By Jeanni Ritchie
In the late 1920s the opulent, full service Heidelberg Hotel had an underground tunnel which connected it to the smaller King Hotel across the street. The tunnel was used by service people to take care of guests in the manner in which they’d become accustomed. Adorned with ornate mosaic tiles it was later dubbed Peacock Alley and wildly used by hotel guest and clientele, including one Huey P Long.
Long worked and stayed at the Heidelberg throughout his career as a Louisiana governor and US senator, often using the tunnel as an escape from the media frenzy that often plagued him. Rumor has it he’d also sneak through the tunnel to meet his mistress, secretary Alice, undetected.
The underground tunnel remained, its secrets buried along with its visitors until reconstruction and a $70 million renovation in 2006 reopened the Heidelberg as Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center.
In 2010 the King Hotel reopened as the IHG Hotel Indigo, the renovations not extending to the tunnel below. But the Hilton had restored the underground tunnel to all its clandestine glory creating a speakeasy like no other. With a dress code, full bar and appetizers, and special events, The Tunnel gives a true flapper vibe, beginning with a special code to access entry.
I spent a weekend at the Hilton earlier this year. It was late spring, and the weather had just turned warm enough to spend my days next to the gorgeous rooftop pool overlooking the Mississippi River below. I also spent time walking from my hotel to many downtown attractions, including the Old Governor’s Mansion, The Shaw Center for the Arts, the Old Capitol Building, and the Rhorer Plaza, which was hosting the annual LifeFest Prayer Revival.
Late each evening I returned to my 8th floor room, upscale comfort with antique touches, modern amenities, and a bed I could almost melt into. But in between my days of walking and relaxing by the pool and nights of collapsing into a cocoon of white linen, I spent my evenings in the underground speakeasy, the aptly titled The Tunnel.
Friday night was Comedy Night and we were treated to a lineup of local comedians by Black Dress Productions. The Tunnel also hosts Gin Joint Jame nights where live music takes center stage.
I went back Saturday night, a regular evening at the speakeasy. The low-key vibe was just a hang, couples, groups, and even solo adventurers like myself enjoying conversation, appetizers, drinks, and games while also exploring the tunnel. We read secret love notes hidden in the corridor and found literal skeletons in the closets. I tasted tasso for the first time on the Louisiana charcuterie board and sipped on a soda. What would be a basic evening under fluorescent lighting on the ground floor becomes extraordinary underground with mood lighting!
Special scavenger hunt evenings help guests find clues and solve mysteries while theme nights like the recent Girls Night Out have themed cocktails and games.
There’s always an exciting event going on at The Tunnel. Sign up at thetunnelbr.com to receive all the latest news and special offers on this cool underground speakeasy.
Visit hilton.com/en/hotels/
Jeanni Ritchie is a Louisiana native who is making up for sleeping through high school history classes by learning all she can now. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
