NEW ORLEANS — When you think of a hostel, you typically think of a dark and creepy experience somewhere in Europe, right?
Well, the Quisby defies those conceptions. The Quisby is New Orleans’ newest hostel located on one of the main arteries of the city at 1225 Saint Charles Ave.
It is a fresh take on the hostel concept offering both shared and private rooms in an upscale environment with a full bar downstairs. The Quisby boasts a historic past with a dash of infamy, all shaken and stirred with modern convenience and comfort to create the ideal crash pad for world travelers.
The hostel opened its doors in January 2017 in the site of the former Audubon Hotel after a year-long historic restoration to the 80-year-old building.
The building has had a varied and rakish past as a boarding house for ship captains and sailors and, later, as an underground club known for its ties to the local art and music scene.
The renovation preserved the exterior of the building to honor that past and so that it continues to fit in with its historic neighbors. The Audubon Hotel sign and ornate frieze at the top of the building’s facade were preserved, and a modern rendition of the original awning that sat atop the entrance was added.
“The building was just sitting there completely vacant, and we saw an opportunity to create something unique to New Orleans,” said David Gindin, general manager at The Quisby and one of the developers behind the project. “During the renovation process, we reached out to as many local craftspeople as possible and had them come in and throw around ideas.:
Gindin manages the property together with Mac Warren, who oversees operations and branding for the business.
The hostel features 30 rooms including a six-person shared room starting at $27 per bed; co-ed or female only shared quad rooms starting at $30 per bed; private quad rooms starting at $115 per room; and private double rooms starting at $70 per room.
All rooms feature ensuite bathrooms, memory foam mattresses, bedside reading lamps and outlets, air conditioning, high speed wifi, and a collection of pulpy sci-fi and adventure paperback books and vintage magnets from all over the world. Additional amenities include free breakfast, a 24-hour front desk, a fully stocked lobby bar, luggage storage, daily housekeeping, and bicycle parking.
