Sublime Stays in Japan's Capital City
Navigating the art of Japanese hospitality among the finest hotels and ryokans in Tokyo.
IT’S PREPOSTEROUS, CONSIDERING how much time I’ve spent zigzagging my way around the United States over the past 40-something years, that I’ve never spent a significant amount of time in New Orleans. Also absurd: Though I’ve spent a large chunk of my editorial career as a music journalist, I had never, until recently, attended the city’s Jazz Fest, arguably one of America’s best and most unique music festivals.
Originally opening in 1970, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival now spans two weekends and offers a lineup as original as New Orleans itself. While the festival’s main stages boast a diversity of au courant pop acts and legacy artists — Lizzo, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Dead & Company, and Ed Sheeran, to name a few — much of the rest of the event pays tribute to New Orleans’ deep musical heritage. A massive gospel tent proved to be the most rollicking stage I witnessed, while the jazz tent showcased both up-and-coming tales from the city, as well as icons, such as 91-year-old Germaine Bazzle, whose scat-filled, freestyle set was perhaps the most sublime thing I saw all day. Her version of “The Surrey With the Fringe on Top,” from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical “Oklahoma,” turned the song inside out. It’s hard to imagine any other American music festival offering such breadth of talent across such a broad spectrum of genres.
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After cooling myself, emotionally and physically, in the jazz tent, I crossed the festival grounds to see the hometown hero (there is a statue of her just a few blocks away to prove it), LGBTQ icon, and undisputed queen of bounce, Big Freedia. Her triumphant late-afternoon set was remarkable not only for the performance itself — in which Freedia is flanked by all manner of twirling and gymnastically skilled dancers — but also for the crowd that swelled into an ocean of ecstatic dancing bodies as she launched into “Break My Soul,” her mammoth Beyoncé-collaberation empowerment jam. I stumbled away from the experience feeling sweaty, thirsty, and deeply inspired.
After hearing for years that the food at Jazz Fest was just as memorable as the music, I finally understood why. I was lucky enough to cross paths with much-loved chef Alon Shaya. After experiencing the signature brunch at his newest restaurant, Miss River, Shaya invited me on a guided tour of his favorite Jazz Fest food vendors. We met at his house for a pre-festival spritzer, then strolled over to the grounds (despite its size, Jazz Fest is easily accessible and walkable) to sample a few choice dishes: fried bone-in pork chop sandwiches, best consumed with copious amounts of mayo and hot sauce; a distinctly New Orleans spin on the crawfish enchilada; and a quail, pheasant, and andouille gumbo that Shaya considers the best in the world — all of it washed down with a few gallons of strawberry lemonade.
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For anyone plotting a visit to Jazz Fest next year, as I currently am, my advice is to plan ahead. Hotels book up quickly, as do tables at all the city’s best restaurants. I was able to grab dinner at Seaworthy, which is known for its local oysters, and I enjoyed wandering around the French Quarter, ducking into Bourbon Street bars, where it is Mardi Gras every night of the week. Jazz Fest is also famous for its after-parties, where celebrated musicians often pop up for surprise sets and collaborations. I checked out a late-night jam session at the iconic Preservation Hall, where Robert Plant had turned up unannounced just the night before. Even though I knew I’d be kicking myself in the morning for being sleep-deprived, with only a couple of hours left before I had to run to the airport, I couldn’t resist popping into the legendary Cafe du Monde for a bag of hot beignets. Strolling back to the hotel, my hands and face coated with powdered sugar, it was easy to understand why New Orleans has such a singular reputation. My only regrets are that I couldn’t stay longer and that I’d waited so long to come.
Where to Stay
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Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans
The stately new Four Seasons occupies a recently refurbished building that was commonly known as the World Trade Center of New Orleans. The building itself is massive — 33 stories and 341 rooms. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but the structure’s storied past, with its pair of ’70s-style escalators, is in contrast to the whimsical new design elements. The vaunted lobby bar is the showstopper here — a sublime cocktail island that is dwarfed by over 15,000 hanging crystals. The hotel is within walking distance of the city’s fabled French Quarter and a stone’s throw from Bourbon Street, and it offers a perfect view of the Mississippi River.
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The Columns
Located in Uptown, The Columns Hotel is a city landmark, so much so it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places not once but twice. And its ornate Southern Gothic interiors beautifully reflect the property’s 140-year history: art nouveau mingles with art deco, linen lies next to velvet, the colors in new paint highlight decades’ old wallpaper, and opulent florals play off the modern works of an artist in residence. In it all, there is a sense of playfulness, and an idea that you can celebrate imperfection.
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Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans
The stately new Four Seasons occupies a recently refurbished building that was commonly known as the World Trade Center of New Orleans. The building itself is massive — 33 stories and 341 rooms. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but the structure’s storied past, with its pair of ’70s-style escalators, is in contrast to the whimsical new design elements. The vaunted lobby bar is the showstopper here — a sublime cocktail island that is dwarfed by over 15,000 hanging crystals. The hotel is within walking distance of the city’s fabled French Quarter and a stone’s throw from Bourbon Street, and it offers a perfect view of the Mississippi River.
-
The Columns
Located in Uptown, The Columns Hotel is a city landmark, so much so it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places not once but twice. And its ornate Southern Gothic interiors beautifully reflect the property’s 140-year history: art nouveau mingles with art deco, linen lies next to velvet, the colors in new paint highlight decades’ old wallpaper, and opulent florals play off the modern works of an artist in residence. In it all, there is a sense of playfulness, and an idea that you can celebrate imperfection.
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Our Contributors
T. Cole Rachel Editor-at-Large
T. Cole Rachel is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and teacher with over 20 years of experience working in print and digital media. He is currently an editor-at-large at Departures.
Claire Jung Illustrator
Claire Jung is an Art & Design Intern at Departures. She is a New York-based creative that has a love for art and literature, and finds joy in endlessly browsing bookstores to find a good read or interesting cover design.
