1839 French Quarter Hotel with Room 216 Apparitions
621 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Hotel room rates from approximately $109/night; check website for current pricing.
Access
Limited Access
Cobblestone exterior, some stairs in historic building
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1839 · National Register of Historic Places · Antebellum Architecture · French Quarter History
Marie Virginia Lamothe purchased two parcels of land along Esplanade Avenue in 1829. Four years later, she conveyed the property to her brother Jean Lamothe, a prosperous sugar cane planter who commissioned the construction of double townhouses circa 1839 — among the earliest such structures on Esplanade Avenue.
The building passed through several owners across the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries before being converted to hotel use. Jean Baptiste Lamothe later adapted the property into a hotel during the late 19th century. The structure blends Greek Revival and Creole townhouse architectural elements typical of prosperous antebellum New Orleans.
The property underwent restoration and was added to the National Register of Historic Places. A significant renovation was completed in January 2013, restoring original architectural details while modernizing the interiors. The hotel now operates as part of the French Quarter Guest Houses portfolio, with 30 guest rooms and five antique suites arranged around a private courtyard with a garden pond and outdoor pool.
The cottage-style annex off the main building — where one of the most-cited encounters occurred — is a feature noted in multiple guest accounts. The property sits just outside the official French Quarter boundary, in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, which developed as a residential quarter for free people of color in the early 19th century.
Sources
The encounter most frequently cited by guests occurs in Room 216. Multiple visitors have independently reported waking to see a woman in a long red dress with a striking necklace standing near the bathroom — sometimes facing the room, sometimes facing away. She does not speak. She vanishes when addressed or when the witness moves. A personal account published online described the figure appearing around 3 AM on the night of Halloween, accompanied by a woman's voice whispering an urgent warning before the apparition disappeared.
Other reported activity in Room 216 includes knocking sounds from adjacent walls when no other guests are registered, sudden drops in ambient temperature, and lights activating without anyone touching the switches. One visitor described a black mass near the foot of the bed.
Room 117 has its own distinct set of accounts: guests have reported the sound of a baby's rattle shaking without apparent cause, accompanied by tapping sounds that continue intermittently through the night.
The building's hallways carry separate reports. Staff and guests have described the sound of children laughing in the middle of the night and the figure of a woman moving through the corridors — described not as threatening but as searching, as though looking for someone.
The original Shadowlands account describes a witness staying in the cottage annex who, after turning off the light, watched a woman emerge from the closet and drift toward his bed. He spoke to her repeatedly, telling her to leave, and she gradually faded. He remained awake until sunrise.
Notable Entities
A 30-room historic hotel built in 1839 on Esplanade Avenue at the edge of the French Quarter. Room 216 draws the most documented attention — guests have independently reported a woman in a long red dress appearing near the bathroom in the early morning hours, unexplained temperature drops, and lights activating on their own. Request Room 216 if you want proximity to the most-cited activity.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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