Blushing Mermaid (Waterdeep)

The Blushing Mermaid was a tavern, inn, and festhall in Waterdeep circa the. It was well-known for its luxurious atmosphere, privacy, and unique dining with merfolk servers.

Location
This establishment was located on Net Street in the Dock Ward, just one door up from Dock Street.

Structure
The Blushing Mermaid was a converted villa  that consisted of three two- and three-story connected buildings. The lowest level was connected to a series of well-secured secret tunnels once used for smuggling. The merfolk staff used these to commute to work, swimming in from the harbor and exiting the same way when their shift was over.

Interior
The rooms were luxuriously appointed and each one was a suite composed of a reception area that could also be an office, a private bedroom, and a private bathroom. The common areas were partitioned with thin curtains and had many cushions for comfortable lounging. The carpets were thick and sound-absorbent. The main attraction was a large heated pool filled with scented water where guests could soak while being served food and drink by mermaids and mermen.

It was a well-known fact that the Blushing Mermaid was riddled with secret passages. Nearly every room had a sliding panel in the wall, but they were spell-locked so only Lady Alathene or a trusted staff member carrying one of four enchanted silver hands could operate them. Guests seldom if ever managed to circumvent Lady Alathene's spells.

Atmosphere
The Blushing Mermaid was a refuge from the loud and noisome harbor. Many hanging lamps gave off pleasant scents and warm amber glows. The plush carpets and gauzy curtains made cozy nooks for socializing between guests and escorts. All the wait staff, maids, and escorts (and even Lady Alathene herself ) wore black masks made of thin, light metal with black veils to hide their faces, adding an air of mystery. Even more macabre was the spiral staircase that wound from the main dining pool room up to a rooftop greenhouse or garden under a glass cupola. The railings and risers were decorated with human bones affixed by thin wire.

Services
A typical room at the Blushing Mermaid rented for 5 gold pieces per night, but the rate varied by size and the distance from the ground floor, ranging from 3 gp for a small upper room to 9 gp for a large room lower down. The tenday rate was anywhere from 10 to 50 gp, but a typical room was 20 gp. For this price, the scents in the room were adjusted to the renter's choice, fresh linens were provided for the asking, and a seemingly unlimited supply of clean, scented bath water was available.

The kitchens specialized in seafood and whole roast pig. Volothamp Geddarm, the author of many guidebooks, noted that the food was too lightly seasoned for his taste and fairly expensive. A meal ran 1 to 3 gp per person and did not include a drink. Beer could be had for 2 copper pieces per tankard, zzar was 1 silver piece per glass, and wine from the extensive cellar ranged from 1 to 22 gp a bottle.