Grand dames: Betty and daughter Kate are the latest in a long line of women running The Grand Victorian bed and breakfast inn on St Charles Avenue
Welcome In: Betty Rabe, The Grand Victorian
Interview by Paul Oswell
It goes without saying that you have to be a hospitable person to be a bed and breakfast inn host. Otherwise, every new guest would seem like new torment and you'd be reassessing your life choices pretty quickly. Hosts display their hospitality in different ways - by sharing their local knowledge, by making incredible breakfasts or going the extra mile to make visitors at home. For Betty Rabe, owner and host of the beautiful Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inn, though, hospitality has been a way of life her whole career - a career that didn’t include B&Bs until very recently.
The house itself stands out as a property, even on St Charles Avenue. It’s a huge, striking Queen Anne Victorian building that dates back to 1893. It epitomizes classic, timeless New Orleans elegance, all porches and balconies and columns. Its interior 7,600 sq ft boasts gorgeous period furnishings that pay homage to its long history. “This house has a history of very strong women at the helm,” says Betty. “Back in the early 1900s after the death of her husband, Olive Andrews Johnson managed the place along with running the family businesses.”
In 1998, another strong woman, Betty’s sister Bonnie, completed a renovation on the house that shaped it into the delightful inn that you see today. Sadly, Bonnie passed and in 2020, Betty had a choice to make about whether or not she wanted to take over. “If you would've asked me a few years ago (about running a BnB), I would've said no,” says Betty. “I was just living my life, and when Bonnie passed I was in charge of the estate. Then something just told me that it wasn't time to sell, and that I needed to just stick with it a bit more.”
Some extra renovations were required after damage sustained during Hurricane Ida, but Betty was now running the Grand Victorian. Once you appreciate how qualified she is for the task, it’s easier to understand how well she took to the challenge. Betty had not only worked for American Airlines and the Ritz Carlton in public-facing roles that had honed her hospitality skills, but she’s also one of the few people to have graduated from The Emily Post Institute.
“Yes, I was lucky to have the opportunity,” she says. “I'd always been interested in etiquette and hospitality, after all, true southern charm is about making people feel comfortable in your presence. It's just something that I enjoy. I love customer service and the little details that make things special, so it all came fairly easily.”
How were those first few weeks or few months, though? “I was lucky,” says Betty. “A friend of my sister's, Hoyt Dottry, had been down here running the B&B while Bonnie was sick and ended up staying about five years. I learned a lot from him and all of his many years of experience in innkeeping. So I had some great help at the start. There are still times that I still get a little flustered, but the other amazing innkeepers in the area help me and I really feel like I’m learning every day.”
Having so much experience, Betty is tuned into the idiosyncrasies of each guest. “We just had a lovely older gentleman stay with us and he was very much into woodwork, and he just loved all the original fixtures. I had a whole lesson on the flooring and what part of the tree each piece of wood came from. It was amazing!”
It’s not all from the older generations, either. “What really makes my heart sing is when younger people come for a romantic get away and they walk into the front room. They immediately see how special this place is, and they just appreciate the detail. That is why we do it. That's what history is all about. We need to keep passing it down.”
Young or old, Betty is full of suggestions for visitors from out of town. “I always joke and say you really don't have to wait in line anywhere here because there's so many good places to eat. Lots of our guests enjoy that Commander's Palace is right down the street. There's also this little place called Apolline on Magazine Street which is in a neighborhood house. The food is so good and it is so charming and stylish, I love going there.”
Betty’s daughter Kate is 17, and a senior in high school, but she’s already getting involved with running the house. “On the weekends, she really enjoys talking to the guests and she helps me with a lot of things. I also have a huge amount of help from Erica Henry Clark, our manager, who has been with us 17 years this year. She loves this house and knows all the nooks and crannies. Whenever I’m not sure about something, she'll know exactly where it is and how it works.”
Generations of strong women running one of the city’s most inviting bed and breakfast properties, and doing it with grace and style - Emily Post and Olive Andrews Johnson would be proud.
Click here for The Grand Victorian website
Interview by Paul Oswell
It goes without saying that you have to be a hospitable person to be a bed and breakfast inn host. Otherwise, every new guest would seem like new torment and you'd be reassessing your life choices pretty quickly. Hosts display their hospitality in different ways - by sharing their local knowledge, by making incredible breakfasts or going the extra mile to make visitors at home. For Betty Rabe, owner and host of the beautiful Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inn, though, hospitality has been a way of life her whole career - a career that didn’t include B&Bs until very recently.
The house itself stands out as a property, even on St Charles Avenue. It’s a huge, striking Queen Anne Victorian building that dates back to 1893. It epitomizes classic, timeless New Orleans elegance, all porches and balconies and columns. Its interior 7,600 sq ft boasts gorgeous period furnishings that pay homage to its long history. “This house has a history of very strong women at the helm,” says Betty. “Back in the early 1900s after the death of her husband, Olive Andrews Johnson managed the place along with running the family businesses.”
In 1998, another strong woman, Betty’s sister Bonnie, completed a renovation on the house that shaped it into the delightful inn that you see today. Sadly, Bonnie passed and in 2020, Betty had a choice to make about whether or not she wanted to take over. “If you would've asked me a few years ago (about running a BnB), I would've said no,” says Betty. “I was just living my life, and when Bonnie passed I was in charge of the estate. Then something just told me that it wasn't time to sell, and that I needed to just stick with it a bit more.”
Some extra renovations were required after damage sustained during Hurricane Ida, but Betty was now running the Grand Victorian. Once you appreciate how qualified she is for the task, it’s easier to understand how well she took to the challenge. Betty had not only worked for American Airlines and the Ritz Carlton in public-facing roles that had honed her hospitality skills, but she’s also one of the few people to have graduated from The Emily Post Institute.
“Yes, I was lucky to have the opportunity,” she says. “I'd always been interested in etiquette and hospitality, after all, true southern charm is about making people feel comfortable in your presence. It's just something that I enjoy. I love customer service and the little details that make things special, so it all came fairly easily.”
How were those first few weeks or few months, though? “I was lucky,” says Betty. “A friend of my sister's, Hoyt Dottry, had been down here running the B&B while Bonnie was sick and ended up staying about five years. I learned a lot from him and all of his many years of experience in innkeeping. So I had some great help at the start. There are still times that I still get a little flustered, but the other amazing innkeepers in the area help me and I really feel like I’m learning every day.”
Having so much experience, Betty is tuned into the idiosyncrasies of each guest. “We just had a lovely older gentleman stay with us and he was very much into woodwork, and he just loved all the original fixtures. I had a whole lesson on the flooring and what part of the tree each piece of wood came from. It was amazing!”
It’s not all from the older generations, either. “What really makes my heart sing is when younger people come for a romantic get away and they walk into the front room. They immediately see how special this place is, and they just appreciate the detail. That is why we do it. That's what history is all about. We need to keep passing it down.”
Young or old, Betty is full of suggestions for visitors from out of town. “I always joke and say you really don't have to wait in line anywhere here because there's so many good places to eat. Lots of our guests enjoy that Commander's Palace is right down the street. There's also this little place called Apolline on Magazine Street which is in a neighborhood house. The food is so good and it is so charming and stylish, I love going there.”
Betty’s daughter Kate is 17, and a senior in high school, but she’s already getting involved with running the house. “On the weekends, she really enjoys talking to the guests and she helps me with a lot of things. I also have a huge amount of help from Erica Henry Clark, our manager, who has been with us 17 years this year. She loves this house and knows all the nooks and crannies. Whenever I’m not sure about something, she'll know exactly where it is and how it works.”
Generations of strong women running one of the city’s most inviting bed and breakfast properties, and doing it with grace and style - Emily Post and Olive Andrews Johnson would be proud.
Click here for The Grand Victorian website