Return of the Roosevelt

Great news via a press release I received today. The opening is set for this coming spring:

FAMED ROOSEVELT HOTEL IN NEW ORLEANS BEING REBORN
AS WALDORF=ASTORIA COLLECTION PROPERTY

NEW ORLEANS – Oct. 9, 2008 – The revered Roosevelt Hotel name – which for nearly a half-century meant the finest luxury accommodations, entertainment and dining, as well as world-famous beverages and celebrities – is returning to New Orleans, reborn as a Waldorf=Astoria Collection® Hotel.

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.

The grand hotel will reopen in late spring 2009 with 505 rooms, of which 125 will be luxury suites, some named for celebrities who once visited the hotel; signature fine-dining and cocktail venues; an entertainment space guaranteed to rival any other in the Gulf South; state-of-the-art meeting and convention rooms; and a 12,000-square-foot, world-class spa and fitness center.

And the news everyone really wants to know:

Key among plans to restore the property to its previous grandeur and appeal will be the reopening of the hotel’s famed Blue Room and legendary Sazerac Bar.

In the golden era of supper clubs from the 1930s to the 1960s, the Blue Room played host to some of the best-known names in entertainment and big bands – including Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and Sonny and Cher – as well as to elaborate floor shows. With gleaming chandeliers and polished architectural details, the reopened Blue Room once again will host live entertainment that appeals to all ages.

The Sazerac Bar, a Roosevelt landmark for decades, again will serve its signature Sazerac cocktail and Ramos Gin Fizz – both invented in New Orleans and made popular worldwide by The Roosevelt – among other delights. In addition to beverages that stimulate the palate, patrons again will be able to enjoy the Art Deco-style murals and woodwork once held in awe by visitors.

5 Responses to Return of the Roosevelt

  1. Nola on October 9, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    Woot!!

  2. blathering on October 9, 2008 at 10:22 pm

    Yay! I have many fond memories of cocktails in the Sazerac. Good times

  3. Mom on October 10, 2008 at 10:47 am

    I celebrated my sixteenth birthday at the Blue Room. I believe the entertainer was Ted Lewis of “Me and My Shadow” fame. Later, Dad and I went to see our favorite group,”The Four Freshmen”.

  4. Margaret on October 10, 2008 at 12:25 pm

    YAY!

  5. Jon on November 8, 2008 at 11:55 pm

    Great to hear some really good and positive news of New Orleans. This hotel is such a landmark and it is wonderful to know it will get a “rebirth”.

    Jon at Mississippi Garden on 11-8-08

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