The Nopsi Hotel is located in the former headquarters of New Orleans Public Service Inc.
Take a walk around New Orleans' Central Business District and you're likely to step over countless iron manhole covers labeled Nopsi, an acronym for New Orleans Public Service Inc.
As the utilities company of New Orleans from 1927 to 1995, there was a time when every resident could come to its headquarters to take care of business. As a result, the Nopsi name became intertwined with everyday life in New Orleans.
After being neglected for over 30 years, the 1920s landmark building reopened to the public on July 6, as the Nopsi Hotel.
"We're trying to keep the spirit of Nopsi alive," said Brett Forshag, the hotel's director of sales and marketing. "Just because we're now a hotel doesn't mean the culture of servicing the people of New Orleans can't remain."
The building was designed by Favrot and Livaudais; Woodward Design + Build was tapped to convert it into a hotel. Though renovated, the Nopsi maintains an atmosphere of industrial elegance, immediately felt when entering the grandiose main lobby.
The architecture of the property is stunning and showcases the building's original floors and vaulted ceilings, dating to 1927. Moreover, the plasterwork has been redone using the original casting molds. Other notable decor aspects include Nopsi's original payment counters as well as 1950s memorabilia.
"We're re-creating the story, not changing it," Forshag said, "Today we're a hotel, before it was a utilities company, and we're still here to serve the public."
The nine-story hotel has 217 guestrooms with 76 suites decorated in navy accents, muted neutrals and wood furnishings.
The dining room at Public Service, one of the bar and restaurant options at the Nopsi Hotel.
The hotel offers several exceptional dining and bar options, such as Public Service, an upscale restaurant featuring a menu of inventive Southern classics, raw bar and open-flame rotisserie; Above the Grid, a chic rooftop pool and bar with a view of the city that features cabana service during the day and live entertainment at night; and UnderCurrent Bar and Patio, a casual yet refined bar, located in the hotel lobby.
The Nopsi also has over 14,000 square feet of meetings space, with its most impressive space being the Dryades Ballroom. Previously a repair shop for electrical transformers, it features large arched windows and a 30-foot-high ceiling and maintains the room's 24-foot-high crane and tracks.
The Nopsi Hotel is within walking distance of the French Quarter as well as the Warehouse District, which is home to countless art galleries, boutiques, museums and music venues.
Rates for the Nopsi Hotel New Orleans, a Salamander Hotel, start at about $280 per night. Visit www.nopsihotel.com.