New Hotel Toussaint to bring Parisian Flair to North Commerce Development brought back to life after years of dormancy. North Commerce Street in downtown St. Francisville is buzzing!
Trendy retail stores offer fashion-forward looks. A charming events center welcomes weddings, conventions and concerts. A pizzeria and brew pub will soon open to serve families, friends and visitors. And later this month, overnight guests will begin booking rooms in the stylish new Hotel Toussaint.
All this is happening on the three-acre block at the intersection of North Commerce and Ferdinand Streets, thanks to a winning combination of community vision and relationship banking.
“This is where a relationship bank makes a difference," says Carter Leak IV, President and CEO of Bank of St. Francisville
The $10 million development was set in motion a few years ago when Susan and Don Charlet bought the bulk of the site and relocated their nationally known home decor and furniture store, The Corbel, there, renovating a badly dilapidated building in the process. Part of a larger vision to transform the block into a Magnolia Market-inspired development, they also opened the clothing boutiques, Barlow Fashion and Deyo Supply Company, and The Mallory event center.
Their new inn, Hotel Toussaint, opens this month. Its eight suites adding timeless luxe flair to the high-end accommodation options already available in the heart of downtown. Demonstrating the spirit of cooperation evident among local merchants, the hotel will be managed and operated by the St. Francisville Inn across the street.
Like all the businesses now calling North Commerce home, the hotel was made possible with funding support from Bank of St. Francisville, which saw the long-term value of the development to the community. BSF worked with the Charlets and other business owners to identify loan solutions that would help bring each project to successful completion.
“This was really about doing whatever we needed to do to figure out how to make these projects go,” said Bank of St. Francisville President and CEO Carter Leak IV. “We have relationships with the people behind these businesses, and we believe in their vision and their ability to execute it.”
BSF partnered with Louisiana Economic Development to leverage their Loan Guaranty Program, which can be used to develop projects that are spurring economic development. This program helped secure funding for the Charlets to develop Hotel Toussaint. Complex and detailed, such loans require significant time and expertise from lending institutions.
“This is where a relationship bank makes a difference,” said Carter. “We knew how important this was for St. Francisville and these families and we are committed to working alongside these businesses to make it happen.”
Don Charlet and daughter-in-law Lauren Charlet collaborated on the Hotel Toussaint’s interior and exterior designs. Steeped in French antiques, the luxury inn evokes the beauty and romance of a Parisian hotel, the two say.
Guest rooms are outfitted with bespoke details—intricate crown molding, paneled walls, marble, brass fixtures and gilded mirrors. The color palette is straight out of old world Paris. A walled courtyard ensures guests’ privacy and delivers an intimate sense of separation from the comings and goings outside.
Each suite and common space features unique furnishings—there’s nothing mass market here. And guests can purchase anything they like—from décor to furnishing to linens—via a room catalog or QR code, Lauren noted.
“It’s almost an extension of our showroom at The Corbel,” she said. “There’s a mix of our beautiful antiques as well as modern pieces. It really reflects who we are.”
Best of all, hotel guests can enjoy a range of experiences right at their doorstep, from retail therapy at Barlow, Deyo and other St. Francisville shops, to events at the Mallory, to a delectable meal at the forthcoming Big River Pizza Company and Bayou Sara Brewing Company, both of which open soon.
With accommodations in high demand in West Feliciana Parish, Don says the family was pleased to add another hotel to the community.
“We want to keep visitors in town longer,” he said. “It’s great for everyone’s business.”
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