Courtesy of Copper Vine Inn.
Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn is an 11-room boutique property in New Orleans’ Central Business District, housed in the historic Maylie’s Restaurant building, a National Historic Landmark that sat vacant for 15 years after Hurricane Katrina. The four-star property starts at $194 per night, and pairs restored Edwardian architecture with local art, a wine-forward pub, a lush courtyard, and highly personalized innkeeping.
Through the front door, lush greenery fills the courtyard, a century-old mahogany bar anchors the room, and restored transom windows catch the morning light. But what stayed with me most from my week at Copper Vine Inn wasn’t a design detail—it was an innkeeper who remembered my name, offered a welcome drink, and walked me to my room. That’s intentional: Copper Vine adds a layer most historic-hotel conversions skip—the true traveler's inn, where luxury arrives alongside personal service.
The building’s story starts in 1876, when two French immigrants opened a men-only bar on Poydras Street. By 1925, it was a full restaurant, Maylie's, serving Creole standards like daube glace and hardshell crab stew, with wine included at every meal. Maylie’s closed in 1986, one of only two New Orleans restaurants to operate continuously under one family. Landmarked in 1994, it sat vacant after Katrina for 15 years, until Kyle Brechtel, who’d grown up walking past its wisteria-draped facade, bought it in 2017 and reopened it as Copper Vine Wine Pub in September 2018, then added the Inn in July 2024. He planted a new vine in the courtyard in tribute to the one he remembered—the first thread in what became, in a sense, a tale of two vines.
Design & Character
Courtesy of Copper Vine Inn.
"The building is the main character in our story," Brechtel told me. Original doors, exposed brick, and the mahogany bar’s elaborate millwork remain, alongside iron balconies, black chandeliers, and impossibly tall ceilings painted a rich blue. Wisteria nods run throughout: ivy cascades toward the courtyard, where Brechtel’s newly planted wisteria vine climbs. In the main dining room, a hand-painted fig-leaf mural in teal, olive, and rust sprawls beneath a slatted walnut ceiling.
The Rooms
Courtesy of Copper Vine Inn.
The 11 rooms—two queens, one ADA-accessible, nine kings—each carry their own colorway in sage, terracotta, or blue. My king room paired cream walls and green carpet with a cherry headboard and a gallery wall mixing a butterfly specimen, an abstract, and a portrait, all locally sourced. Bathrooms impress: freestanding tubs, brushed copper fittings, navy tile, and marble ledges. The former attic is now the 1,100-square-foot Terrace Suite, with a private terrace and wet room—morning coffee looking out over the city feels like an oasis above downtown.
The Food & Drink
Courtesy of The Copper Inn.
The wine pub carries the same approachable spirit as the inn: more than 30 wines on tap or in the cellar, DIY flights, and zero-proof versions of every cocktail. The Cajun Caviar Deviled Eggs arrive dusted with cayenne, crowned with glossy black caviar and a shard of lacy cracklin’ standing straight up. Beignets come golf-ball round over a bright tangle of chow chow, the crisp shell giving way to a rich and molten interior. Whatever you do, get the bananas foster. It does not disappoint.
The Amenities
Courtesy of Copper Vine Inn
Copper Vine’s most memorable amenity isn’t something you can put on a checklist—it’s the innkeeper. With just 11 rooms, guests are hosted rather than checked in: a welcome drink, personal escort to the room, complimentary breakfast prepared by your innkeeper, and a coveted private lot behind the inn. Guests can carry the carafe from their room down to the pub and fill it at the wine-club member price—an extension of the property’s neighborhood wine-club culture, with private dining and 6,000 square feet of event space to round it out.
Location & Neighborhood Recs
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Copper Vine sits on the edge of the Warehouse District, the gallery-and-restaurant pocket of downtown New Orleans, steps from Lafayette Square and the art galleries of Julia Street. The French Quarter is a five-minute walk across Canal; the Superdome and Smoothie King Center are eight minutes the other way, making this a smart base for a game or concert. The WWII Museum and Ogden Museum of Southern Art are close by. If you want the best place for live music, make the 11-minute journey to Frenchmen Street and step into the Spotted Cat or Blue Nile for a heady dose of what makes New Orleans one of the best cities in the country.
Fast Facts
Location: Copper Vine, New Orleans
Address: 1001 Poydras St., New Orleans, LA 70112
Neighborhood: Central Business District
Nearest Airport: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Star Rating: 4 stars
Starting Rate: About $194 per night
Room Count: 11
Vibe: Historic, intimate, wine-forward, polished but approachable
Best For: Couples, food and wine lovers, culture seekers, and travelers who prefer personalized hospitality
Amenities: Complimentary breakfast, restaurant, wine pub, room service, welcome drink, private parking, Wi-Fi, wheelchair access, 6,000 sq. ft. of event space with rooftop bar
Nearby: Canal Street, Caesars Superdome, French Quarter
Our Favorite Thing: The personal hospitality makes Copper Vine feel less like a hotel and more like being welcomed into a stylish New Orleans home.