I am Marie Beavers, the new General Manager/Sales & Marketing Manager of The Creole Gardens.  I was born here in New Orleans and grew up in Texas - but have always had family ties to this great city of ours.  I moved back after college to live with my Grandma in a beautiful historic home not too far from here in the Garden District.  I was here for 8 years, then moved back to Texas in 2001 for a brief stay until January 2008 - when I decided to come back to New Orleans - hopefully for good!

I have been in the hospitality industry for many years and just had a calling one day to move back to New Orleans and do my little part of spreading the word of how great New Orleans is and have people experience the city and its rich culture and atmosphere.  The saying you don’t know what you have until it is gone - definitely describes living in New Orleans and then leaving - this city and its people enter your heart and it is something that you never outgrow and yearn for more!  So…I packed my bags (and my dogs) and came back to the city that I dearly love!  I was fortunate enough to find Creole Gardens - which is truly hidden gem in the city - and was offered a position to be a part of the amazing “Creole Gardens Krewe” and have loved it since the first day! 

The Creole Gardens truly give our guests a sense of what the city is like and what it is like to live and play here.  Our guests are just like our family from the time they check in until the day they leave - which is always a little sad to see them go, but we know they will be coming back again to see us!  I think the part I enjoy most is being able to share information with all of our guests about the great museums, all of the things to do, the history of the city, great restaurants, etc…from discussing the Projection Art exhibits on Julia Street to the fun and funky restaurants around the city!  I always enjoy visiting with our guests on the front porch (in Grand Mansion manner) or in the dining room in the morning over a cup of Miss Annie’s wonderful coffee and learning about them and their interest and what they are interested in seeing in the city.  My favorite is to tell them “just hop on the streetcar around the corner” - to get almost anywhere they want to visit. 

My other favorite part of The Creole Gardens is that we are pet friendly!  We love our human guests and our furry guests as well!  I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing dogs and their owners here!  It is so nice to stroll out into the courtyard in the morning and visit with our guests and their fur babies! 

My last mention for today will be our dedicated staff - who are realy like a family to me.  Miss Annie, Miss Diane, Jill and Brandi make it such a pleasure to work here.  Everyone takes such pride in what they do here - just as you would if you have company coming in to visit you at your home !  They all take extra special care in meeting our guest’s needs and making sure staying with us is a truly unique and pleasurable experience for all.

Well enough of my ramblings today.  I am looking forward to meeting and hearing from everyone soon! 

Marie 

Mitch Woods brings his Club 88 Piano Bar and Blues Lounge to New Orleans beginning this Friday, April 23rd through Sunday, May 2nd (see below for schedule).  Mitch has been hosting his Club 88 piano bar for the last nine years on the legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, and will be performing his New Orleans-style piano and boogie woogie songs here in an intimate setting.  Musicians especially are invited to sit in and jam during the sessions here at the Creole Gardens Guest House, and of course all are welcome to come enjoy the music and a drink or two!

 Mitch Woods will be performing 8:00pm - 10:00pm the following nights here at Creole Gardens:

Friday, April 23
Saturday, April 24
Sunday, April 25
Thursday, April 29
Saturday, May 1
Sunday, May 2
 

In pure Disney-esque twist, the Saints’ first Super Bowl appearance will occur only 9 days before Mardi Gras day, affording New Orleans and its jovial inhabitants the opportunity for a party like none before.

 The chaos began immediately after the Saints won the right to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday January 24th. Within minutes Bourbon Street absolutely oozed with cheery black and gold revelers congratulating the team in our own homegrown fashion, by hugging everyone in sight and sharing a drink with all of them. Brass bands marched down streets in every neighborhood, fireworks lit up the sky and Who Dat chants could be heard from every window. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that our local police force reported no acts of violence in the hours before, during and after the game. New Orleanians know how to party with style and class. As our local newspaper the Times-Picayune noted the other day, “We don’t burn cars. We dance on them.”

 However that night was just the beginning. The last 10 days have been nothing but pure New Orleans vibrance. Coffee shop clerks salute each customer with, “Good Morning. Have a Who Dat day.” Each and everyone of us can’t help but get caught up in the excitement. Conversations always divulge into, “Don’t you just love Drew Brees?” “Yes, but I can’t decide if I love Sean Payton even more.”

 We’re watching the news on the earthquake and it’ sending us right back in a very emotional and visceral sense to four years ago in August when New Orleans was hit by Katrina.  It’s impossible not to grieve and want to reach out to these people.  Can you believe what that fat reactionary numbnut and that delusional evangelical rightwing extremist (won’t deign to mention their names) said???? I guess these people really have no humanity in them.

 There are so many deep cultural and historical ties between New Orleans and Haiti…our music, our architecture, our celebrations, our food.  The slaves who rose up against their French masters in 1791 and finally drove Napoleon out in 1804 were in many ways martyrs to the birthpains of an expanding United States.  Without those 13 years of bloody revolt, the French most likely wouldn’t have given up on being long distance landlords in the New World and wouldn’t have sold the Louisiana Territory to President Jefferson.  As a result of and during that period, New Orleans was flooded with people of all races and colors, including free men and women of color, and their influence is still felt in our city to this day. 

(For a very interesting book, check out Ned Sublette’s recent “The World That Made New Orleans” which talks about the musical, cultural and historical ties between us and the Caribbean, especially Cuba and Haiti.)

 On a happier note, we had a wonderful New Year’s and Sugar Bowl, with a full house of happy (albeit extremely wet) guests, cheering the end of this awful and troubling decade and enjoying fireworks, ball games and as always, great hot breakfasts at our place.

Plus Creole, the dog in search of a home, who somehow knew to make his way to our door as a refuge house, has a wonderful new home in Atlanta, with our previous visitors and their rescued greyhounds and cat! 

 And Player, our sweet new adopted puppy from the St. Martinville Parish shelter, has settled in quite comfortably as the new “baby” in the house, with all the attendent attention and doting!

This weekend the Creole Gardens Guesthouse is hosting the One World Conference—community and non profit kitchens—at our place, a fitting event to honor the work of the late Rev. Martin Luther King.

And one more time, PLEASE, do something to help the people in Haiti.  Just remember, if you’re reading this, chances are you love New Orleans.  And New Orleans wouldn’t be the special city it is without its profound historical and cultural ties with the nation of Haiti. 

This Thanksgiving, we had a couple stay with us who loves the great outdoors.  They have two dogs that hike and run and play on their land, but they had been searching for another, younger dog to become a play buddy for their younger greyhound.  When they met our boy, they knew he was the one!  After playing with him for a few days, they decided to take him home with them to be with their own babies.

We received these pictures from the couple today and wanted to share them.  It seems as though Creole (his new name) is having a GREAT time!

To find out more about One World, you can check out their website at www.oneworldeverybodyeats.org.

He is house trained and will sit on command. He is such a friendly and loving dog. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a buddy.

Halloween will be upon us soon and we’re very excited. We will be hosting a wedding Halloween night with our own spooky party to follow soon after.  This time of year is always fun for everyone, including our resident ghosts :)  Please check back for details on Halloween at Creole Gardens.
The Krewe at Creole Gardens

Stay N’ Spin Special (During the month of September)
Call today for our Stay N’ Spin special! The special includes a two night stay and bike rental for two for $199 plus tax!
(Rooms and Rates subject to availability)

Call us at 504.569.8700

We also still have fall availability at our beach house in Dauphin Island, Alabama. Give us a call for rates and more information on our pet-friendly vacation rental! Ask for Steve at 504.214.7665

See you real soon!

The Krewe at the Creole Gardens

Nothing says New Orleans summer wedding like a pup in a blue tux!

August 14: Saints Preseason Opener vs. the Cincinnati Bengals
August 21-23: The 2009 Louisiana Tailgate and BBQ Festival at the Morial Convention Center (http://louisianatailgate.com)
August 29: Hurricane Katrina 4th Anniversary
September 2-7: Southern Decadence
September 3: Saints Preseason Game verse the Miami Dolphins
September 5: Project 30-90 (http://project3090.com)
September 25-27: Seafood Festival @ Fulton St.
October 3: Congo Square Rhythms Festival
October 8-15: New Orleans Film Fest

We’re running some money-saver, fantastic specials on room rates right now, so give us a call at 504.569.8700 to plan your getaway trip! Weeknight specials starting from $69/night and weekend specials starting at $79/night through the months of August and September. Also, guests can take advantage of our outrageous weekly special for $295 (single occupancy) through the end of September (weekly stay rate does not include breakfast). Certain rooms available.

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for new weekly specials and updates.

The Creole Gardens Bed and Breakfast Hotel on Facebook