De la Bleau B&B is a two-building property located in Mandeville, Louisiana, right up the street from Lake Pontchartrain on the north shore. Across the lake and 35 minutes from New Orleans, which is known for its round-the-clock nightlife, Mandeville is a place where guests can enjoy rest and recreation.
Open year-round, the de la Bleau B&B is owned by Cindy and Clyde Touchtone, who describe it as having "the old charm of the neighborhood" yet maintaining features and qualities inherent to the twenty-first century. The building has five rooms that guests can stay in, namely the Bleau Room and Orange Room which are both downstairs, the Vert Room, and the Simply Suite, which are both upstairs. Finally, there is the Lake Loft Apartment, which is a two-story full single-bedroom apartment. Spaced throughout the two buildings on the property, the five rooms are all unique in their décor and layout.
The Bleau Room, decorated blue and teal, can accommodate up to 2 guests, has a tiled walk-in shower and a queen-sized bed. The Orange Room, which has an orange theme, can accommodate four people with its king bed and pull-out sleeper couch and also boasts a double vanity and shower-tub combination. The Vert Room, light green in its décor, has a king-sized bed and a lakeside porch complete with tables and chairs. Guests staying in the Simply Suite can also relax on the patio overlooking Lake Pontchartrain, as well as in their own living area with a dining table, full-sized refrigerator, and sink. This room, which has a purple and blue theme, can accommodate four people with its king-sized bed in the separated bedroom and a pull-out queen sleeper in the living area.
As stated above, the Lake Loft Apartment, which can accommodate four people in its green and blue ornamented rooms, is a full-sized apartment that has two floors. Complete with a private living area, half bath, and full kitchen on the main floor, guests can also enjoy the large porch with its view of the lake and New Orleans beyond. A spiral staircase leads to the upper floor bedroom that has its own full bath and king-sized bed. Each room's amenities include closets, refrigerators, microwaves, dinette sets, coffee pots, wireless internet, HDTV, room safes, blow dryers, ironing boards, and irons, as well as a lakeside view of Lake Pontchartrain.
Described by a few visitors as a convenient place for rest and recreation, there are many things that guests can enjoy doing in the area near de la Bleau B&B. Beyond being in a location where people can participate in the many festivals of the area like Mardi Gras, there is the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas that hosts a display of animals, such as alligators, penguins, seahorses, manta rays, and more. Guests can go to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum to learn about Louisiana's waterways and look at old artifacts pertaining to boat and marine history. Also nearby is the Fontainebleau State Park, where guests can take a historical retreat in what once was a sugar plantation and now has nature trails, old railroad tracks, playgrounds, and a beach. Many guests may also find themselves on Lake Pontchartrain itself, boating, fishing, playing, or kayaking or canoeing in bayous nearby.
Cindy and Clyde Touchtone are the original owners and the builders of the de la Bleau B&B. They strive to create an environment where their guests can feel as if they are in a "home away from home." As only adults are allowed to stay at the B&B, Cindy talks about how it's a good place for couples to come for pleasure or for people to go for business and enjoy a relaxing and recreational stay. Many guests have mentioned how clean the de la Bleau B&B is, something Cindy talks about taking great pride in. Visitors also appreciate the location of the property because of all the places to go, activities to do, and places to eat, all within walking distance.
One guest, in particular, gave the following review on their website: "Our room had a king-size bed, microwave, and mini-fridge. We had a continental breakfast on the weekdays and a full course breakfast on weekends. I especially loved the sugar-cured slab bacon. The owners were extremely friendly."
Cindy serves breakfast on the weekends. Besides the "sugar-cured slab bacon," breakfast also includes French toast, blueberry & banana pancakes, hashbrown quiche, country sausage, bagels, cinnamon raisin toast, fresh fruit, grits, and milk, juice, and coffee. Each room is also provided with a gift basket that includes various refreshments and snacks that the guests may enjoy during their stay, such as popcorn, breakfast bars, chips, cookies, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, and grits.
Cindy tells how the town of Mandeville is known for its weddings, a place where couples come to get married, bringing their families and friends. In fact, one of the features the de la Bleau B&B offers for its patrons is bridal accommodations. Beyond this, the town is known to be a quiet place, having a town-wide curfew at 10:00 pm and a place where people can rest and participate in recreational activities. There are also many shops where visitors can go to browse local goods as well a market on Saturday where guests may peruse to their liking.
De la Bleau B&B has been in business for five years, having been established in 2016. Cindy, one of the co-owners with her husband Clyde, was a bus driver for 34 years before she and her husband entered the lodging industry. Cindy tells how she loved staying at all different types of bed and breakfasts because it felt like home away from home. And when she and her husband found the premises in Mandeville, Louisiana, right next to Lake Pontchartrain, they thought it would be a perfect place for a B&B and a great experience. As such, Cindy drew up the plans for the de la Bleau B&B herself, and then she and her husband built it together, becoming the contractors for the construction and the eventual owners after its establishment.
124 Lafitte St
Mandeville, Louisiana
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Cindy & Clyde Touchtone
