New Orleans' Historic Roosevelt Hotel to Become Waldorf Astoria

  • November 3, 2008
New Orleans' Historic Roosevelt Hotel to Become Waldorf Astoria
The historic downtown New Orleans property, shuttered since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, originally opened in 1893 as the Grunewald. In 1923, it was rebranded as The Roosevelt in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt and retained its distinctive moniker until the hotel changed hands in 1965 and was renamed The Fairmont. The grand hotel will reopen in late spring 2009 with 505 rooms, of which 125 will be luxury suites, some named for celebrities who once visited the hotel; signature fine-dining and cocktail venues; state-of-the-art meeting and convention rooms; and a 12,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. Other amenities designed to position The Roosevelt as a destination favored by travelers include a comprehensive business center, private dining and suite butler service, an outdoor pool and courtyard, and a specialty gift shop.

The cost of the renovation, which includes every detail from restored chandeliers to first-class accommodations, is expected to exceed $135 million, making the project one of the largest private investments in downtown New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina and one of the most significant projects in years for the city’s hospitality industry. In more than a century of operation, The Roosevelt served as the backdrop for many historic events and often made history in its own right. One of the hotel's devotees was famed Louisiana Gov. Huey Long, who spent so much time at The Roosevelt that Louisiana legend records that he even built a 90-mile highway directly from the state capitol in Baton Rouge to the hotel. The Roosevelt also is known to hotel aficionados the world over as having inspired Arthur Haley's best-selling 1965 novel “Hotel.”

Key among plans to restore the property to its previous grandeur and appeal will be the reopening of the hotel's Blue Room and legendary Sazerac Bar. In the golden era of supper clubs from the 1930s to the 1960s, the Blue Room played host to some of the best-known names in entertainment and big bands -- including Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and Sonny and Cher -- as well as to elaborate floor shows. With gleaming chandeliers and polished architectural details, the reopened Blue Room once again will host live entertainment that appeals to all ages. The hotel will feature 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the spacious 20,000-square-foot Roosevelt Ballroom and the 7,000-square-foot Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom, along with a total of 22 meeting and event rooms.

For more information, visit https://therooseveltneworleans.com/.