Drawing of Hotel Monteleone in the 1930s, from a collection of works sponsored by the WPA (courtesy State Library of Louisiana)

The Hotel Monteleone is a French Quarter landmark celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Its unmistakeable sign, the Carousel Bar and rooftop pool explain why it’s one of the premier destination hotels for tourists and professionals, and it has a rich history behind it making it the beacon of hospitality it has become. The hotel is a great example of the impact that Italian immigrants have had on New Orleans in general and the French Quarter in particular.

The Hotel Monteleone in the historic New Orleans French Quarter is rich with literary history – a stomping grounds for Williams, Capote and Faulkner.

The Hotel Monteleone in the historic New Orleans French Quarter is rich with literary history – a stomping grounds for Williams, Capote and Faulkner.”>Even though we call it the “French Quarter,” the architecture of the neighborhood is mostly Spanish, because the massive fires of 1788 and 1794 happened when the Spanish were in control of the city. After the Civil War, thousands of Italian families moved to New Orleans, settling in the Quarter, Faubourg Marigny and Bywater. By the 1890s, the Italian community in the Quarter had expanded to the point where they were the dominant force in the French Market. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart opened St. Aloysius College to educate the boys of these families. Most importantly, Italian-American businessmen began to flex their economic muscle in the Quarter.

One of these businessmen was Antonio Monteleone, a Sicilian shoe manufacturer. Arriving in New Orleans in 1880, Antonio opened a cobbler shop on Rue Royale, servicing the men working in what was then New Orleans’ financial/legal district. By 1886, Antonio was ready for another large investment, purchasing a hotel on the corner of Rue Iberville and Rue Royale. Just after he acquired this hotel, Antonio expanded his holdings by purchasing the Commercial Hotel in the 200 block of Rue Royale.

In 1903, Antonio expanded the Commercial by 30 rooms. Five years later, in 1908, he acquired the property adjacent to the hotel and added 300 more rooms. Also in 1908, Antonio renamed the Commercial to be the Hotel Monteleone, and it’s been that way now for four generations of the family.

Antonio passed away in 1913; his son, Frank, expanded the hotel by 200 more rooms in 1928. Frank and the Monteleone family managed to weather the Great Depression and World War II. In 1954, the middle of the post-war boom, Frank decided to close the hotel and raze the building. In its place, he constructed the building that is the hotel today. When Frank passed in 1958, his son, Bill, took over, adding more floors to the building along with a swimming pool and a Sky Terrace.

1964 expansion of the hotel (Franck photo courtesy HNOC)

Hotel Monteleone is a true immigrant family success story in New Orleans. That in itself makes it of historical interest, but the guest list over the years makes the hotel even more interesting. Through the years, The Monteleone has been a “literary headquarters.” Sherwood Anderson stayed at the hotel in 1921. The Monteleone didn’t have air conditioning until 1928, so you can imagine Anderson sitting around with other guests, trying to keep cool under the hotel’s ceiling fans. Truman Capote claimed for years that he was born in the hotel in 1924. Turns out, his mother was staying in one of the hotel’s suites, but actually gave birth to Truman in a nearby hospital. In 1951, both William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams stayed at the hotel (separately). Faulkner was in New Orleans that year to receive the Legion d’Honneur from the French Republic. Faulkner biographer Joseph Blotner wrote that Faulkner indicated The Montleone was the author’s favorite hotel in the city.

When Williams checked out, he found that Mr. Monteleone covered his bill, no doubt to show appreciation for all the publicity the author brought the city through the publication of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947. Through the years, Ben Lucien Burmah, Eudora Welty, Winston Groom (Forrest Gump), and Richard Ford (A Piece of My Heart) have stayed at The Monteleone. Tennessee Williams gave Hotel Monteleone a shout-out in the play, The Rose Tattoo, and Ford’s A Piece of My Heart has a scene set in the hotel.

Tennessee Williams (courtesy of Hotel Monteleone)

In addition to being a literary fixture, Hotel Monteleone was also a Carnival destination, up until the 1960s. When parades would pass down Rue Royale, turning up Canal Street to go to Rampart Street and the Municipal Auditorium, the hotel sold tickets for the balcony on the corner of Rue Royale and Rue Bienville. The hotel even had a gas station in the garage, so guests could fill up and get their car washed before the drive home.

Plaque placed at the hotel in 2010 by the Friends of Libraries, commemorating Hotel Monteleone’s rich literary heritage (Steve Faure photo)

So, next time you’re at the Monteleone, stop by the Carousel Bar, have a cocktail, then walk around. Imagine yourself bumping into Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, or Winston Groom. The Monteleone may not be a box of chocolates, but you never know what muse will touch you there!