We came to Serenity in the Marigny after a rather fly-by-night travel company (*ahem* Traveluro *ahem*) messed up our reservation at a hotel in the French Quarter. In all candor, we were a bit concerned and apprehensive about how it would work out — we were unfamiliar with this neighborhood, and while the reviews for Serenity were excellent, there weren’t very many. In short, we couldn’t have been more thrilled with how it turned out.
The building itself looks nice from the outside and is rather lovely on the inside. The room wasn’t huge, but it was reasonably sized by city-hotel standards and the bed was tremendously comfortable. We didn’t want to get out of it in the mornings. The roof of the building is a hidden gem, complete with a hot tub and sauna we enjoyed having access to. We did get massages at the facility, which we enjoyed, though we felt they were rather pricey (the closest thing to a negative I have to express about the place). Breakfast was served each morning, upon request. The location was much better than we expected — it was a short Uber ride or manageable walk (15-20 minutes) to any of the destinations we were headed to in the French Quarter, and we learned on this trip that we enjoy Frenchmen Street just as much or even more than the Bourbon Street scene.
The key to the experience was Ms. Daphne, who took wonderful care of us. She was warm, welcoming, attentive, and always quickly available (often even via text message) to help with anything we needed. She served us a tasty breakfast on the roof, offered to arrange a ghost tour for us, and even provided some tips via text as to where we might possibly find a swimsuit for my girlfriend in December. She was the quintessential hostess, and we greatly enjoyed and appreciated her hospitality.