoyed my stay.