Culture in New Orleans Imagines dining on sumptuous creole cuisine while surrounded by rare paintings and some of the most extraordinary pieces of jewelry in the world. That’s what awaits guests who book one of two recently unveiled Presidential Suites at the new Four Seasons in New Orleans.
The luxury hotel has pulled out all the stops to partner with the family-owned M.S. Rau, a gallery in the heart of the French Quarter, to create an unparalleled “Dinner with Impressionist” experience. But to call M.S. Rau just a gallery is like calling a Bugatti just a car.
Culture Combine in New Orleans
Culture Combine in New Orleans
Led by third- and fourth-generation owners Bill and Rebecca Rau, M.S. Rau is a family-run New Orleans business that has been collecting rare artifacts, jewelry, furnishings, and fine art since 1912.
Step inside the three-story space and you’re mere inches from masterpieces by Monet, Picasso, Magritte, and Chagall, among others. Meticulously crafted clocks, antique furnishings and tapestries, and historic artifacts and objet d’art fill corners and cabinets.
And the diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds? Oh my! If they could talk, they’d tell tales of the lavish balls and ostentatious parties they’ve attended while draped over the hands, fingers, wrists, and necks of royals and rockstars alike.
Outside Culture Combine
Called “Dinner with Impressionists” because historically significant Impressionist paintings serve as a dramatic backdrop for the dazzling evening, the package invites guests to sit down to a 7-course meal prepared by Kelley Schmidt, the hotel’s executive sous chef.
An accompanying wine selection pairs with both the surrounding artwork and the menu, while a live New Orleans jazz band sets a convivial mood.
The pièce-de-résistance is a tableside presentation of exceptional jewels for guests to try on, such as a lavish 38-carat Golconda diamond necklace by Harry Winston, once owned by Greek businesswoman and heiress Christina Onassis.
The experience also includes a private ride in a historic New Orleans streetcar and a jazz concert at the French Quarter’s legendary Preservation Hall.
Jazz Players Culture Combine
Like a fine art museum and a fastidious art collector’s private lair rolled into one, M.S. Rau is a do-not-miss for any visitor to the Crescent City and is often a pleasant surprise for locals too.
“I only recently learned of it myself and I’ve lived here for years,” said Lavinia Spalding, author of Frommer’s Easy Tuide to New Orleans. But for Four Seasons’ Presidential Suite guests, the gallery transforms into center stage for a one-of-a-kind affair in one of America’s most culturally rich destinations.
“For this exclusive partnership, we wanted to offer something that could be found nowhere else. M.S. Rau and Four Seasons epitomize luxury, and we wanted to create an experience that would remain in diners’ memories as not only a highlight of their stay in New Orleans but throughout their lives,” said Bill Rau.
Inside Four Seasons Presidential Suite
The Dinner With Impressionists experience includes two nights in the Presidential Suite and starts at $25,000.
About the Four Seasons Presidential Suite: City lights and the twinkling Mississippi River are on display from the windows of the sprawling 2,400 square-foot modern suite designed by Bill Rooney Studio, a master at contemporary luxury hospitality design.
The marble bathroom has a free-standing oval tub with city and river views. There’s also a private office, a dining table for 10, a personal gym, and curated local artwork.
