Hyatt Regency New Orleans

Last updated
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Hyatt Regency New Orleans hotel & conference center, front view.jpeg
Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 2023
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
General information
TypeHotel
Location601 Loyola Ave
New Orleans, LA
United States
Coordinates 29°56′58″N90°04′35″W / 29.9495°N 90.0764°W / 29.9495; -90.0764
Completed1976
Renovated2005-2011
Height
Roof361 feet (110 m)
Technical details
Floor count32
Other information
Number of rooms1,193

The Hyatt Regency New Orleans is a 32-story, 361-foot (110 m) hotel located at 601 Loyola Ave in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, US, opened in 1976. It has 1,193 guest rooms, including 95 suites. It is part of a complex of connected buildings, which includes the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, 1250 Poydras Plaza, Entergy Tower, and the Benson Tower. It was designed by Welton Becket and Associates. The Hyatt was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remained closed until 2011.

Contents

History

Broken windows on the facade of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, September 12, 2005 HyattBrokenWindowsIoerror.jpg
Broken windows on the facade of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, September 12, 2005

Hurricane Katrina damage

The hotel received extensive damage when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the city on August 29, 2005, where all of the windows of the hotel were blown out by severe winds, and water and debris were blown into the guest rooms and atrium lobby. There was feces and urine in the lobby, shattered glass everywhere, backed up toilets, and extreme heat, as the air conditioning did not work due to generator failure. [1] In response the guests were evacuated to the ballrooms, along with stranded city residents. On August 31, a convoy of food and supplies provided by Hyatt hotels in Atlanta and Houston arrived. The hotel provided shelter for New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the New Orleans Police Department and Fire Department, the Louisiana National Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Army Corps of Engineers, and some refugees who managed to sneak in from the Superdome nearby. [2] [3] On September 2, 2005, the approximately 900 hotel guests were evacuated by bus or by car; none were suffering from major illnesses or injuries. [4]

Closure and renovation

As a result of the damage sustained during Katrina, the hotel remained closed for six years. Investors including previous hotel owners Chicago-based Strategic Hotels and Resorts Inc. planned in 2006 to redevelop the area around the Superdome into a performance art park, but this was abandoned.

Rear of Hyatt hotel from Champions Square Niner Noise in New Orleans.jpg
Rear of Hyatt hotel from Champions Square

Poydras Properties Hotel Holdings acquired the Hyatt from Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. for US$32 million in 2007. [5]

On February 20, 2009, the State Bond Commission approved $225 million in special low-cost bonds to help renovate the Hyatt Regency. [6]

Hyatt in August 2010 announced a $275 million redevelopment effort. The redesign of the 32-story building included 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of meeting and exhibition space, two restaurants, two bars, and a coffee bar. [7]

The atrium of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans Interior View - Hyatt Regency New Orleans 2012.jpg
The atrium of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans

Reopening

The hotel officially reopened on October 19, 2011 with several major changes to its interior and technological additions. [8] An exhibit hall was constructed by re-purposing the hotel's old porte-cochère, or motor lobby. [9] The storm-battered area around the newly rebranded Superdome experienced major construction, renovation, and overall economic changes following Hurricane Katrina, which continued to be supported by the rebuilt Hyatt Regency. The Central Business District's post-disaster development included Champions Square, the sports district, and the Biotech District. The entrance to the Hyatt Regency also faces the newly constructed Loyola Streetcar line, which provides access to the Central Business District (CBD). including the French Quarter.

Recognition

The Hyatt Regency New Orleans work was reported by Forbes magazine as one of the Top 10 Hotel Renovations in 2012 [10] because of several notable features including its in-house restaurant. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Central Business District</span> Neighborhood of New Orleans, United States

The Central Business District (CBD) is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

<i>The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate</i> American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana

The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ancestral publications of other names date back to January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of The Times-Picayune by the New Orleans edition of The Advocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans</span>

As the center of Hurricane Katrina passed southeast of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, winds downtown were in the Category 1 range with frequent intense gusts. The storm surge caused approximately 23 breaches in the drainage canal and navigational canal levees and flood walls. As mandated in the Flood Control Act of 1965, responsibility for the design and construction of the city’s levees belongs to the United States Army Corps of Engineers and responsibility for their maintenance belongs to the Orleans Levee District. The failures of levees and flood walls during Katrina are considered by experts to be the worst engineering disaster in the history of the United States. By August 31, 2005, 80% of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15 feet (4.6 m) of water. The famous French Quarter and Garden District escaped flooding because those areas are above sea level. The major breaches included the 17th Street Canal levee, the Industrial Canal levee, and the London Avenue Canal flood wall. These breaches caused the majority of the flooding, according to a June 2007 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The flood disaster halted oil production and refining which increased oil prices worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)</span> Shopping, condo-hotels, luxury condominiums in New Orleans, LA

The Trump International Hotel and Tower was a proposed residential tower located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was a project of real estate mogul Donald Trump's Trump Organization. Supposedly in the planning stages from summer 2005 on, the project was finally declared dead in July 2011 after the location land was foreclosed on and sold at auction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakwood Center</span> Shopping mall in Louisiana, United States

Oakwood Center is a major shopping mall in Terrytown, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans metropolitan area. It was originally named "Oakwood Mall", and some signage and local usage continue to call it that. It is geographically in Terrytown, but the mailing address is adjacent Gretna, Louisiana. The anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Shoe Dept. Encore, JCPenney, and Dillard's. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benson Tower (New Orleans)</span> Skyscraper in New Orleans, LA

Benson Tower, located at 1450 Poydras Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, is a 26-story, 406 feet (124 m)-tall skyscraper. The building was purchased by late New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson on September 15, 2009 and renamed the Benson Tower. In 2012, Ochsner Health System moved executives and as many as 750 administrative employees to the top four floors as well as the 2nd and 3rd floor space with balconies overlooking Champions Square and the Caesars Superdome; second floor space is utilized for Benson's television station, Fox affiliate WVUE for the station's morning newscast, sporting events and by lease for other parties. According to Corporate Realty, which leases the 487,760 sq ft (45,314 m2) building, as of August 2012, Benson Tower is more than 97.6% leased.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheraton New Orleans</span> Hotel in LA, United States

Sheraton New Orleans is a 49-story, 490-foot (149 m) tall skyscraper that is located at 500 Canal Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sheraton is the 6th tallest building in New Orleans, and the hotel is part of Marriott International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilton New Orleans Riverside</span> Hotel in LA, United States

Hilton New Orleans Riverside, located at 2 Poydras Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, is a 29-story, 341 feet (104 m)-tall skyscraper hotel. The hotel is the city's largest hotel, containing 1,700 rooms. The hotel is owned by Park Hotels & Resorts and is managed by Hilton Worldwide as part of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts chain. A portion of the building complex overlooks the Mississippi River front. The building is connected via an enclosed pedestrian walkway with the adjacent Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, and is located next to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk</span> Shopping mall in Louisiana, United States

The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, previously known as Riverwalk Marketplace until 2014, is an outlet mall located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located along the Mississippi River waterfront, stretching from the base of Canal Street, upriver to the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, and is connected to the adjacent Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. It is owned by RockStep Capital, on land leased from the Port of New Orleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theater (New Orleans)</span> United States historic place

The Orpheum Theater is a theater in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Louisiana Superdome</span>

The Louisiana Superdome was used as a "shelter of last resort" for those in New Orleans unable to evacuate from the city when Hurricane Katrina struck on August 29, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor Court Hotel</span> Hotel in Louisiana, United States

The Windsor Court is a luxury hotel in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building rises 253 feet. It contains 23 floors, and was completed in 1984. In 2011, Travel + Leisure magazine ranked The Windsor Court as the 6th Best Large City Hotel in the United States and Canada. The Windsor Court currently stands as the 37th-tallest building in the city, and the 10th-tallest hotel. The building is an example of modern architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champions Square</span>

Champions Square is an outdoor festival plaza located adjacent to Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is known as the premier tailgating space for sports events held at the stadium and the nearby Smoothie King Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Centre</span> Shopping mall in New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans Centre was a shopping mall in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orleans Parish Prison</span> Prison in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Orleans Parish Prison is the city jail for New Orleans, Louisiana. First opened in 1837, it is operated by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. Most of the prisoners—1,300 of the 1,500 or so as of June 2016—are awaiting trial.

Judah Hertz was an American real estate investor and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Hertz Investment Group and owned many office buildings in Downtown Los Angeles, the New Orleans Central Business District and cities across the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">930 Poydras</span> Residential in Louisiana, United States

930 Poydras is a 21-story, 270.31-foot (82.4 m) residential skyscraper in New Orleans, Louisiana. Located on Poydras Street, the main thoroughfare in the city's Central Business District (CBD), it is the tallest building completed in the city in the 2010s and the first residential skyscraper completed in the city following Hurricane Katrina. Some sources affirm that the building was financed via Gulf Opportunity Zone financing that was enacted by the United States Congress to aid in the recovery from Katrina, while other sources state that alternative financing was used. The building's construction was the subject of a court battle regarding damage to surrounding buildings. Nonetheless, the building's design, which was scaled back from early plans, has won many awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poydras Street</span>

Poydras Street is a street that serves as the main artery of the New Orleans Central Business District, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The street is named for Julien de Lallande Poydras. Many of the city of New Orleans' and the state of Louisiana's tallest buildings have been built on the street since it was widened in the mid 1960s. The street also hosts several historic structures and is the boundary between two United States National Register of Historic Places districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyatt Regency Jacksonville</span> Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida

The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville, located at 225 East Coastline Drive, is a 19-story high-rise hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. With 951-rooms, it is the largest hotel in North Florida. At 233.37 ft (71.13 m), the hotel is the 23rd tallest building in Downtown Jacksonville. Sitting adjacent to the St. Johns River, visitors have access to amenity such as the Northbank Riverwalk, Florida Theatre, as well as a rooftop pool.

References

  1. A. Nesmith, Susannah (September 7, 2005). "At The Hyatt New Orleans Hotel, The Usually Mundane Becomes Luxurious". Hospitality-Net.org. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. Bergen, Kathy (December 18, 2005). "Hotel manager stood tall in the chaos all around him". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  3. "Superdome evacuation completed". NBC News. September 2, 2005. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  4. "Guests Evacuated From Hyatt Regency New Orleans". Hospitality Net. September 2, 2005. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  5. "Officials break ground on Hyatt Regency New Orleans redevelopment project". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. August 14, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  6. "GO Zone bonds approved for Hyatt renovation in CBD". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  7. "Downtown New Orleans Hotel- Hyatt Regency New Orleans Louisiana Hotels". New York, NY: Hyatt. 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  8. White, Jaquetta. "Hyatt Regency reopens this week after Hurricane Katrina". The Times - Picayune. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  9. Webster, Richard A. "The Social Renaissance series adds four new events to New Orleans' cultural calendar". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  10. Olmsted, Larry. "Top 10 Hotel Renovations: Lodging That Is Better Than Ever: Hyatt Regency reopens this week after Hurricane Katrina". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
  11. Morago, Greg. "New Orleans' new must-try restaurants". Chron.com. Retrieved April 19, 2013.