The Hyatt Regency New Orleans is a 32-story, 361-foot (110 m) hotel located at 601 Loyola Ave in the

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. It has 1,193 guest rooms, including 95 suites. It is part of a complex of connected buildings, which includes the

Mercedes-Benz Superdome The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...

, 1250 Poydras Plaza,

Entergy Tower Entergy Tower (also known as One Poydras Plaza), located at 639 Loyola Avenue in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, is a 28-story, -tall skyscraper. The building used to have the Consulate-General of Japan in New Orleans. ...

, and the Benson Tower. Originally opened in 1976, it was designed by

Welton Becket and Associates Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969) was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California. Biography Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washingt ...

. The Hyatt was severely damaged by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

in 2005 and remained closed for six years, until 2011.

History

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 due to severe winds, and water and debris were blown into the guestrooms 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 the generator failure. As a result, 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 Clarence Raymond Joseph Nagin Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former politician who was the 60th Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, from 2002 to 2010. A Democrat, Nagin became internationally known in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ka ...

, the

New Orleans Police Department The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts. The NOPD has a ...

and

Fire Department A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...

, the

Louisiana National Guard The Louisiana National Guard is the armed force through which the Louisiana Military Department executes the U.S. state of Louisiana's security policy. Consisting of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army; ...

, the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

(FEMA), the Army Corps of Engineers, and some refugees that managed to sneak in from the Superdome nearby. On September 2, 2005, the approximately 900 hotel guests were evacuated by bus or by car. No guests were suffering from major illnesses or injuries at the time of evacuation.

Closure and Renovation

As a result of the damage sustained during Katrina, the hotel remained closed for six years. The previous hotel owners, Chicago-based company Strategic Hotels and Resorts Inc., along with other investors, announced in early 2006 a plan to redevelop the area around the Superdome (including the adjacent hotel) into a performance art park called the "National Jazz Center". The plan, designed in concept by Pritzker Award-winning architect

Thom Mayne Thom Mayne (born January 19, 1944) is an American architect. He is based in Los Angeles. In 1972, Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where he is a trustee and the coordinator of the Design of Cities p ...

, was later abandoned. Poydras Properties Hotel Holdings acquired the Hyatt from Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. for $32 million in 2007. On February 20, 2009, the State Bond Commission approved $225 million in special low-cost bonds to help renovate the Hyatt Regency. Hyatt issued a statement in August 2010 announcing a redevelopment effort carrying a price tag of $275 million. The redesign of the 32-story building, called for of meeting and exhibition space, two restaurants, two bars, and a coffee bar. Interior View - Hyatt Regency New Orleans 2012

Interior View - Hyatt Regency New Orleans 2012

Reopening

The hotel officially reopened on October 19, 2011 with several major changes to its interior and technological additions. An exhibit hall was constructed by re-purposing the hotel’s old porte-cochère, or motor lobby. 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 has yielded both

Champions Square 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. The plaza also ...

, the sports district, and the currently under-construction Biotech District. The entrance to the Hyatt Regency also faces the newly constructed Loyola Streetcar line, which provides access to the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Squ ...

and rest of the Central Business District (CBD).

Recognition

The Hyatt Regency New Orleans was distinguished by Forbes magazine as one of the Top 10 Hotel Renovations in 2012, due to several notable features, including an in-house restaurant.

History

Hurricane Katrina damage

Closure and Renovation

Reopening

Recognition

See also

References

External links