Omaha's Magnolia Hotel

It had been awhile since we had needed to stay overnight in Omaha, Nebraska. Most of our trips to visit our son are simple day jaunts, with a two hour trip from Des Moines in the morning, some kind of Omaha fun in the afternoon, dinner at a good restaurant, and a return drive home in the later evening. He lives in a loft in the Old Market area, which does not accommodate old parents, so we simplify things by just driving home. But the invitation to spend the Easter weekend with him was too good to pass up, so we made arrangements to stay at a hotel on his recommendation. He had been inside the lobby and restaurant area of the fairly new Magnolia Hotel (www.magnoliahotels.com) in downtown Omaha and thought it looked cool. When I checked out the website, I was impressed by the reasonable prices and the boutique look of the place.

We arrived in Omaha in the early afternoon, in time to join him for lunch at a small local place called Q Consumables on the south side of town. It was a lovely and filling lunch (Bananas Foster French toast), which we followed by a short nap at his apartment. We decided to inform and entertain ourselves by taking in a documentary about New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham at the Filmstreams independent movie theater, near the huge QWest Center. Then it was time to eat again---we celebrated his recently acquired new job with a fabulous dinner at The BoilerRoom restaurant in the Old Market area, within strolling distance of his apartment. Finally it was time for us to turn in at the Magnolia Hotel.

The hotel is in the old Aquila Court building at 1615 Howard Street, near the Orpheum Theater. The motif is, guess----magnolias! There was a very subtle scent of the heady blossom in the lobby, the light fixtures resembled the flower and the decor evoked the lush and gracious feel of its southern origin. We found our room to be clean, comfortable and completely adequate. The furniture was dark modern wood, with sleek lighting and marble and tile fixtures in the bathroom. Being an old building, the ceilings were high and the windows were large and airy. We had a most comfortable night, followed by a light complimentary breakfast with both hot and cold selections in the restaurant/lounge area of the lobby. For an additional fee we could have had a custom created omelette, which we didn't as we were still full from the bacchanalian feast we had enjoyed at the BoilerRoom. We explored the lobby on our way out and found a huge ballroom connected by an atrium to an outdoor tiled courtyard strung with lights and obviously meant to accommodate large parties. We decided it would be a gorgeous place for a wedding reception or other special occasion.

The rest of our day was taken up by an Easter morning church service and a wonderful brunch served by our son's girlfriend at her adorable house in an older part of Omaha. Though we both lived in the area for a number of years, we always feel we discover something new on our jaunts there. It is wonderful to have a local guide who knows all the best places to eat and relax and be entertained.