December | Insider's Guide | By D. Fran Morley
New Orleans
Promising To Give Small & Large Groups The Best
By D. Fran Morley The past 12 months have been great for New Orleans in the way of meetings business, and the city is looking forward to more big things to come, said Kelly Schulz, vice president of communications and public relations for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOMCVB). “There has never been a better time to visit New Orleans. We’re more committed than ever to making certain that your event is successful.”
The NOMCVB has offered the “New Orleans Commitment,” a pledge to be the most planner-friendly city in the country, since 2004. “But we’re taking that to new levels now,” Schultz said, adding that part of the commitment is the availability of a top-notch staff. “We have on our staff a 20-year meeting professional, Donna Karl, CMP, our vice president of client relations, and she’s our senior liaison with every one of our clients. In addition, we have a new marketing person whose job it is customize marketing plans for our clients.”
The destination is also marketing itself to both small and citywide groups through the availability of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Schultz said the facility has “completed $62 million in renovations and is more beautiful than when it opened.” The convention center, located near the French Quarter, has 140 individual meeting rooms, and 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space.
In 2007, the city hosted numerous small groups and multiple citywide events with 20,000 attendees or more, including an increasing number of corporate meetings. “Corporate America is discovering New Orleans as a meeting destination, bringing new, shorter-termed meetings business to the city,” said Stephen Perry, NOMCVB president/CEO. “Many corporations are drawn to New Orleans for the wealth of ‘voluntourism’ opportunities available during meetings to expand strategic philanthropic and branding efforts.” Corporations that brought meetings to the city recently include Whirlpool, Coca-Cola and IBM.
The city is also primed for associations, said Chris Vranas, CAE, executive director of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), adding that his group is sold on New Orleans’ present and future. “We’ve visited the city several times—once for a dental meeting—and each visit brought a marked improvement in the service levels and the city’s infrastructure.” AAO recently reconfirmed plans to bring 20,000 attendees to the city in 2014. “We believe New Orleans is better than ever.”
Schulz said that the NOMCVB realizes that negative hurricane-recovery stories are going to make news for years to come. “But we’re becoming a better, stronger city every day, and that isn’t covered in the mainstream news. We have young professionals, entrepreneurs, celebrities and major investors—they’re coming here to help make New Orleans a better place. We still have work to do, but in many ways, the city is better than it’s ever been.”
She continued to say that the city, particularly the French Quarter, is cleaner than before Katrina, has numerous restaurants, and almost every property has been renovated or upgraded. “Hilton and Marriott are investing in major upgrades at their properties. We have nearly 32,000 hotel rooms in the city now, and with all the upgrades and renovations, many of them are like brand new.”
A new development for the French Quarter was announced in November. New Orleans developers Angelo Farrell and Lee Laporte revealed plans to restore the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Renamed the Royal Cosmopolitan, the condo/hotel is set to open in fall 2009. “There are 131 condo/hotel units, and the 24 hotel rooms in the historic structure that is to be restored will function solely as hotel rooms,” said press spokesperson Jyl Benson.
Although two major hotels have not yet reopened, The Hyatt Regency and the Fairmont, there are plans for both. The Hyatt Regency, an anchor of a planned 20-acre jazz park, has been purchased for $32 million. According to Schulz, it’s expected to reopen as a Hyatt in 2009, but no details have been released.
The 500-room Fairmont Hotel has new owners and is slated to reopen as a Waldorf Astoria after $100 million in renovations, according to hotel officials. Details are not yet available.
Debra Henrickle, director of sales for the Holiday Inn French Quarter, is gearing up for renovations to the hotel’s 374 guest rooms in 2008. “We will be doing an entire redo of the bedding, bringing them up to brand standards such as pillow-top mattresses and adding elements to the bathroom like curved shower curtains.” While the hotel has no on-site meeting space, Henrickle said the property is ideal as an overflow option. “Our location one block from Bourbon Street and a half-block from Canal Street is very beneficial to groups, where transportation is less of an issue.”
Six New Orleans hotels made a list of the world’s best hotels, compiled by Expedia, one of the leading online travel companies. According to NOMCVB, the ranking was based on travelers’ reviews and value versus services. Named to the Expedia “Insiders’ Select Hotel List” are Le Pavillon, with 9,000 square feet of meeting space; the Windsor Court, which features 264 suites, 58 guest rooms and meeting space for up to 500 guests; and the 423-room W Hotel New Orleans with 10,000 square feet of event space.
The 285-room Loews New Orleans that has more than 17,000 square feet of event space is another property on the list. Diane Riche, director of sales and marketing at Loews New Orleans, said the hotel has given its outdoor reception space a facelift. “Our Piazza d’Italia is gorgeous. It’s directly adjacent to the hotel and can accommodate up to 300 people for a reception or sit-down meal.”
Also making the list, the 600-room Hotel Monteleone is set to open an additional 3,500 square feet of meeting space in spring 2008, bringing the total to 23,500, said Andrea Thornton, director of sales and marketing. “With our $70 million renovation, we started marketing to corporate meetings, which has been very successful and even more so now that New Orleans in general is seeing more of that business.”
After a February meeting at the Hotel Monteleone, Bruce MacMillan, president/CEO of Meeting Professionals International, said, “From the bell staff to the hosting and wait staff in the restaurant, everyone went out of their way to make sure that everything was just right.”
Royal Sonesta, also on Expedia’s “Insiders’ Select List,” has 500 guest rooms and a meeting capacity of 700. “Our new executive boardroom is equipped for high-level meetings with custom- made furniture, touch-screen lighting and A/V controls, and 24/7 on-site tech support,” said Mark Wilson, director of marketing. A sister property, the Chateau Sonesta, reopened in 2006 after extensive renovations, Wilson said. The hotel has 251 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of event space.
The 527-room The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans reopened in 2006 after $105 million in renovations, according to Char Schroeder, director of public relations. Housed in the historic Maison Blanche building at the edge of the French Quarter, the hotel offers 25,000 square feet of event space. Recently expanded and renovated, the 25,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa is the largest in the city.
Within The Ritz-Carlton complex are the 230-room Iberville Suites and the 75-room Maison Orleans. “The Iberville Suites was originally designed as a hotel-within-a-hotel concept and is fully housed within the main hotel,” Schroeder said. “It shares the same magnificent building as The Ritz-Carlton, but with a lower price point than the main hotel.”
The 1,329-room New Orleans Marriott recently completed a $38 million renovation with guest room updates, a new concierge lounge, a revamped lobby, a new restaurant and a redesigned grand ballroom, according to Mark Barton, director of sales and marketing. “The redesign of the lobby and guest services area has made check-in so much more efficient. We are also training all of our staff to work check in, so when big groups arrive, it can be all hands on deck.” The hotel has 80,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Hotel New Orleans (formerly Holiday Inn Select) has completed a $5.5 million renovation. “As an independent boutique hotel, we are better able to tailor our guest services to our particular market segments,” said Owner Ray A. Liuzza. Located across from the convention center, the hotel has 168 guest rooms plus two conference/hospitality suites, each with two bedrooms, three baths and living areas.
The Astor Crowne Plaza with 707 guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of event space, completed $10 million in renovations last year, said Randy Parkins, director of sales and marketing. “We now have new owners, and we expect even more upgrades, but details are not yet available.”
The Hilton New Orleans Riverside, with 1,616 guest rooms and 134,000 square feet of meeting space, is in the midst of a $66 million renovation, said General Manager Fred Sawyers. Already complete are $40 million in improvements, including the redesign of the front desk, a new guest services area with express check-in kiosks, an expanded business center, and refreshed meeting space. “These ongoing improvements are designed to complement the city’s renaissance and revitalize the 30-year-old southeastern flagship of Hilton Hotels Corporation,” Sawyer said. In 2008, the hotel will renovate all Riverside building guest rooms and enhance all main building guest rooms.
A sister property, the 250-room Hilton New Orleans St. Charles reopened in June 2007 after an $11 million renovation. Located in the Central Business District, it has 12,000 square feet of function space.
Surrounding Areas
More than two years after Hurricane Katrina struck the Crescent City, destination officials are announcing a flurry of news about the city’s hospitality sector. |
Violet Peters, president/CEO of the Jefferson Parish CVB, said the area “presents a unique opportunity in that we are so close to the downtown New Orleans area.” She continued, “Jefferson Parish is a great alternative for mid-sized events, something a little more fresh on the coast. The area offers unique venues and attractions that include Bayou Bar, a casual, open air restaurant, dance hall and catering facility, as well as a canoe/kayak rental outlet for trips into Jean Lafitte National Park to Beads by the Dozen Inc., the largest Mardi Gras supply store in the area. Metairie has our largest concentration of hotels and provides several properties for smaller conventions.”
The John A. Alario Sr. Event Center at the Bayou Segnette Sports Complex is “one of the two largest convention facilities in the area with 2,200 seats offered,” Peters said.
Just west of New Orleans in the adjacent parish of Jefferson is the city of Kenner. Sharon Solomon, director of marketing for the Kenner Convention and Visitors Bureau (KCVB), said the area is brand new. “Almost every hotel is either brand new or completely renovated. We’re the affordable New Orleans.”
The Pontchartrain Center has 70,000 square feet of convention space and fixed arena seating for more than 3,500. The center is just 2.5 miles from Louis Armstrong International Airport and is connected to the 122-room Hilton Garden Inn, which has 1,650 square feet of meeting space.
“We have some great hotels, including the 196-room LaQuinta, which is a gorgeous, totally renovated property, the Country Inn and Suites, and a Fairfield Inn and Suites that is set to begin renovations soon,” Solomon said.
Key Info · Sales Tax: 9.75 percent
· Hotel Tax: 13 percent plus a $1 to $3 occupancy charge per room, per night, based on the number of rooms per hotel. (1-299 rooms, $1; 300-999 rooms, $2; 1,000+ rooms, $3).
· Transportation: Streetcars currently operate on the Riverfront and Canal Street lines. The historic St. Charles Avenue line is expected to be fully operational next year. Airport Shuttle Inc. is the official ground transportation for Louis Armstrong International Airport with service to and from New Orleans’ hotels and other designated locations. Fare is $13 each way. |
Across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, Louisiana’s Northshore offers planners great options, said Renée Kientz, communications director for the Northshore/St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission. “We’re very convenient to U.S. Interstates 10, 12 and 59, so we’re easy to get to. We have about 2,000 hotel rooms in the parish with many convenient to our Northshore Harbor Center.” The high-tech, 50,000-square-foot Northshore Harbor Center opened in 2005 at the intersection of I-10, 12 and 59. The center can accommodate more than 2,500 people in an 18,000-square-foot main hall, multiple meeting rooms and an outdoor terrace.
According to the tourist commission, other event facilities include Castine Center, located in Pelican Park in Mandeville and offering 28,000 square feet of exhibit space, including the Feast Gallery, suitable for between 30 and 300 people, and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum with 3,500 square feet of flexible meeting space.
“Our culinary scene has just exploded,” Kientz said. “Many great New Orleans chefs have opened new restaurants here. The most noteworthy is Chef John Besh’s La Provence. Besh is a Slidell native, and he’s a great ambassador for our area. He was also a finalist for ‘Iron Chef’ on the Food Network, and we’re very proud of him.”
According to Kientz, Northshore hotels with event space include the Holiday Inn Covington, with more than 8,500 square feet of meeting space, and the Courtyard by Marriott in Covington, with four meeting rooms and a maximum meeting capacity of 200.
