St Vincent’s Guest House

Ive stayed here a number of times in 2008, 2012 and most recently in May of 2015 (thank you baby Jesus for the pool). 4* Solid and not for luxury. This hotel is charming and basic in such a great way. Beds comfortable, rooms clean, hot water, great shower pressure, large rooms, high ceilings, huge windows, charming wicker furnishings, ridiculously affordable parking, beautiful grounds, fabulous pool, fabulous location and authentic Nola and southern charm. If you’re not too much of a snob and appreciate Nola for its attractions outside your hotel you know this is the best place in the city for your dollar. The staff is eccentric and has always been friendly and super helpful to me. Never change St. Vincents!
The Cons: The pillows and towels. They get the job done. If you’re driving, definitely bring your own. Otherwise it’s survivable. Too many pros though. Plus if you’re doing NOLA right you’re too drunk for pillows to probably matter and you use the towel for about 90seconds a day.
The place feels super safe. I love Magazine Street. Its literally the center of New Orleans and a great location to jump off an authentic Nola vacation outside of the quarter. Party all over the city (including uptown/​garden district) and pass out in a super quiet part of town.

When you read reviews of this location, you’ll see an assortment of them ranging from 5 stars to 1. I think I can better than anyone else (or at least as well as anyone else) who has stayed here provide both perspective and insight into what this place is and how wonderful a place this is.
First and foremost, this place is magical. Now if you are a woman (which I am not), then you should read further if you plan to stay in this city.
WOMEN:
This place is powerful for your history. I mean powerful and meaningful. Let me shout out to this blog for providing a longer synopsis of the history (
). I’ve grabbed a good summary below:
«St. Vincent’s was built in 1861 as an orphanage. It was founded by the Daughters of Charity order of nuns, however much of the funding was provided by Margaret Haughery. Margaret was an illiterate, Irish immigrant to New Orleans — she was a orphan herself and lost her husband and baby to yellow fever here in New Orleans. This was not unusual. Every summer up to 30.000 people here would die of mosquito born diseases such as yellow fever and malaria. Margaret’s tragic losses led her to dedicate her life to alleviating the suffering of children. She made a great fortune from her baking business and dedicated her wealth and compassion to philanthropic works. St. Vincent’s was among the greatest of these works. When Margaret died in 1882, the entire city closed down to mourn her loss and thousands followed her funeral parade, a fitting tribute to a truly great person. You will notice the clock on the roof of the carriage house at St. Vincent’s (across the courtyard) — this was willed to St. Vincent’s by Margaret as a final gift. «
Now, I want you to think about the insight that this lady had to think of an orphanage prior to the start of a war (the Civil War), knowing just how many orphans there were likely to be. That’s something not even the US Department of Defense nor Veterans Administration seems to have figured out to this day. I digress, but suffice it to say that if you are a woman looking for what I would consider to be one of women’s finest hours in this city, and perhaps the country, then you need to come by here and see what Margaret did, and why you should be so proud. There’s not a «creepy» thing about the fact that this place was an orphanage. In fact, the only thing that is residual from that in terms of magic is PURE love. Whatever went down here in the past had to be love, and those women were geniuses because I mean you FEEL it.
SAFETY:
If you are coming to New Orleans, then safety is something I think that not only would be relevant to your travels anywhere, but in New Orleans especially. I don’t say that because New Orleans is any different in terms of the proportion of danger from anywhere else in the US, but something you ought consider is the particular culture of New Orleans and how that requires you to think differently about personal safety and what makes this particular hotel the only place I would trust my daughter (which I do not have, but were I to have one, this is where I would feel most comfortable with her staying), although, you wouldn’t necessarily think so based on superficial aspects of the hotel. Think of it like this: almost all hotels have some sort of security to keep you protected while you’re there. St. Vincent’s protects you when you leave the hotel. How does that happen…
COMMUNITY:
New Orleans is a community based city (what people in New York say they have, but really don’t understand until they come down here). You will not come to this city and not be completely engaged by members of that community on a daily basis. When you say, «Hey, I’m staying at the xyz national chain on Poydras, or abc off St. Peter,» you in some way communicate to those from here that you’re not really here for the long-​term; you are welcome all the same, no doubt, but fundamentally, the people are bummed that you’re all going to have a great time, but ultimately you’re opting for the transaction experience. Now, you might even be here on a mission (e.g. to get hammered), and that’s okay, but at it’s fundamental core, again you’re communicating to the people of New Orleans that it’s all just transactional. My point is this: the more you engage the community here, the better and more affordable time you are going to have. Staying at St. Vincent’s is the CLOSEST thing to what it is like to live in New Orleans, and the people at St. Vicent’s care about you, your fun, and your safety at all times. When you stay here, you ARE family. If you intend to come to New Orleans for the purpose of having one of, if not the greatest, and most fun vacation experiences you will ever have, then you would be doing a disservice to your intent, your vacation, and your pocket book to not consider St. Vincent’s
APPEARANCE:
Yeah, it’s not manicured. It’s authentic and special. If you want that; it’s right here.

Fantastic value, very cool property. Staff is very friendly and accomodating. Great location, just a short walk or ride to all the action of the French Quarter and downtown. Had a very nice stay, no complaints and will be back again.

I love this place! It is the second time we have stayed (a week total this time around) and enjoyed it a lot. Yes the guesthouse is old, but is being remodeled. The staff is humble, friendly and appreciative. So doors may squeak, noises may be heard specially during the night but what old home, structure doesn’t? It is walking distance to great restaurants and shops.
Thank you for the wonderful stay! We will be back!

I read all the previous reviews of this hotel/​hostel before staying here. I made a point of not setting my expectations very high. We decided to stay here because it’s a historic building (an orphanage), the proximity to the French Quarter (a short trolley ride away) and we love the Garden District.
The room’s amenities were definitely dated. The bathroom was tiny. But I wasn’t expecting fancy-​pants Le Meridien amenities. Overall, the room was very clean. We even had a micro/​fridge in our room, which came in handy.
The staff was very nice. They appeared to be mostly counter-​culture college-​age kids with tattoos and piercings, but they were very courteous and helpful. Our (3^rd) floor maid was really sweet, personable and consistently made sure that we were happy, even offering us movies out of her personal collection to use with the TV/​DVD player in our room. (No, they don’t have cable TV)
I guess I must’ve missed the «guest kitchen.» This complex is very large, with a courtyard and outdoor pool. There is a lovely communal «family room» with a piano, TV, couches, board games and a sweet orange tabby named Carlos. ;) There was also a pizza restaurant in the complex, but we never saw it open. NOTE TO STAFF: It would make for an excellent breakfast/​lunch café, IMO. Just sayin’. :P
I would’ve liked having coffee (even willing to pay for it) offered in the communal areas. That being said, MOJO Café is literally right across the street and Surrey is one block away.
Now to the bad «stuff.» The wifi is NOT free, folks. The bathroom had a LOT of mold/​mildew and parts of the drywall were disintegrating due to the moisture. The room’s carpet was due for replacement as there were pulled/​bare spots. The drop ceilings in our room are really gross and some tiles were starting to fall out of their frames. The ceiling fan was old & ~droopy~ due to the humidity. Thank God the AC was ice cold!
HOWEVER, we stayed for 3 days and saw the staff/​crew making constant improvements to other rooms like painting walls and replacing old carpet.
If you’re considering staying at this place but expecting Wyndham+ amenities, then stay somewhere else. If you’re willing to give some grace to stay in a hella cool building in the beautiful Garden District with an even more amazing historical contribution, then this is the place for you.
P. S. STAFF: Please put the sticky-​notes about potential squatters and other bad guest stuff out of customers’ view at the front desk.

Stayed at the Guest House with 3 of my buddies while in the town for a two-​night concert. Upon reading these Unilocal reviews, my friend who booked us a room at this place got quite the ball busting. Then we spent 3 nights here, and we had a lot of fun, and the ball busting was apologized for.
If you’re looking for maximum luxury, look elsewhere. But if you’re looking to plug yourself into the local vibe of New Orleans and for an adventurous experience, stay at the St. Vincent’s Guest House. It’s for travelers, not tourists. It’s cheap for a reason. We befriended the people who worked at the hotel during our stay and got a lot of great recommendations for restaurants and things to do. There’s a bus stop very close to the hotel, and decent walking distance to a lot of places, including St. Charles (and street car). There’s also a top-​notch coffee shop that I went to every morning, right across the street.
Sure its a bit dingy, it’s old, it’s historical. But it has loads of characater. Our room had a good bathroom with warm water, there were no cockroaches. Some tears in the carpet and a grimey ceiling, but those things are extremely trivial. I recommend getting a room on the top floor, those seem to have the best quality rooms. One of the inn keepers was super, super friendly, insisting on us asking her for anything that we needed, at any time. Awesome balcony and courtyard to hang out and meet people from all over the world who come to stay at the Guest House, too.
One last note: this is an orphanage from the late 1800’s for children whose parents died from Yellow Fever. Do the math… I personally didn’t have any direct experiences, but upon the last night of staying at the hotel I felt chills and all sorts of feelings that I would describe as supernatural.
I felt the need to write a positive review for the St. Vincent Guest House because I wouldn’t want to deter any folks who are looking to get real local and real intimate with New Orleans, not at some fancy hotel that you’ll pay +250 a night just to fall into a tourist trap. Do yourself a favor, stay a few nights and have a one-​of-​a-​kind experience.

We stayed in the private room for 4 nights. I wanted the experience of a creepy old orphanage and didn’t want to pay a lot.
Beds are uncomfortable, there’s no housekeeping during your stay (although they suggest you tip them) and you’re lucky if you get hot water in the shower, but the neighborhood is great and the price is right.
Our room had no tv, refrigerator, or even a table or chair, even though our neighbors did. Great place if you’re just looking for a crash pad, but I would never stay longer term. Also I wouldn’t suggest bringing small children here. Chairs outside are rusty and falling apart, banisters on the stairs are missing, and nasty old blankets cover the windows.
The pizza place that’s located inside the building is never open even though the hours are posted.
It’s a dirty rotten trick. Don’t do it.

Where to start — this place was absolutely horrifying! We really were looking forward to it too, because we like old, funky places full of history. This isn’t it. Our room was disgusting. It was filthy, smelly and devoid of charm. It felt like we were in a homeless shelter and obviously someone had been living here before we got the room. We found all their mail in the drawer of the table that was covered in some kind of goo. The carpet was peeling, dirty and suspect. The bathroom door didn’t even come close to closing, the tv didn’t work, the bed was little more than a lumpy mattress and there was a rusty, gross folding chair for our sitting pleasure. And this was not the dorm room. I’ve seen some of the photos others have posted on this site, and trust me, our room was nowhere near looking as good as what they posted. Stay far, far away!

Much to be said about the professionalism of this place. It’s an old orphanage, I think. It doesn’t really look like it until you walk through the courtyard. It looks like a haunted orphanage. They could have filmed movies here.
Either way, Story Time.
I spend like 20 minutes waiting to get my room, because they have one person working the front desk, and 2 people eating, what I’m assuming, is lunch, even though it wasn’t lunch time, watching said person working. Their computer reservation system runs off of punch cards that come down from a dove courier system.
So I get my room key and walk through the movie set of a court yard. Upon getting to my room, I hear that the TV is on. I open the door to find a middle-​aged European mother covering herself up as she plays with her iPad, screaming, «what are you doing?!» The husband (assuming) runs back from the bathroom, which is great because you’re supposed to urinate after making biologies to prevent UTIs. While this advice applies mainly to the female variety, it couldn’t hurt the male to do the same. So husband yells, «You got the wrong room!»
«aaahhH!!! I got the wrong key!!!»
Yeah.
So I leave, going back down to the front desk, and down the spooky hallway comes someone with the right key. I’m not sure who to blame for this mistake. One could blame the the user, the human. Or one could blame the computer system, the LeapFrog tablet device.

Love this place! I have spent a lot of time here and it is great. The staff is fantastic, location is great, and NOLA’s best coffeeshop, Mojo, is right across the street. There is truly no place like it. I could write a whole book about this place, it would be wacky and wonderful. Great vibes.

My friend and I were recommended this place, and I’m thinking it must have been a mistake. We were unaware it was a hostel.(?) From the outside it looks old and cool. We were stunned by the rooms. Carpet was ripped, paint peeling, mold in the bathroom. Heat did not work. Beds had sheets and blankets, but no bedspreads. I pulled the blinds down on one of the windows, then couldn’t get it back up. Bathroom door wouldn’t shut, so it was ajar every time I used it. My last morning there, someone unlocked my door and was trying to get in (no knock). Luckily I had the chain lock on the door. Then they tried a second time to get in. I said through the door, «can I help you». She then announced she was «housekeeping».
All in all, I would NOT stay here unless you have no other options.

Stayed in the middle of Oct 2015
The staff was friendly but some lacked experience with the computer systems. I was taken to my room by one of the staff, who then needed to inspect my room first to ensure it was cleaned due to the housekeeper quitting that morning. The staff further told me that she didn’t clean 3 other rooms, so the guest had to check in late. The room has holes in the walls, peels paint, thin sheets for curtains, rips in the carpet, and uneven floors that it made it difficult to open the mini fridge — BUT you only pay $ 50 a night so don’t except the Ritz Carlton. There were renovations going on, so that seemed promising. There was a dirt/​mold smell in some area, but I get the impression that is normal for New Orleans because I smelt it elsewhere. There were times I would go back to my room and smell cigarette smoke in the hallway. The hotel definitely has some New Orleans character to it. There was a pool, BBQ grills, places to sit outside to enjoy the climate, a coffee shop across the street, pizza joint in house, kitchen you could use and met some hostel guest, and 10 minute walk from loads of shops and eateries. It is on a bus line that will take you to the Zoo and Canal St. My main issue was when I was changing; one of the male staff knocked on my door and then let himself in. According to the computer system, I was supposed to have checked out that day, but later someone who understood the system told me that he was incorrect. Joy!

This place and the people were great! This will be our go to place from now on! Thanks Claude and Trina plus others working at the front for being so sweet and helpful with directions, taxis and recommendations! Only downfall was we could feel the springs in the bed. Maybe get some pillowtops? Otherwise this place built in 1861 was just what we expected! Loved the history lesson about Margaret and the childrens orphanage!
Your staff rocks!!!

Stayed here for BUKU. First night I got bumped due to some issues with a water leak, and ended up in the dorms. Not too bad considering I dont remember coming in at 6a. Always something going on around the grounds. Big place. Second night I got a private room. Much better, but still not the Hilton. Great layout, great location, decent rates. Id totally recommend it to anyone who is fully aware of hostel accomodations. Lotsa foreigners and cute girls.

Yikes… and then it goes down hill. the place is being remodeled, had the feeling of being abandoned. No help from the staff, didn’t figure out where anything was until a few days into it. My room. creepy, in a hallway with a light that only came on then you walk in or out. I could barely open my room because of how far the floor was warped. I had a sheer in my bedroom, so any one walking by at night could see in perfectly. But the bathroom had a room darkening shade. Nice touch, super loud air unit. Had to sleep with ear plugs in. Then the last couple nights bugs were biting me, I left itching like crazy. I was bitten on my face so many times it was swollen. And the pool was green. Don’t think I will ever stay here again.

The Saint Vincent’s guest house is an old building and one in need of some TLC. They are in the midst of major renovations on and around the property. The rooms are very dated and upon first look appear dingey, but on closer inspection you will find the rooms are well maintained and very clean. The bed we had was a king size spring mattress that was in great condition and very comfortable. The TV left something to be desired, but who wants to spend their vacation watching TV? The history of this property and the woman who built it give the property real charm so be sure to ask about their history! If you aren’t picky about the looks of the rooms you will enjoy your stay. It lies within the garden district with million dollar homes just one block over so the neighborhood is safe and your car is not in danger of theft or vandalism. Plus it’s one mile from the French Quarter and if you felt so inclined could walk to Bourbon St. (although I would not recommend this). I only gave four stars because the property is outdated and there is construction going on, but only in the day.

We stayed here on a random road trip due to how cheap. Yes upon first looks I was not impressed at the room but after my first night I loved it. The bed was comfy and clean. Yes it does need to be updated but the history and charm make up for it. It’s in a quiet neighborhood and the staff was great. They are currently working on the property to make it better and I know will make this place even more beautiful. I would recommend this place if you just need a cheap place to lay your head. Again first looks can be scary but look past it.

I have stayed at St. Vincent’s twice now. The first time was for a bachelorette party in 2014 where we rented out the entire dorm room. Our flights were all delayed so an amazing staffer stayed late, well past the end of her shift, to make sure we could check into our room (at 12am). It is exactly what I expected as far as a hostel goes. Basics– bedding, pillow, towel. For $ 30-​$ 40 a night for peak season this allowed us to spend more money on memories than sleeping! In all honesty, it’s an old building– probably will come across an occasional wasp trapped inside the building or not the coldest ac during the high temps.
The second time I stayed here was for a girls trip in 2015. I enjoyed my experience so much the precious time, that I stayed here again. This time renting a room that had a king bed with a full bed in an adjoining room. $ 30 per person was a great deal! The room with the king bed was huge! There was a mini fridge in the room with a full bed. We get cold at night easily so I suggested everyone bring a blanket if they wanted extra warmth.
All in all, here are my pros and cons–
* affordable
* on an amazing street (40 minute walk from French quarter and 5 minute walk from great local shopping/​eating)
* pizza restaurant in the building (bonus points)
* tons of character in the building– high ceilings in every room, great views, awesome history
* friendly staff
* con– cleanliness. Could use new carpeting; fresh paint on the walls
Overall I’ve stayed here with 9 girls on 2 occasions and every single one of them recommends this place and enjoyed their experience here

YOU WILL BE DISGUSTED. Please, even if it’s the last place to stay, when you arrive, you’ll sleep in you car instead. St Vincent’s is going through «renovations» which is the excuse they have for the LEGIONS OF ROACHES! And instead of shutting down, the owner, Peter Schreiber is SO GREEDY that he has kept the hotel open and fills it to capacity each day even putting people on air mattresses in the lobby. (See my pictures, im not joking). Please see the numbered list for a long story short, otherwise, here we go…
Me and my four friends arrived last Friday to celebrate Independence Day and hang out for the Essence Music Festival. When we walk in, we are told that the dormitory style room we ordered was no longer available and we’d been «upgraded» to a ²⁄₂ suite. The upgrade was in the steaming hot attic. I mean so hot you couldn’t breathe. We hike up the stairs with our bags to the attic, open the door to find the place the maintenance man lives! His Tabasco sauce and soda and bug spray and mop bucket were strewn about the room. Excuse the mess, he told us, NOBODY TOLD ME ANYONE WAS STAYING UP HERE, SO THE ROOM WASN’T PREPARED he tells us.
1) One of the toilets wont flush
2) Huge roaches everywhere. And they fly.
3) Two air conditioning units that can only be felt if you stand right up to them. The rest of the room is hot. WE’RE SWEATING!
4) One off the tvs doesn’t work.
5) Shower curtain is brown its so dirty and the water pressure is that of a stream of urine. Not. Kidding.
6) The beds were COTS! (See pictures)
7) The refrigerator was warm and FULL OF BUGS/​GNATS.
So, like the tough customers we are, we demaned a refund. That’s when Peter the cowardly owner comes in the picture. Him and his wife, Rebecca tell me that if I wanted clean shower curtains, I should have went to the Marriot. They also say, «Of course there are flying roaches, you’re in Louisiana». I blew up. We called the health department and opened a sanitation claim. We called Better Business and the rep said we were not the first to call that month! (It was only the 4^th of the month!) This place is filthy, seedy, it’s hazardous and unfit. Your vacation will be RUINED if you choose this place. We cut the weekend short on Saturday and drove back 8 HOURS to Dallas. Never… Again.

Let’s just say I am very thankful the place I originally was supposed to stay at was overbooked. St. Vincent’s Guest House is freaking awesome. Don’t get me wrong there are problems because its OLD, dirty to some, but I am totally a fan, there’s more than enough character, attributes, and history here to cancel all the negatives. Did you know St. Vincent’s was built in 1861 and was an orphanage?
At least it wasn’t a mental hospital turned hotel, I’ve seen movies. It’s not supposed to be a luxurious resort so don’t expect a valet and whatever else you get there. It’s also not your typical cookie cutter motel.
It’s affordable, quiet, and walking distance from all the action. You should definitely explore the properties while you’re staying here and not just stay in your room. But if you must know I stayed in one of the King rooms up in front, it was spacious, clean enough, and comfy. I could watch my car from the window. There was a desk, TV, mantel, and fixtures that still worked. Make sure when you leave your room your door closes completely and is locked, regular door knobs you’ll see at home. They have all the amenities you’ll need A/​C, WIFI, a nice swimming pool, courtyard, and picnic area.
Great customer service, willing to converse and helped me not get lost in the area and recommend some awesome places to eat at and check out. I don’t remember but I believe they lock the front door after a certain time so don’t lose your keys and make sure someone inside can let you in.
They are pretty observant of their guest and might check on you or clean out your room if you’ve gone missing for a few days. I heard it’s normal for guest to pay for a few nights, leave there stuff, and come back many days later to pick their stuff up in the front, too much fun. When I was checking out the guest in front of me and the desk guy was having that a conversation about that actually happening, the guest was having way too much fun.
I read somewhere that St Vincent’s has been seemed in some movies so I was intrigued enough to do some research and found out that if you’ve seen the Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh movie you might have seen St. Vincent’s. I’m not 100% and just watched to movie, it’s a good movie, but it could be. I didn’t know about it until long after my stay there. Anyone wants to confirm. Anyone want look in the mirror and say his name 5 times.