The Roosevelt New Orleans and luxury spa operator Spa Chakra, Inc., today announced plans to open Guerlain Spa of the renowned Guerlain skincare brand, known worldwide for almost two centuries as a leader in beauty, at the landmark hotel in the summer of 2009.

The legendary Roosevelt is undergoing a $145-million historic restoration as the newest member of the Waldorf Astoria Collection(R). The 12,500-square-foot spa, to be located on the first floor of the hotel and accessible from both the hotel and Baronne Street, will serve hotel guests and the general public.

To further enhance its services to luxury travelers, the hotel worked with Guerlain Spa to develop an exclusive two-hour treatment that will be available to all patrons. Known as the Waldorf Imperiale, the treatment creates a cocooning experience focused on sensory renewal, with a complete body massage and facial featuring Guerlain’s age-defying Orchidee Imperiale skincare.

A historic downtown New Orleans property shuttered since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, The Roosevelt New Orleans will feature 504 rooms, of which 135 will be luxury suites, and nearly 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the spacious 20,000-square-foot Roosevelt Ballroom, 12,000-square-foot Crescent City Ballroom and 7,000-square-foot Waldorf Astoria Ballroom, along with a total of 23 distinctive meeting and event rooms. The historic Roosevelt, first opened as the Grunewald in 1893, once again will feature the famous Blue Room and the Sazerac Bar.

The spa, one of the largest and most complete in the area, will feature:

• 10 private treatment rooms, including two wet treatment rooms and six luxurious dry treatment rooms.
• A couple’s therapy suite, also the double VIP suite, so couples can experience all services in a relaxed and romantic setting. It features a private en suite bathroom with a steam shower that includes dual rain showerheads and individual controls for music and lighting for personalized experiences.
• A VIP treatment room with en suite bathroom, which includes the same luxuries as the double VIP suite.
• Vichy Shower treatments that consist of full-body exfoliations on a cushioned table with five to seven showerheads cascading water on strategic locations along the body to relax, restore and soothe muscle aches and tension.
• Hydrotherapy facilities, including a Stas-Doyer hydrotherapy tub with up to 230 jets that create a whirlpool massage designed to relieve muscle tension in six key areas of the body.
• A full-service salon offering high-end cuts and styles, as well as makeup application services.
• A pre-therapy footbath and relaxation lounge.
• An extensive retail section featuring the skincare, makeup and fragrance collections of Guerlain Paris.
• 2,300 square feet of fitness space, including a private locker room and high-end equipment.

“Treatments from Guerlain Spa will be transformed into a customized moment created for each guest, much like the overall experience our hotel guests expect,” said Tod Chambers, general manager at The Roosevelt New Orleans. “From the selection of a personal Guerlain scent to the expertise of Guerlain’s highly skilled beauty therapists, our guests and visitors will embark on a journey toward rejuvenation that can only be described as transformational.”

According to Stephanie King, Guerlain Spa brand manager, “Guerlain Spa at The Roosevelt New Orleans will offer five-star delivery of beauty and well-being treatments, including facial therapies, harmonizing massage, intensive hand and foot therapies, and dedicated men’s therapies. Each Guerlain experience is based on the signature Guerlain Methode and advanced skincare technologies. Full- and partial-day spa experiences and hotel accommodation retreat packages also will be available.”

The introduction of Guerlain Spa at the landmark New Orleans hotel is part of a 2007 agreement between Hilton Hotels Corporation; Guerlain, of French luxury-goods-group Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton; and global luxury spa operator Spa Chakra, Inc. The initiative’s first spa opened at the company’s flagship Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York in September 2008.