The Drifter Hotel

Claimed

3522 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA

EST. 2017

Space with stay

Up to 500 guests

Avg. venue rate

$2.5k - $50k

This venue has been favorited 68 times

Directions

Website

Call venue

Room Service by Venue Report

Need accommodations nearby

Search group-friendly stays and request rates in one place, or let our complimentary concierge team handle it for you. Group rates? Handled. Guest lists? Tracked.

The Drifter boutique hotel updates midcentury individualism while celebrating local art, hip cuisine and specialty coffee.

The Drifter is a 1950s motel that has a very unassuming entrance from the busy city streets. Upon entering the discreet side entrance guests are transported into a colorful lobby that contains a lounge, cafe, and bar. There is a high emphasis on design. Through the lobby building, the guests will arrive in the tropical courtyard and pool area. Adjacent to the pool area is a large private fenced in area that can accommodate 350 guests. Complimenting the pool area and private event space is the 20 room midcentury hotel building.

The Lowdown

Venue use

Space with stay

Best for these Occasions

Adventure Travel

anniversary

baby shower

Bachelor / Bachelorette party

birthday party

bridal shower

charity event

corporate event

elopement

engagement party

group getaway

holiday party

Product Launch

rehearsal dinner / Welcome Reception

social event

vow renewal

Workshops: Creative, Photo, etc.

Venue type

Art Gallery

Bar / Club / Lounge

Cafe / Coffee House

Historic Building

Boutique Hotel

Views

courtyard

garden

landscaped grounds

Style

Art Deco

Bohemian

Retro

Whimsical

Zen

Venue Settings

The Drifter boutique hotel updates midcentury individualism while celebrating local art, hip cuisine and specialty coffee. The Drifter occupies a historic 1950's motel that has been transformed into a sanctuary space set amongst tropical landscaping.

Capacity

250

Seated

350

Buffet

500

Standing

Fees

(Prices listed here are estimates only & are subject to change)

Venue price range

Does this include catering fees?: Yes

Estimated price per head: up to $500

Additional charges: City and State Sales Tax of 13%
Service Charge of 20%

Insurance: Additional insurance is not required to host an event here

Connect with this Venue

Explore availability, walk the space, and get tailored pricing.

Amenities

Event Logistics

Essential logistics and amenities for a seamless, memorable event.

Celebrations hosted here since: 2017

Curfew: 2 AM

Venue spaces: Indoor & Outdoor Venue Spaces Available

Onsite Accommodations: The 20 rooms and suites span approximately 226 square feet and offer pool views, a bathroom with a shower, and a working desk. While the King Room features a king-size bed and a day bed, the Double Queen Room and the Bunk Room offer two and four queen-size beds, respectively. The Garden King Room and the Garden Double Queen Room also both play host to a private terrace, with the former boasting a king-size bed and a day bed and the latter featuring two queen-size beds.

Catering: Client can select the caterer of their choice

Alcohol: Provided by Venue for fee – you must use the venue for all alcohol services, Corkage/Bottle Fee – you can bring your own alcohol for a fee, Licensed Server is Required

Music: Indoors & Outdoors

Smoking: Designated Smoking Areas Only

Eco/Green Events: Yes

Onsite Amenities

Street Parking

Wifi

Ample Parking Onsite

Onsite Restrooms

Bridal Suite/Changing Rooms Onsite

Venue Features

The scene

Thanks to its retro “motel” sign out front, this unassuming low-rise seems at first glance like a forgotten 1950s anachronism. But look past the period-piece signage and The Drifter reveals itself as an exercise in modernized nostalgia, both in terms of design and concept. 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. In addition to a café serving up specialty coffee from La Colombe and various baked goodies, the culinary program sees a rotation of chic food trucks and on-property pop-ups that offer a host of ever-changing tastes, from Mexico City to Haiti, Colombia, and beyond. Add in the artwork of local creatives and a busy events calendar—best enjoyed with freshly frozen cocktails, Japanese beers and sakes, or the local wines on offer—and it’s clear why this Tulane Avenue property is making waves on the New Orleans scene.

The Drifter is a 1950s motel that has a very unassuming entrance from the busy city streets. Upon entering the discreet side entrance guests are transported into a colorful lobby that contains a lounge, cafe, and bar. There is a high emphasis on design. Through the lobby building, the guests will arrive in the tropical courtyard and pool area. Adjacent to the pool area is a large private fenced in area that can accommodate 350 guests. Complimenting the pool area and private event space is the 20 room midcentury hotel building.

Design

The Drifter is housed in a reworked modernist structure that references the Googie style—a strand of futurist architecture that became prominent in the U.S. in the 1950s and borrowed influence from Space Race imagery and car culture through such elements as its asymmetric awning and the neon “motel” sign. Landscape architects Vida Design Studio also took the concrete parking lot—a defining feature of a motel—and converted it into a tropical courtyard that plays host to winding paths that take guests to out-of-the-way niches. Overall, the hotel’s structural form plays a pivotal role in the guiding Beat-era concept. Midcentury modernism dominates inside, with custom-made furnishings, vintage pieces, retro light fixtures, and Oaxacan tiles in the bedrooms, while other highlights include a cantilevered disco ball and a Barragan-inspired wall. Artworks range from local creations to a statement Ralph Lauren wall display.

Awards, Notables & Events

OutletArticle
Domus Nova (UK)- Motel Me When You Get There
IDEAT (France)- Where to Stay, What to Do during Prospect New Orleans
Lonely Planet (UK)- Catch the drift
Country Roads- Mansion, Hotel, Hostel, Motel: Four worthy spots for a tricentennial trek
Hunker - Checking In: The Drifter is a Design-Inspired Motor Lodge in New Orleans
Elle Décor (Italy)- We Found the Right Address for a Trip from Jack Kerouac
Country Roads- Mansion, Hotel, Hostel, Motel: Four worthy spots for a tricentennial trek
Fodor's Travel - The Best Hotel Pools in New Orleans
Fodor's Travel - These Lovely Hotels Are Thankfully Far Very Away From Bourbon Street
Fodor's Travel - The 7 Best Boutique Hotels in New Orleans
GQ- Take a Detour to the Most Luxurious Motels in America
Jetsetter- 2018 Best of the Best Hotel Awards
Yahoo! Lifestyle (Singapore) - Hot hotels: 12 trends for 2018
The Daily Telegraph (UK) - Hot hotels: 12 trends for 2018
Architectural Digest - The Top 35 Places to Travel in 2018
Conde Nast Traveller (UK) - The Hotel Clubs Join the Nomadic Network
DEAR (Germany)
Condé Nast Traveller (Middle East) - Trending: Renovated Low Rise Hotels
Hospitality Net - Motel in New Orleans given a contemporary overhaul
Jetsetter - 9 Reinvented Motels We Love
Fathom - The 20 Hottest Hotel Openings of Late 2017
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Old trucker hangouts now cool places to stay
TravelDailyNews (Greece) - Design Hotels freshest new members
Thrillist - Best Bars in New Orleans to Ring in the New Year
The Daily Telegraph (UK) - The Drifter, Hotel Review
Hospitality Design
Design*Sponge - New Orleans’ The Drifter Hotel
Sight Unseen - Saturday Selects: Week of November 27, 2017
ALT Interiør (Denmark)The Drifter Feature
30° Degrees (Switzerland)Hotel Drifter, Louisana Flashback
Hospitality DesignOnline exclusive: The Drifter

Space with stay

Up to 500 guests

Avg. venue rate

$2.5k - $50k

This venue has been favorited 68 times

Directions

Website

Call venue

Room Service by Venue Report

Need accommodations nearby

Search group-friendly stays and request rates in one place, or let our complimentary concierge team handle it for you. Group rates? Handled. Guest lists? Tracked.

The Drifter Hotel

$2.5k - $50k

The Drifter boutique hotel updates midcentury individualism while celebrating local art, hip cuisine and specialty coffee.

The Lowdown

Venue use

Best for these Occasions

Venue type

Views

Style

Venue Settings

Capacity

Fees

Connect with this Venue

Amenities

Event Logistics

Onsite Amenities

Venue Features

The scene

Design

Awards, Notables & Events

Getting there

No reports yet for The Drifter Hotel

$2.5k - $50k