The Drifter boutique hotel updates midcentury individualism while celebrating local art, hip cuisine and specialty coffee.
The Drifter is a 1950s motel that has a very unassuming entrance from the busy city streets. Upon entering the discreet side entrance guests are transported into a colorful lobby that contains a lounge, cafe, and bar. There is a high emphasis on design. Through the lobby building, the guests will arrive in the tropical courtyard and pool area. Adjacent to the pool area is a large private fenced in area that can accommodate 350 guests. Complimenting the pool area and private event space is the 20 room midcentury hotel building.
The Lowdown Venue Setting The Drifter boutique hotel updates midcentury individualism while celebrating local art, hip cuisine and specialty coffee. The Drifter occupies a historic 1950's motel that has been transformed into a sanctuary space set amongst tropical landscaping.
Fees (Prices listed here are estimates only & are subject to change)
Price Range
Does this include catering fees? Yes
Additional Charges City and State Sales Tax of 13%
Insurance Additional Insurance Is Not Required To Host An Event Here
Capacity Seated 250 Buffet 350 Standing 500 Celebrations Hosted Here Since
2017 Venue Spaces
Indoor & Outdoor Venue Spaces Available Catering
Client Can Select The Caterer Of Their Choice Alcohol
Provided By Venue For Fee – You Must Use The Venue For All Alcohol Services Corkage/Bottle Fee – You Can Bring Your Own Alcohol For A Fee Licensed Server Is Required Smoking
Designated Smoking Areas Only Accommodations
The 20 rooms and suites span approximately 226 square feet and offer pool views, a bathroom with a shower, and a working desk. While the King Room features a king-size bed and a day bed, the Double Queen Room and the Bunk Room offer two and four queen-size beds, respectively. The Garden King Room and the Garden Double Queen Room also both play host to a private terrace, with the former boasting a king-size bed and a day bed and the latter featuring two queen-size beds. Amenities Bridal Suite/Changing Rooms Onsite Street Parking Wifi Ample Parking Onsite Onsite Restrooms Venue Features The Scene: Thanks to its retro “motel” sign out front, this unassuming low-rise seems at first glance like a forgotten 1950s anachronism. But look past the period-piece signage and The Drifter reveals itself as an exercise in modernized nostalgia, both in terms of design and concept. With a name inspired by the iconoclastic Beat Generation of postwar America, the property is a playful respite from New Orleans’ expected offerings, shining a light on a newly hip side of the city by acting as a melting pot for the local and global “drifters” who end up there. In addition to a café serving up specialty coffee from La Colombe and various baked goodies, the culinary program sees a rotation of chic food trucks and on-property pop-ups that offer a host of ever-changing tastes, from Mexico City to Haiti, Colombia, and beyond. Add in the artwork of local creatives and a busy events calendar—best enjoyed with freshly frozen cocktails, Japanese beers and sakes, or the local wines on offer—and it’s clear why this Tulane Avenue property is making waves on the New Orleans scene. Design: The Drifter is housed in a reworked modernist structure that references the Googie style—a strand of futurist architecture that became prominent in the U.S. in the 1950s and borrowed influence from Space Race imagery and car culture through such elements as its asymmetric awning and the neon “motel” sign. Landscape architects Vida Design Studio also took the concrete parking lot—a defining feature of a motel—and converted it into a tropical courtyard that plays host to winding paths that take guests to out-of-the-way niches. Overall, the hotel’s structural form plays a pivotal role in the guiding Beat-era concept. Midcentury modernism dominates inside, with custom-made furnishings, vintage pieces, retro light fixtures, and Oaxacan tiles in the bedrooms, while other highlights include a cantilevered disco ball and a Barragan-inspired wall. Artworks range from local creations to a statement Ralph Lauren wall display.
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