The quaint town of Covington lies only 45 minutes north of bustling New Orleans, or a nice two-hour drive from Lafayette. And, yet, it feels a world away. Wetlands turn to pine forests, soil to sand, and the pace becomes slow and easy. It’s an ideal getaway, whether for the weekend or a longer vacation. And the best place to call “home port” is the Southern Hotel in the heart of downtown Covington.
Today, the Southern Hotel offers 42 boutique-style guest rooms and six suites, a relaxing courtyard that’s popular for weddings, and an expansive lobby with bar — sometimes referred to as “Covington’s living room” — where guests may order fun cocktails, sink into comfortable chairs and enjoy good company. Original artwork lines the walls, much of which was created by local artists, and the Olympia Room displays memorabilia from Covington’s Mystic Krewe of Olympia. There’s an old-fashioned elevator, rich wall coverings lining the corridors and guest rooms that exude peace and comfort.
Open the door, take a deep breath and leave all stress behind.
A TRIP BACK IN TIME
Covington has always been known as a retreat town, luring visitors with its mineral springs and clean air accredited to the Northshore’s piney woods. The Mission-style Southern Hotel began as a haven for those visitors in 1907, offering accommodations that included the rare-for-the-time hot water and electric lights. For a while, the property served as a sanitarium and resort for patients with respiratory illnesses. The Southern closed as a hotel in 1960 and served other purposes before closing completely. Then, the vacant building suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
In 2011, Lisa Condrey Ward and her husband Joseph Ward, along with Ricky and Gayle Condrey, purchased the historic property and conducted a massive renovation, reopening the hotel in 2014.
In 2018, the owners turned the neighboring property, once containing the original hotel’s tennis courts and rose gardens, into the Southern Hotel’s Garden House. The side building houses six suites with flower themes, said Lisa Condrey Ward.
“We did a Dorothy Draper garden theme,” Ward explained.
The building built on the site in the 1930s was once used as the Covington Post Office. The original wooden lobby doors, windows and 1939 WPA mural by artist Xavier Gonzales remain, all restored and included in the luxurious Post Master Suite.
In the main hotel, suites are named for Walker Percy, a National Book Award-winning author who called Covington home, and Louisiana architect Thomas Sully.
Guest rooms include luxury linens, flat-screen TVs, complimentary internet and comfy seating areas.
The hotel also features a veranda overlooking East Boston Street, the Cypress Bar off the lobby with murals based on old hand-tinted postcards of Covington, and a quaint book nook for those who wish to escape to someplace hidden and quiet.
Oxlot 9 restaurant commands the hotel’s corner with Park Drive, serving up seafood dishes and delectable Southern fare. The restaurant is named after the ox lots that once dotted Covington’s downtown.
Boutiques, art galleries, breweries and the Tammany Trace biking and hiking trail system are just a short walk from the hotel, as is the Covington Farmers Market, where you can pick up Creole tomatoes and other fresh produce on Saturdays. Eco-friendly Canoe and Trail Adventures offer visitors kayaks, canoes and paddleboards for use on the Bogue Falaya River.
Covington has become known as a culinary epicenter, with excellent dining ranging from the humble po’ boy to fine dining. Oxlot 9, Del Porto and LOLA are just three excellent choices all in close proximity of the hotel. For something unique, enjoy high tea at the English Tea Room & Eatery with its 200 tea flavors.
We try to not only have things to do at the hotel but also help plan visitors’ stays. — Lisa Condrey Ward, Owner
New to Covington this year are mule-drawn carriage rides by Royal Carriages of New Orleans, the folks that offer historical tours of the French Quarter and Marigny neighborhoods. In addition to all of that, the town of Covington offers year-round festivals, concerts and special events.
“There are a lot of free concerts that the city puts on and various other things that you can do,” Ward said, adding that one of her favorite attractions — and one most people don’t realize is available on the Northshore — is polo matches. “We try to not only have things to do at the hotel but also help plan visitors’ stays.”