Culinary Experts Worldwide Are Incorporating Guest Rooms into Their Establishments, Allowing Travelers to Savor a Delightful Meal and Spend the Night

The historic townhouse at the intersection of O’Keefe Avenue and Poydras Street in downtown New Orleans has seen many transformations. For over a century, it housed Maylie’s, a Creole restaurant that was among the oldest dining spots in the city until its closure in 1986. It then became a steakhouse, followed by an Irish bar. Since 2018, it has been home to Copper Vine, a gastropub celebrated for its crawfish beignets and champagne-infused fish amandine, alongside a wide selection of wines on tap. In July, the building embarked on its next chapter with the addition of 11 guest rooms on the upper level and in a newly constructed wing. “It was a natural progression,” remarks owner Kyle Brechtel, a New Orleans native. 

At the newly transformed Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn, guests will find the distinctions between restaurant and hotel artfully blurred. “I want every member of our team, whether they’re serving, bartending, or greeting guests, to feel integrated into the innkeeping experience,” Brechtel shares. Overnight visitors arrive through the restaurant and check in at the host stand. Studio West, which designed the dining area, carried over the same color scheme and focus on local art into the guest accommodations. While excellent room service is expected, Brechtel encourages guests to enjoy drinks or meals downstairs. “We’re really aiming for a ‘modern-day tavern,’” he says. “It’s a classic form of hospitality.” 

More chefs are embracing this trend. Last year, seven guest rooms were introduced at Holm, the hyper-seasonal restaurant owned by Nicholas Balfe in Somerset, England. The early 19th-century building was decorated with local pottery and lime-plaster accent walls, alongside custom and vintage furnishings. “The three-story structure was perfect for a project that extended beyond just a restaurant,” Balfe notes. “We aimed to create a space that resonated with the local community while also drawing in visitors from further away.”

For venues like Holm that are somewhat off the beaten path, the addition of guest accommodations amplifies their appeal. Diners travel for hours to secure a coveted reservation at the Lost Kitchen, chef Erin French’s restaurant in Freedom, Maine, where reservations are made via postcard. Since 2021, patrons have had the option to stay overnight in one of four charming cabins. Mirazur, Mauro Colagreco’s Michelin three-star restaurant on the French Riviera, is also planning to introduce an 11-room villa on the adjacent farm that provides fresh produce for the restaurant. 

Adding guest rooms can also be an attractive option when moving to a new or larger location. This summer, renowned Sydney chefs Josh and Julie Niland relocated their seafood restaurant Saint Peter to the historic Grand National Hotel building in Paddington; 14 guest rooms will debut on the upper floors in October. Similar transformations have occurred at Alma, in Minneapolis, where James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Roberts added seven rooms, and at Casadonna Reale, in Italy’s Abruzzo region, where chef Niko Romito moved his family restaurant to a 16th-century monastery, adding 10 art-filled rooms and soon earning a third Michelin star. 

Introducing guest rooms can also help keep family traditions alive: after Enrique Olvera relocated his acclaimed restaurant, Pujol, to a spacious bungalow in Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood, he transformed the former Pujol location into Casa Teo, an elegant bed-and-breakfast. Perhaps the greatest perk? Priority reservations.

A version of this article first appeared in the September 2024 issue of Dinogo under the title "Room and Board, Redefined."