Design Hotels: The Drifter In New Orleans

If you love mid-century modern design as much as we do – and we have a feeling you do – you should know that you can now truly immerse yourself in the stuff. The recently opened The Drifter hotel in New Orleans, one of the latest additions to the Design Hotels lineup, welcomes its guests into a design wonderland and provides a truly special travel experience. “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,” explains the company.

Right off the bat, visitors know they’re in for a treat. The building has a charming Googie style architecture reworked with a modernist twist, as well as an iconic neon motel sign and asymmetric awning. The Nicole Cota Studio designed the eclectic interior. Custom furniture and retro lighting appear alongside concrete surfaces and Oaxacan tiles in the rooms, with a cantilevered disco ball as well as a Barragan-inspired wall giving the pool area a truly memorable look. Artworks from local artists and vintage furniture and accessories complete the hotel’s mid-century modern aesthetic.

Guests can also enjoy tasting local coffee and wines as well as the delicious menu that takes them on a journey through Mexico, Colombia, and Haiti. And did we mention that the hotel also offers complimentary access to Linus bikes? You’re welcome. Photographs© Nicole Franzen and Design Hotels.