Written by Kris M. on April 17, 2021

The Cornstalk Hotel

This was the first place we stayed in New Orleans on one of my first road trips with my son. We only stayed for one night and didn’t see too much of New Orleans on this trip because it wasn’t a vacation trip.

I had not yet discovered Roadtrippers so I had done a little research to find a cool place to stay and visit for the short 24 hours we were there. My son is a history buff and is also fascinated by the paranormal. So the haunted history of the Cornstalk Hotel made for the perfect place to sleep the night we were there only… I didn’t tell him it was considered haunted until we got there. He was so not phased.

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The Cornstalk Hotel – History

The hotel was originally built for the Attorney General of Louisiana back in 1816. Previous homes on the lot were destroyed by the Great Fires of New Orleans, which nearly destroyed the French Quarter entirely. The decorative iron fence with it’s corn stalks were created in 1854 for a doctor’s wife to help with her heartache over being homesick and missing the waving fields of corn in her home state of Iowa.

The hotel was temporary home to Harriet Beecher Stowe, where she was inspired to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin based on nearby slave markets. While filming King Creole, in 1958, Elvis Presley also called it home. It has accommodated many celebrity guests since due to it’s location in the heart of the French Quarter and the haunted mysteries that paranormal fans seek.

Reservations & Check In/Out

I don’t remember which service I used to book the reservations for this hotel stay. But I remember that it was fairly simple. We actually arrived a bit late in the day, shortly before dark, after about an 8 hour drive from Orlando with very few stops. We were stiff, tired, and hungry.

Check-in was seamless. I had pre-paid for our room so they had my information on file already. The front desk person was very polite and personable. She gave a little bit of a tour showing us where some of the hauntings were reportedly experienced. (Hint: one of them was the grandfather clock on the left side of this picture.) She told us a few of the stories, such as people that have stayed in our room reporting hearing a frantic lady come out of the room across the hall and jiggle our doorknob.

The decor was very Victorian period, which is appropriate for the history of the hotel. It was absolutely beautiful. Check-out was just as seamless. It was a very nice stay. If you’re still undecided, you can read the reviews and see some pictures on the Roadtrippers Trip Planner prior to adding it to your trip.

The Cornstalk Hotel – Our Room

We stayed in the Queen Premier Room out of the 13 rooms available. The Cornstalk Hotel is located at 915 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116.

You should definitely call ahead during this time of Covid 19, their phone number is (504) 523-1515.

They do accept credit cards and each room has free internet access, 14 foot gold leaf ceiling, chandelier, and private bath.

I highly recommend this hotel if you’re staying in New Orleans for any amount of time. It was a great stay and it gets you into the spirit of the French Quarter.

Summary

In Summary, I would rate the Cornstalk Hotel a 10 out of 10. If you are into history and/or the Victorian era, this is a great hotel to experience. We had a great time for the one night we stayed there.

After checking in, we walked the French Quarter and found a pizza place to stop at for dinner before returning. We sat out on the second floor balcony watching the trolley tours stop and tell ghost stories while watching us for creepy behaviors. The next morning we checked out and went on our way.

We’ll may consider going back to this hotel if we find ourselves back in NOLA on a road trip. Have you been there? I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Please drop a few lines in the comments box below and let me know how your visit went.

In the meantime, safe travels!

~Kris M.