The Magnolia Mansion

The mansion is amazing, but it could use some improvements. Its location is good, right by the streetcars, and the place was extremely quiet. I only saw other guests once. Staff accommodated our requests during the hours they were on site. You're mostly paying for a bed, bathroom, and the nostalgic feel of an old place, so don't expect fancy amenities. I wish breakfast were offered, the beds were better, and the shower water wasn't so hot, or that the faucets had hot and cold controls. Happily, we didn't see any ghosts.

The house's age and beautiful structure made the stairs and a few cosmetic issues easy to accept. I grew up in a home my mother restored that was over 100 years old, so I appreciate old places like this historic, Antebellum-style mansion, which is over 150 years old. We stayed June 10-14, 2022, in the upstairs room Vampire's Fairytale. The room was amazing, the beds comfortable, and both the central AC and smaller window unit worked GREAT against the intense Louisiana summer heat and humidity. Kyle was the first person we met, and he was super helpful, carrying our bags upstairs and helping unload the car. There are a lot of stairs to the upper rooms, but it was well worth it. The staff were kind, attentive, professional, and gave us great suggestions for things to do. The place is close enough for a quick drive or trolley ride to attractions, yet far enough away to unwind when the bustle gets to be too much. I'd give it more than five stars if I could.

The staff members, Quinn and Rita, understood how bad things were, tried to keep the students away after they attempted to enter our room, and asked management to call us. No one from management ever did. Our stay in Courtyard room 2 was the worst hotel experience I've had. It was dank and musty, the plastic bed made loud crinkling sounds whenever we moved, and the doorknob lock wouldn't keep the door shut. Those were tolerable in an old building. What wasn't tolerable was the mansion hosting an event for hundreds of drunk college students at the same time as hotel guests. The overhead footsteps were so loud we couldn't drown them out, and some attendees tried to enter our room, apparently looking for privacy. It made for several very stressful hours and a late night before we could finally sleep. I'd never before considered leaving a hotel early. Management seemed to care more about maximizing profits than guests, and this mansion isn't equipped to host events and overnight guests at once without one group suffering.

The rooms and most of the furniture were comfortable and lovely, and there was a nice hallway, living space, and dining room with vintage furnishings. But our stay wasn't pleasant. We arrived expecting the room to be ready at 3, but it was still being cleaned. When they said it was done, there was no toilet paper, shampoo, body wash, or soap, and the bathroom towel was stained. There weren't any glasses for tap water, and nowhere to set one except a small nightstand. The wooden dining table had art deco chairs, and there was only a small microwave, no coffee machine. Checkout was meant to be at 11 a.m., but housekeeping woke us around 9. I wouldn't recommend it or return.