The Roosevelt Hotel, reborn as a Waldorf Astoria Collection® Hotel, celebrates the one-year anniversary of the property reopening following the completion of a $170 million restoration in July 2009.
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.
During its first year of operation, The Roosevelt New Orleans served as the backdrop for a number of prominent meetings and conventions, performances and city-wide celebrations.
The Roosevelt’s celebrated grand opening hosted thousands of locals and visitors, and included special performances by some of New Orleans’ most beloved performers, including Irma Thomas, the Neville Brothers and Allen Toussaint. The world famous Blue Room returned as a destination for entertainment by welcoming clarinetist Pete Fountain to christen the venue, followed by a special performance of “The Kingfish” with actor Spud McConnell.
“This hotel truly represents the flavor and passion of New Orleans with the international appeal and significance of the Waldorf Astoria brand,” said General Manager Tod Chambers. “We appreciate the support this community has given since we reopened 12 months ago. We look forward to continuing to provide our partners, vendors, owners and guests with incredible memories at this legendary hotel for years to come.”
Boasting more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, The Roosevelt played host to nearly 300 groups during the past year. Among the first was the New Cardiovascular Horizons conference.
Most recently, The Roosevelt welcomed the world-champion New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl ring ceremony. That followed a series of celebrations at the distinguished property which included the return of the holiday lobby and Teddy Bear Tea, as well as grand opening celebrations for venues, such as the Guerlain Spa and Rooftop Bar at The Roosevelt. Among the most popular events was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of “Stormin’ the Sazerac,” which marked the first time women were allowed in the Sazerac Bar.
For more information on The Roosevelt New Orleans, visit www.therooseveltneworlens.com. Memories of The Roosevelt can be logged at the hotel’s blog site: www.therooseveltneworleans.com/blog.
