Last month saw the official opening of the Higgins Hotel New Orleans. The 230-room hotel is an extension of the National WWII Museum, and "all proceeds generated will support the ongoing educational mission of the museum," according to a press release from the hotel.
Given that mission, it's unsurprising that architectural firm Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates would look to the 1940s for inspiration, but the firm also drew from art deco influences around the city, according to the press release, and interior designers Kay Lang + Associates worked alongside museum curators "to hand-select artifacts from the institution's extensive collection to incorporate into the property's aesthetic."
Those artifacts include a piano once owned by Gen. George S. Patton; the Higgins Boat Trophy presented to Gen. Arthur Trudeau, who was a specialist in amphibious warfare; and a 1943 portrait of hotel namesake Andrew Jackson Higgins, the New Orleans-based builder of the LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel) amphibious vessel, aka the "Higgins boat."
Adorning the lobby are photos depicting life in New Orleans during the war and an art deco-style mural by Michael Kungl portraying wartime factory workers against a backdrop of the New Orleans skyline. World War II-era artifacts can be found throughout the property.
WWII-inspired artwork can also be found in the hotel's rooms, which range from 360 to 600 square feet and feature minifridges, honor bars and 55-inch TVs. Also available are three Presidential Suites named after presidents Truman, Eisenhower and Roosevelt and featuring soaking tubs, kitchenettes and dining areas. All accommodations are equipped with bedside tablets for ordering in-room dining and accessing other guest services.
A guestroom at the hotel, which is an extension of the National WWII Museum.
Dining and drinking options include signature restaurant Cafe Normandie, Kilroy's bar in the lobby and Rosie's on the Roof, a rooftop bar serving specialty concoctions such as the Riveter, a rum cocktail for two served in a vintage canteen.
The hotel offers 18,000 square feet of meetings space as well as a conference center that will host various museum programs, and its location grants guests easy access to the area's more than 25 art galleries and several museums.
The Higgins Hotel New Orleans is part of Hilton's Curio collection and is the first Curio property in Louisiana. It joins Curio's upper-upscale global portfolio of nearly 80 hotels and resorts.
Nightly rates begin at $149. For more information, see www.higginshotelnola.com.