The Building That Will Become Hotel Saint Vincent Was Built In New Orleans In 1861
Liz Lambert noticed the building that would become the 75-room hotel back in 2014. According to her, it was love at first sight because it took her breath away. The building was built in 1861 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Margaret Haughery. It was called Saint Vincent’s Infant Asylum and operated as a home for unwed mothers and an orphanage until the 1970s. When Lambert noticed the building, it had become a moderate guesthouse with intricate brickwork and handwrought iron balconies. The design and history of the building were what intrigued Lambert.
Lambert Chose to Restore the Building With a Layer of Modernity and Color
Instead of restoring the old New Orleans building to its 19th-century look, Lambert said she thought it would be way more interesting to imagine what would become of an old manor taken over by children in the 1960s or ’70s. The idea is to create a sense of stately history but with a layer of modernity and color. Today, the building’s ornate Italianate details are kept and mingle with new designs, art deco, and 20th-century Italian aesthetics, creating a mixed look that plays with tones, textures, and patterns.
Apparently, the property now feels like a grand old resort with a swimming pool, brick courtyard, pool bar, and a decades-old grotto with a statue of the Virgin Mary. Lambert is known for running hotels by creating a sense of community, offering events, design, decor, food, and drink that both locals and visitors will find appealing.