The Magnolia New Orleans Hotel completed its transformation and has come to life in New Orleans’s famous Central Business District.
Formerly, the Omni Royal Crescent Hotel, the Magnolia New Orleans is a reimagined boutique experience, just steps from the French Quarter’s world-renowned nightlife and distinguished architecture.
The property was originally built in 1863 and has stayed true to the area’s iconic history and offers a vivid reflection of the charm and mystery of New Orleans.
With its iconic 1800s era architecture, local artistic elements, flawless service and chef driven restaurant—Laurel Oak—the Magnolia New Orleans is destined to become a top destination.
“The Magnolia New Orleans is the perfect addition to this vibrant, artistic city and will strike the ideal balance for guests between modern comforts and old New Orleans mystique,” said David Mock, general manager.
“This location boasts New Orleans best music and architecture and is just close enough to the round the clock vibrancy of the French Quarter.”
Guests can stroll Bourbon Street as the sounds of famed jazz clubs, scents of Cajun cuisine and local cocktails tempt the senses. Among them is Laurel Oak, a Southern Brasserie & cocktail bar concept opening later this year adjacent to the Magnolia Hotel.
The restaurant is designed to appeal to hotel guests, locals and visitors looking for an authentic New Orleans dining experience.
Developed by Magnolia Hotels and award-winning consulting Chef Troy Guard, the concept is deeply rooted in Southern hospitality, and will feature mindfully sourced proteins and elevated Southern fare. “New Orleans is known for its tremendous food scene, so we were very careful to incorporate this vast culinary history into the menu, design and service experience,” said Chef Troy Guard.
“Laurel Oak is a restaurant for those with pure food indulgence in mind. We pay homage to local New Orleans ingredients while celebrating the city’s deeply ingrained food & beverage community.”
The Magnolia New Orleans Hotel will feature 101 guest rooms, including one Presidential Suite, a reimagined lobby, fitness center and rooftop deck with pool, and one meeting room.
The unmatched service and location are also top amenities. Just steps from the French Quarter, guests can enjoy local crafts along the quieter streets of the French Market before enjoying Jackson Square’s street performers and the breathtaking beauty of St. Louis Cathedral—the oldest cathedral in the United States.
Magnolia Hotels and Stout Street Hospitality specialize in renovating world class hotels in historic buildings. This property is no different. The repositioning of the 1880s-era Magnolia New Orleans provided the design team with the opportunity to study the building’s history using one single photograph—but also to respond to the inspiring, eclectic spirit of New Orleans.
Local art is displayed in public areas, such as a large mural in the restaurant and each guest room features the work of a local artist to express a connection with a distinct personality.
“We had very little to work with in terms of written history but took our inspiration from one old photograph. Fortunately, we got a little help from an entire city!” said Sarah Brown of Semple Brown Architecture.
“The palette of the hotel is unapologetic about its use of color—a bright, more energetic personality. The overall effect is a building that reclaims its history proudly—but isn’t a museum.”
Study of historic photos showed that the original street-level windows were very large but had been covered with stucco. The new design re-opens them to connect the building to the sidewalk.
The color palette of the interior spaces embraces light and brings daylight deep into the floors to allow the interiors to glow at night.
The new terrazzo floor in the lobby provides a European look and high durability along with the feel of a past era. The hardwood floors in the guest rooms clearly differentiate the Magnolia from the typical carpet of an American hotel chain.
Additional layers of the design approach add to the sense of local character that makes New Orleans so unique.
“One of the fascinating themes of New Orleans is the mix of cultures, histories and eras. The furnishings of the Magnolia respond to this with a carefully selected range of furnishings that include contemporary materials as well as more historically influenced pieces,” remarked Brown.
The mixture helps to create a vibe that is casual but elevated—a timeless mix of periods and materials that expresses the fabric of the city. Bringing a fresh, clean, contemporary feel with reference to the historic building was the interior design approach throughout the project.
Packages
To celebrate the opening of the hotel and its foray into the New Orleans scene, the Magnolia is offering special package that benefits the Ronald McDonald house locally. Throughout the month of November, proceeds from 20% of all rooms booked will benefit the local chapter of the Ronald McDonald House of South Louisiana.
“We feel tremendously grateful to be opening the Magnolia New Orleans in this world-class city and are dedicated to giving back to the community,” said CEO of Stout Hospitality, Sarah Treadway. “Our
entire vision is to bring history back into our hotel’s and there is no city with as much history to embrace as New Orleans.”
