Having grown up in southwestern Connecticut with the Waldorf-Astoria as an icon in nearby Hew York, it's been strange to think of this grand mid-town Manhattan hotel as being part of the Hilton chain, and I'm find it even odder that there can be a Waldorf-Astoria anyplace but on the block between Park and Lex, and between 49th and 50th Streets. But my own reactions aside, I'm happy that New Orleans' revered Roosevelt Hotel (shown in an old postcard), closed since Hurricane Katrina more than three years ago, is coming back as a "Waldorf=Astoria Collection® Hotel" -- that odd-ball equal sign and trademark registration mark being the company's idea, not mine. Punctuation notwithstanding, the Waldorf-Astoria name carries a great deal of weight in the hospitality business.
The Roosevelt opened in 1893 as the Grunewald Hotel. The Cave at the Grunewald is thought by some people to have been the first nightclub in the US. In 1923, before "rebranding" had a name, it was rebranded as The Roosevelt to honor President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1965, a new owner renamed it The Fairmont, but locals still called it The Roosevelt. The renovation, reported by the Times-Picayune more than a year ago, is nearing realization and will be another important step in the city's long, difficult recovery.
When The Roosevelt reopens, planned for late spring 2009, it will have 505 rooms, including 125 luxury suites. The $135 million renovation will provide the usual bells and whistles: fine-dining and cocktail venues; "an entertainment space guaranteed to rival any other in the Gulf South"; state-of-the-art meeting and convention facilities; a 12,000-square-foot and fitness center; business center; private dining and suite butler service; outdoor pool and courtyard, and a specialty gift shop.
In more than a century of operation, The Roosevelt had its place in local history. Notorious Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long spent so much time in his suite that, according to Louisiana legend, he even built a 90-mile highway directly from the state capitol in Baton Rouge to the hotel. The Roosevelt also is known as having inspired Arthur Haley's 1965 bestseller, Hotel. People who recall that era will be thrilled about the restoration of the hotel, 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 hosted big-name entertainers, including Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Merman and Sonny and Cher. New York-born Lou Kelener led the orchestra in the Blue Room from 1945 to 1971. He died in 2000, before Hurricane Katrina devastated his adopted city, but he would surely have been pleased to see "his" Blue Room restored with gleaming chandeliers and polished architectural details. The Sazerac Bar again will serve its signature Sazerac and Ramos Gin Fizz, two cocktails invented in New Orleans and popularized by The Roosevelt.
The Roosevelt is located at Baronne Street near Canal Street just outside the French Quarter. Stay tuned for a phone number and other details.
