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The Roosevelt New Orleans is a 504-room Waldorf Astoria hotel with roots dating to 1893 when it opened as the Hotel Grunewald. The property combines historic character with significant event facilities, including meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 2,200 guests, and is known for its bars and public spaces that reflect a century of New Orleans cultural history.
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The Roosevelt began as the Hotel Grunewald, a 200-room property designed by Milwaukee architect Armand Koch that opened in December 1893. In 1908, the Grunewald Annex tower—a 14-story, 400-room expansion designed by the architectural firm Toledano & Wogan—opened on January 1, adding dining and entertainment facilities including the Forest Grill, The Lounge, The Fountain Grill, and The Cave.
The hotel was renamed The Roosevelt Hotel on October 31, 1923, in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, following its acquisition by a business group headed by Joseph, Felix, and Luca Vacarro. A third tower on Baronne Street, 16 stories tall, opened on October 1, 1925. Under the leadership of Seymour Weiss, who rose from barber shop manager to managing director, the hotel underwent extensive renovations in the 1930s, including the creation of the Grand Ballroom—then the largest meeting room in the city—and the opening of the Blue Room on December 31, 1935.
The hotel's bar program reflects its role in New Orleans nightlife. The Sazerac Bar opened on August 1, 1938, featuring a mahogany bar, walnut-paneled walls, and murals by Paul Ninas. In 1949, Weiss purchased the name 'Sazerac Bar' and relocated it to a new venue on Baronne Street on September 26, 1949; the bar was later transferred to its Main Bar location in 1959, where it remains.
The Blue Room, which opened in 1935, served as a premier music venue for decades, hosting performers including Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Sammy Kaye, and Guy Lombardo. The Fountain Lounge opened on September 1, 1938. The Cave, one of the Annex's original entertainment spaces, was designed to evoke a cavern, complete with waterfalls, stalactites, glass-topped tables, and statues of gnomes and nymphs.
The hotel expanded significantly in 1954 when Weiss negotiated the lease of seven floors in the newly completed Shell Building on Common Street, bringing the total to 900 rooms. This allowed for the creation of the International Room, which can accommodate as many as 2,200 guests for a single event. A new banquet kitchen was built on the same level in 1955 and continues to service all meetings and events in the hotel.
The Roosevelt occupies a block-long presence in the Central Business District, with its historic buildings and recent wings spanning multiple addresses on Baronne Street and University Place. The property's location has made it a gathering point for civic events and celebrations, including an annual Christmas decoration tradition on its lobby block that has become a recognized local icon.
Editorial verification: The Roosevelt New Orleans is affiliated with Waldorf Astoria; this was confirmed on the brand's own website or hotel list, and the hotel was matched to its official website by our editorial board.
The original Hotel Grunewald opened in December 1893. The property was renamed The Roosevelt Hotel on October 31, 1923.
The Roosevelt is managed by Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts.
Notable venues include the Sazerac Bar (opened 1938, featuring mahogany bar and Paul Ninas murals), the Blue Room (opened 1935, a former premier jazz venue), and The Cave (an original Annex entertainment space designed to resemble a cavern with waterfalls and stalactites).
Yes. The International Room can accommodate up to 2,200 guests for a single event, and a dedicated banquet kitchen built in 1955 services all hotel meetings and events.
The hotel has 504 rooms across its various towers and wings.
During the 1930s, U.S. Senator Huey P. Long used a 12th-floor suite as his Louisiana headquarters. Author Arthur Hailey resided at the hotel for two months in 1964 and later used it as the basis for his book.
The Roosevelt New Orleans is affiliated with Waldorf Astoria; this was confirmed on the brand's own website or hotel list, and the hotel was matched to its official website by our editorial board.
The Roosevelt New Orleans is in New Orleans, United States. Address: Central Business District, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
| Location | New Orleans, United States |
|---|---|
| Address | Central Business District, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Brand / alliance | Waldorf Astoria |
| Official website | waldorfastoria3.hilton.com |
| Area guide | New Orleans luxury hotels |
| Verified | by the editorial board |
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roosevelt_New_Orleans
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hotel data: Wikidata (CC0), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), official websites.
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