Recent visitors, Seth Varner and Jack McGonigal stopped in for a visit.  As Seth shared his Facebook post:

“Believe it or not, it between all of our restaurant reviews, attraction tours and everything else, sometimes we need to take a break and find a good place to rest up! We had the opportunity to step back in time and stay at the charming Orleans Hotel Bed & Breakfast.”

This place is a true hidden gem and time capsule. Everything throughout the hotel (with the exception of modern heating and A/C and new windows) has remained era-correct since its construction in 1929. Every room is fully furnished with antiques and a comfortable bed that features a homemade quilt. Some of the rooms even have “themes,” such as the Angel and the Gold room boasting antiques that correspond with the theme. There is a modernized bath with a shower available, and there are 3/4 bathrooms (with tubs) scattered throughout the floor. There are 22 total rooms throughout the hotel as well as meeting areas. Hunters often flock to the hotel in the Fall, and there are frequent meetings and parties held there as well.

I had the pleasure of meeting the present hotel owners, Marilyn and David Snodgrass, during my original trek to Nebraska’s 531 incorporated communities in 2020. The duo purchased the hotel in May of 2014 and has worked hard to restore it to its original charm and make Orleans a destination location. They participated in the 2021 Nebraska Passport Program and welcomed in a whopping 4,000 guests this last summer, and shortly before that, they worked with the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board to get the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Thanks to the Snodgrass couple for all of the fun conversation time and for making us a tasty breakfast of French toast, sausage, fruit cups, and orange juice! Everything was wonderful. This hotel would not be what it is today without all of your hard work and dedication.

The Orleans Hotel has copies of the Visit531Nebraska book for sale — it’s the ultimate guide to Nebraska’s 531 incorporated communities. It tells you how every town got its name, gives ideas on things to do everywhere in the state and features thousands of photos from every one of Nebraska’s incorporated communities.

These two college students were finishing up a “project” that took them to all 531 incorporated villages across Nebraska. They have written a book about their Cornhusker Journey and invite all of you to come along with them again through their interactive journal. You can purchase their book at Visit531Nebraka.com to help them continue promoting small-town tourism. Every purchase allows Seth & Austin to keep supporting local businesses like the Orleans Hotel. The book will give you great ideas of places to visit, eat, learn history, see attractions, and much more in Nebraska!

You can also find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/Visit531Nebraska