Situated in the heart of downtown Mobile, Alabama is the stunning Battlehouse Hotel. Known for its long history and beautiful architecture. The Battlehouse was the perfect backdrop for our visit home for Christmas this year. Dogs are welcome and we saw plenty during our visit.
When you first drive up to the Battlehouse, you are greeted by a beautiful brick exterior and friendly staff to help you unload your car. When enter the lobby, you are greeted with a beautifully decorate lobby, with stunning archways and of course, breathtaking Christmas decorations. Guests and staff alike we super excited to see Teddy as he excitedly sniffed around the lobby of this new, dog friendly spot.
The giant Christmas tree makes the pawfect backdrop for family photos or an Instagram story. You know Teddy had to stop and strike a pose! Off the lobby, there are two restaurants. The first is The Trellis room, which is known for their brunch, but they also serve dinner. The other is a more casual spot called The Joe Cain Cafe, named after Mardi Gras Icon, Joe Cain. They serve pizza and other grub.
A Room with a View
When we booked our room, we asked for a higher floor and something with a water view if possible. We were excited to see we had views of Mobile Bay when we opened our door! The room came with a comfortable king sized bed, two chairs, and a desk. We are big TV watchers, so we were thrilled to watch TV after a long day of driving.
Of course, we had to wear our matching Llama jammies from Target! Teddy HATES clothes but he was more than happy to oblige for a photo session. Perhaps this is because we went on a long walk before this!
The bathroom even included a tub! I absolutely loved the fun wallpapaer and the beautiful tile on the floors. Most importantly, the hotel was extremely quiet and our room had ample amounts of space for Teddy to run and play!
Exploring the Hotel
The hotel features several seating areas in the lobby and if you venture up to the second floor, you will find even more. I love looking at decor and I was impressed by all the cool seating choices throughout the hotel. There is a spa and pool at the hotel, as well as a tennis court. These areas were currently closed due to COVID restrictions, but I highly recommend checking them out in the future. We got to explore the pool and spa back in 2014 when we stayed here for our wedding.
The Iconic Whispering Arch
On the second floor, you will find this picture of a man with his finger to his lips, this is where you will also find The Whispering Arch. All you have to do is stand on one end of the arch and get someone else to stand on the other. Face away from each other and whisper. The person on the other end can hear you! How cool is that!
Exploring Downtown Mobile
When we travel with Teddy, one of our favorite things to do is just walk around the city we’re visiting and check out the architecture and art. Since our visit was Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and COVID restrictions are in place, many places were closed during our visit. We spent our mornings walking around downtown. About a block away from the hotel you will find Bienville Square, which is a park full of beautiful oak trees.
You will also find green space across from the Exploreum and Museum of Mobile. They had a Christmas tree that you could walk under, which was really neat! There are also various Mardi Gras statues around this area, with plaques talking about the history of Mardi Gras.
How pretty is that skyline!?
All over downtown you can find oysters painted with murals by local artists! You can also find lots of murals all around downtown. We will do a post in the future on our favorite Instagram worth murals later on.
If you keep walking, you will see a beautiful view of the courthouse and a church, but you will also stumble upon Fort Conde. If you’re from Mobile, you definitely have been here on tons of field trips as a child. The original for was built in 1723. I don’t think the actual fort is dog friendly but you can check out the grounds as you walk past.
Places to eat
Our favorite spot to eat in downtown Mobile is definitely the Spot of Tea! They are dog friendly and their outside tables overlook Cathedral Square. I highly recommend the Strawberry tea and hashbrowns!
If you are looking for something sweet, you can head to Mo’Bay Beignet Co for a little New Orleans flair. They also have tables outside where you can sit with your dog, and they even have a dog water bowl out front. This spot is a little further down Dauphin Street.
If you’re looking for some coffee or gelato, you’ve got to head to Serda’s Coffee, which is just right by the hotel.
While we were visiting, we did drive to The Mellow Mushroom. It is about 20 minutes away from downtown, but we love their pizza and don’t have one in Baton Rouge. We got our pizza to go and ate it at the hotel, but they are also dog friendly!
Shop till ya drop!
There’s a few local shops worth checking out while you are visiting. All follow COVID guidelines and do require a mask for entering at the moment.
Bienville Souvenir and Gifts was a quriky and fun gift shop located just around the corner from The Spot of Tea and Bienville Square. They sell fun Mardi Gras themed gifts. Definitely a fun spot to check out while downtown! Another dog friendly shop was the Urban Emporium on Dauphin Street. The Urban Emporium is a cool shop where local makers and businesses can house their wares. Here you will find everything from clothes and accessories, to pet accessories, locally made honey and olive oil, locally made art and jewelry and more! If you are a book lover, there’s the Haunted Book Shop. I think they are even taking private appointments right now during COVID.
Have you ever been to Mobile or Alabama? We’d love to hear!
