The Pearl Hotel on the corner of North Beach Boulevard has only amplified its iridescence with a few more amenities since opening in late 2020.
It’s been almost three years since the Pearl opened its doors to the public, a brand new hotel which has positively changed the face of downtown Bay St. Louis. New Orleans-based firm Trapolin-Peer Architects took a parking lot owned by local land developer Cure Co. and transformed it into an upscale, 59-room boutique hotel replete with event space, a lush, green courtyard, and a pool with private cabanas.
Ideally situated across from the Municipal Harbor with a commanding view of the Gulf, one would think the hotel’s location couldn’t get any better, but lo and behold, over the past few years things have only been looking shinier for the Pearl, its guests, and residents of the surrounding community. Though it might not be the most glamorous, the recent addition of parking lot designated for hotel guests and visitors has elicited much ado from denizens in the area.
“The parking lot has been our latest revelation,” laughs Sarah Cure Clark, the Pearl’s co-owner and sales manager, “It’s was a much-needed addition for the hotel and the community.” As one might imagine, a hotel with the Pearl’s luster attracts business travelers and tourists seeking to stay the weekend (or longer) in BSL. The new lot considerably eased demand on limited commercial and residential street parking in the area.
A next-door gift, apparel and sundries shop dubbed The Reef at Pearl Hotel is another exciting new addition that launched just last year. Along with clothing and hats sporting the hotel’s logo, the Main Street shop also features prints of Billy Solitario’s (https://billysolitario.com/) paintings which decorate the lobby, halls and rooms of the Pearl. “We have beautiful prints of Solitario’s paintings available,” says Clark, “We just recently added them to The Reef’s online store.” https://thereefbsl.com/
The Reef started in the hotel’s intimate lobby in an attempt to meet the needs of guests. “Our visitors kept asking for travel items like sunscreen and toothpaste,” says Clark. “The shop was just a natural progression.” Instead of sending guests several miles away to convenience stores, they now only need to pop into The Reef around the corner for stylish solutions such as sun-blocking lifeguard hats from Hemlock Hat Co., flip flops and totes by Havaianas, and sun screen and lip balm by Sun Bum. Items like custom-made oyster knives, hand-painted oyster shell ornaments, local oyster-shell art and jewelry made by Genevieve Henggeler make the perfect BSL souvenirs.
Finally, the Pearl’s immediate food scene has changed gears a bit with the closure of Smoke (a BBQ joint), which morphed into a breakfast spot Cosmos late last year. Waveland-native Jeff Hansell, chef and owner of the Pearl’s premier seafood restaurant Thorny Oyster, decided to make the change, as it seemed there was a greater demand. The space-themed cafe decorated with a cartoony UFO mural and other celestially-inspired ephemera delights diners with dishes of grilled shrimp and house-made kimchi, powdered sugar-laden beignets with fruity dipping sauces, grilled veggie-topped foccacia, and Bananas Foster pancakes. Cosmos also serves specialty coffee drinks – whether you like them hot, cold or frozen! – a stellar morning lift valued by locals and tourists alike.
Visit pearlbsl.com to book your next stay in Bay St. Louis!
*Article originally published June 2023 in The Shoofly Magazine
