On all my other New Orleans visits, I have stayed in the French Quarter or the Garden District. The Quarter hotels were nothing special, but the Quarter is a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live (or stay) there. This time, I was coming for my first Jazz Fest, so I thought I would pick someplace closer to the Fest. After extensive research, I found Ashton’s B&B, and boy am I glad I did.
This place is amazing! The location is not in the Quarter, but close enough. The distance is walkable (seven or eight blocks to the Quarter, and another five or six to Jackson Square or the market), but we took a cab most of the time (average cost was $7 per ride one-way). They even have a speed-dial button on the in-room phones for cabs, just one of the many touches that show the attention to detail the owners of this B&B have.
Speaking of the owners, they are the real reason we will never stay anywhere else in New Orleans. Both Patrick and Karma (Ashton) are dedicated to guest comfort and helpful beyond belief, yet they manage to meet your every need without constantly being in your face and giving you plenty of space to just relax. Patrick has an encyclopedic knowledge of local cuisine, restaurants, clubs, and everything New Orleans. He turned us on to so many places we had never experienced before.
It was so nice to come back to the house after a day of Jazz Fest and relax in the patio under the 300-year-old oak tree, enjoying a drink and some baked goodies (all provided free of charge). The beds were the most comfortable I have ever slept in (including my own at home), the linens were top quality, the amenities were Aveda, the air-jet tub in our room was perfect... I could go on-and-on!
Breakfast was unbelievable. I swear, if we had eaten breakfast in a fine-dining restaurant every morning, we could not have had better meals than the one’s at Ashton’s. These breakfasts would have easily cost $30 to $40 at Brennan’s... yes, it was THAT good. Some of the things we had were eggs Benedict, bananas-foster waffles, eggs Creole with grits. These people even have their own brand of TEA available anytime!
I can’t say enough about the B&B and the Ashton’s. Just trust me: if you are looking to experience real New Orleans hospitality and you can tear yourself away from the frat party that is Bourbon Street, you simply MUST stay at this place.