The Roosevelt New Orleans · A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
| The Roosevelt New Orleans A Waldorf Astoria Resort | |
|---|---|
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| Hotel chain | Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts |
| General information | |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Address | 130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA 70112 |
| Opening | 1893 |
| Owner | First Class Hotels |
| Management | Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts |
| Height | 211 feet |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Toledano & Wogan |
| Developer | Louis Grunewald |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 504 |
| Number of suites | 125 |
| Number of restaurants | 3 |
| Parking | Valet |
| Website | |
| The Roosevelt New Orleans website | |
The Roosevelt New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a 504-room hotel owned by AVR Realty Company and Dimension Development and managed by Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The hotel was originally built by Louis Grunewald, a German immigrant, and opened in 1893 as "The Hotel Grunewald."
The original hotel building was six stories tall and faced Baronne Street, encompassing street numbers 123 through 135. It was built after Grunewald's Music Hall was destroyed by fire in 1862. The building housed 200 rooms and opened in December 1893 to be ready for the 1894 New Orleans Mardi Gras season. The decision to build a hotel proved to be very sound as the other major hotel in the city, the St. Charles Hotel, was destroyed by fire soon after the Grunewald opened.
As early as 1900, Grunewald began plans and eventually construction of an 'Annex' tower on the University Place side of the block. The cost of the new tower was reportedly $2,500,000 and was considered one of the finest in the country. The new tower was 14 stories tall and had 400 rooms. Its grand opening was at Midnight, January 1, 1908. This expansion was designed by the architectural firm, Toledano & Wogan. Louis Grunewald's son Theodore became the Director and Manager of the Hotel. The lobby of the Annex featured a large Italian Marble staircase which reached an overlooking mezzanine level of the hotel. The Annex Tower allowed the addition of several entertainment and dining facilities. Among the new options were the Forest Grill, The Lounge, The Fountain Grill and the most famous, The Cave. The Cave was designed to mimic a subterranean cave complete with waterfalls, stalactites, glass topped tables and statues of gnomes and nymphs. Revues similar to the Ziegfeld Follies were presented on a nightly basis.
In 1915, Theodore Grunewald became the sole owner of the hotel when his father died. He retained ownership of the hotel until early 1923 when, on his Doctor's advice, he sold all of his business interests.
In 1923, Theodore Grunewald sold the hotel to a business group headed by Joseph, Felix, and Luca Vacarro. Immediately after the purchase, the new owners put forth plans to tear down the original hotel building. build a new tower the same height as the Annex, and redesign the interior of the Annex. The Vacarro group spent $500,000 in the redesign alone, mainly redecorating and updating designs. The hotel was officially renamed the Roosevelt Hotel on October 31, 1923, in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, whose efforts building the Panama Canal had been tremendous for the city of New Orleans, financially. A ceremony was held in the Romanesque Room (now known as the Blue Room) to commemorate the name change.
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Wikipedia