NEW ORLEANS – As the summertime traffic slows down for most of New Orleans this month, Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., continues to heat things up with a series of exclusive events and special offers that highlight the best of the Big Easy.
Although the celebrations begin with the kid-friendly, Wonderland-inspired Mad Hatter Tea, a mid-month blues and barbecue whiskey dinner and a Labor Day weekend of drag queens and diversity round out the seasonal events.
For those who are looking to extend their experience beyond long lunches, themed teas and boozy dinners, the options for end-of-summer stays at Windsor Court range from an affordable Summer Staycation offer designed to reign in locals’ wanderlust to a Southern Decadence getaway package aimed at anyone looking for a taste of the “suite” life, hotel reps said.
• Windsor Court’s Summer Staycation special rate begins at $239 nightly. Using the code “Wanderlust” when booking through the hotel’s website, guests will receive a suite upgrade and $50 per night credit for Windsor Court cuisine, cocktails, spa services or parking. So, whether it’s lounging by the rooftop pool or indulging in a multi-course tasting menu, there’s still time for New Orleans residents to savor all that summer has to offer.
• This weekend, at Le Salon at Windsor Court, a Mad Hatter Tea will be served Saturday, Aug. 12, and Sunday, Aug. 13, from 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Guests will enjoy the finest teas and Wonderland-themed treats, hotel reps said. Children will meet the Mad Hatter and pose for a photo, and adults will choose from a selection of specialty cocktails.
In partnership with the New Orleans Public Library, Windsor Court is hosting a book drive during the Mad Hatter Tea and is asking those who attend to bring lightly used or new books for all ages for donation.
The event costs $37 per adult, $27 per child, plus tax and gratuity.
For reservations: (504) 596-4773
• The Booze, Blues & BBQ Whiskey Dinner takes place Thursday, Aug. 17, at Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court, at 6:30 p.m.
Windsor Court’s exclusive whiskey pairing dinner in Cocktail Bar will feature live music and a barbecue-inspired, four-course menu.
Menu and drink pairings include:
• Welcome drink: Seelbach cocktail
Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Brandy Cask Finish Bourbon, cointreau, bitters, champagne
• First course: Creole tomato and watermelon salad
Old Fashioned: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, sugar, bitters
• Second course: Carolina pulled pork sandwich
• Main course: Smoked brisket, baby back ribs, smoked sausage with sides
Whiskey Flight: Old Forester Whiskey Row Series – 1870 Original Batch, 1897 Bottled in Bond, 1920 prohibition style
• Dessert: Mixed berry cobbler
La Louisane: Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, benedictine, Dolin sweet vermouth, bitters, absinthe
• Farewell drink: Jack Daniel’s Sinatra select
The dinner costs $90 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
For reservations: (504) 522-1994
• Windsor Court is joining the annual Southern Decadence celebration of worldwide LGBTQ culture and community with a Labor Day weekend of LGBTea events.
On Saturday, Sept. 2 and Sunday, Sept. 3, an inaugural LGBTea will be served at Le Salon at Windsor Court, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Hotel reps said the two afternoons of tea-time cocktails, diversity and drag queen performances will be headlined by Crescent City star Kookie Baker and pianist Ben Childress.
Now in its 46th year, Southern Decadence annually draws more than 150,000 people to New Orleans, which was recently ranked No. 2 in Travel + Leisure’s list of America’s Best Cities for Gay Travel, hotel reps said. The festivities begin Wednesday, Aug. 30 and include block parties, tours, karaoke contests, parades and more.
The 21 and older LGBTea service includes bottomless mimosas and bloody marys and costs $75, plus tax and gratuity.
For reservations: (504) 596-4773
• In honor of the long Labor Day weekend, Windsor Court is also offering the Suite Decadence Package for $650, which includes a two-night stay in a Premium Suite, LGBTea service for two on Saturday or Sunday, a welcome amenity and a 15 percent discount on spa services. For a Club Level Suite, the price is $870.
In addition to Windsor Court’s own events and offers, the hotel is participating in a variety of citywide initiatives from the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, all dedicated to driving traffic during the off-season, hotel reps said. Promotions include lunch and dinner offerings during COOLinary and New Orleans Restaurant Week, and cocktail, dining, and spa discounts during the Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown campaign.
