You have two friends on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans. We run La Belle Esplanade, a five-suite personalized hotel. We love to share what it is like to live in our part of New Orleans. We’re here for you.
La Belle Esplanade is close to the tourist must-sees, but far enough away to live a good life. You should Visit New Orleans like you live here. There are no strangers in New Orleans. We’re all friends you are about to meet next.
No pressure. No hassles. Everything runs on New Orleans time. Get out and explore. Enjoy every day. This is what New Orleans is like when you live here. You belong in New Orleans off the tourist radar.
Just walking down a random street in our neighborhood, there is beauty every day!
If you’ve never visited New Orleans before, you’ll want to do all the things on the top-ten lists, the things your friends told you have to see. If you don’t want to be a typical tourist, you’ll want to get off the usual tourist treadmill. Welcome to La Belle Esplanade.
Real New Orleans is what we share with the guests who are lucky enough to call our small, five-suite, hotel their New Orleans headquarters. La Belle Esplanade is close to the tourist action, but our small hotel is in the heart of authentic New Orleans on a granular level. The best New Orleans memories begin on our street.
Here is what I have to say about that:
Who am I? I am Matthew King.
YOUR NEW ORLEANS GOODWILL AMBASSADOR:
Your New Orleans goodwill ambassador.
I run La Belle Esplanade with my wife, Frau Schmitt.
Frau Schmitt is the better half of this operation. She is the nicest person you will ever meet. She is usually right about most things.
WE ONLY HAVE FIVE SUITES AT LA BELLE ESPLANADE.
Our small hotel, run by two New Orleans goodwill ambassadors, tends to fill up early because we are tiny and we have been ranked the #1 place to stay in New Orleans since April 2014, and we’ve been ranked #2 in the United States and #16 in the world. Plan ahead. See what we have available and make a reservation now. We only have five suites and there aren’t any other rooms after we’re sold out.
IF YOU’RE NOT A TYPICAL TOURIST, YOU BELONG AT LA BELLE ESPLANADE.
I am Matthew King, your humble narrator and your New Orleans goodwill ambassador, here to help you on your way to make good New Orleans memories that will last you the rest of your life. Frau Schmitt runs the dining room and keeps everything else German-tidy. It’s Frau Schmitt who remembers all of the 480+ restaurants we’ve sampled in New Orleans. It is Frau Schmitt who keeps me on topic during wide-ranging breakfast conversations—-or is that the other way around? If we aren’t helping you make good New Orleans memories that will last you a lifetime, we’re not doing our job.
You have two friends on Esplanade Avenue. We both will take the time to know what you are interested in. That way, we can make personalized and tailored recommendations of things to do that will interest you. This is hospitality on a craft level. Breakfast is our favorite part of every day because we’ll learn from you what you did the day before, and we’ll help you craft a plan of action for the day ahead.
Your humble narrator, the most interesting and best-dressed man in New Orleans. You do have a friend on Esplanade Avenue.
I envy people their first visit to New Orleans. I know how magical it can be. When I talk to our guests every morning, I get to see this wonderful city we call home anew, through fresh eyes, as our guests share what they encounter in this kaleidoscope of a city. My job now that I’m a New Orleanian is help you interpret and understand the densely woven and richly textured culture that is New Orleans. It is an honor and a privilege to do be able to do so. Thank you for staying at La Belle Esplande. Good New Orleans memories are made every day. The best New Orleans memories start at La Belle Esplanade.
Frau Schmitt and I make an excellent team, if I do say so myself. Come see for yourself. We’re here for you.
Your humble narrator. He knows his way around a typewriter.
We have been just about everywhere and we have done just about everything in New Orleans that may interest you. If you want to join a criminal gang or deal drugs on the street, we don’t have any advice. Our neighborhood is quiet and amicable. Our neighborhood is perfectly safe. If you want to run into a pickpocket, scam artist, purse snatcher or prostitute, you should stay in the French Quarter. None of that goes on in our part of the city. This is real New Orleans, where neighbors get say hello to everyone, even you. When you stay at La Belle Esplanade, you are part of real New Orleans.
Our job is to be experts in anything and everything our guests want to explore. We are New Orleans goodwill ambassadors, standing by to assist, to help you make the best kind of good New Orleans memories that will last you the rest of your life. Our part of New Orleans is a slice of Heaven on Earth. When New Orleans calls you, you have to answer. We’re here for you.
GET A NEW ORLEANS GOODWILL AMBASSADOR ON YOUR SIDE.
Here is a sample of what past guests say about La Belle Esplanade:
“...And to top it all off the owners Melanie and Matthew, were beyond accommodating. They worked hard to take our interests in mind to make personalized recommendations, something that you cannot get at anywhere hotel. Melanie, made the best breakfasts providing an assortment of local eats: crawfish pies, boudin balls and the fluffy biscuits! We enjoyed the morning chats that made us feel like we longtime friends stopping for a visit. And they even had us come back to get directions to a tire shop for the nail in my tire.” –A.L., January, 2013.
Part of the .0001% of the global hospitality industry.
“If you want a true New Orleans experience then this is the place for you. From the moment you arrive until the morning you have to leave, Matthew and Melanie welcome you to their world. Located close enough to everything (but not too close), La Belle Esplanade is truly your home away from home. Breakfast is authentic, leisurely, and delicious. Be sure to ask Matthew and Melanie about their local favorites. Truly a wonderful experience.” –M.D. May, 2014
Two years in a row: one of the top 0.001% best place to stay.
“Great B&B well positioned within walking distance of the French Quarter. My wife and I stayed for 8 nights and the hosts were always ready to offer new ideas for things to do every morning at breakfast. Their knowledge of New Orleans was second to none and certainly allowed us to see and experience more of New Orleans.” –C.R. March, 2019
YOU BELONG HERE.
Check our availability calendar to see what we have available when you’re visiting New Orleans. We only have five suites so only a lucky few can stay at La Belle Esplanade. You can always spend some time on our blog if you want to learn more about La Belle Esplanade and our neighborhood. You can spend a lot of valuable time reading our blog. I know I spend a lot of my valuable time writing it.
We look forward to meeting you and sharing our part of New Orleans with you.
