The New Orleans hotel scene continues to
regain its footing, with two new hotel openings and a rebranding.
The Hilton New
Orleans/St. Charles Avenue, in the central business district on the
site of the former Hotel Monaco, began accepting reservations last
month after undergoing $11 million in renovations.
The rehab has
resulted in "the Crescent City's newest, upscale, premier hotel
experience," according to Andy Hearon, director of marketing. "This
hotel is reminiscent of the luxury hotels of the past, the ones
that made New Orleans famous."
The 250-room
hotel is housed in a landmark 1926 high-rise building that
originally served as a Masonic temple.
Woodwork and
other design details dating from the 1920s -- including original
chandeliers; marble floors and walls; and handcrafted, inlay tile
ceilings -- have been preserved and restored.
Over on Lake
Pontchartrain, just across the city line, the new, 16-story New
Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway has opened with 220
rooms.
Rooms are the
first in the New Orleans area to feature Marriott's Room That Works
concept for business travelers. Rooms come with 32-inch plasma TVs
that interface with laptops. There are connectivity panels for
PDAs, DVDs and iPods.
Rooms feature
bedding with 300-thread-count sheets, extra pillows, duvets and
mattress toppers. Dining-wise, the Marriott is home to a French
bistro, Bistro 38 by Dominique, and Perks, a cafe serving Starbucks
coffees and products.
Back in New
Orleans proper, Interstate Hotels and Resorts announced it is
reflagging the 15-month-old Riverfront Hotel as the Wyndham
Riverfront New Orleans.
The 202-room
hotel is part of the $43 million Wyndham Riverfront New Orleans
project and sits between the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and
Harrah's New Orleans Casino.
To contact Destinations editor Kenneth Kiesnoski, send
e-mail to [email protected].