Clearly the Starwood group subscribes firmly to the ideal of never letting go of a good location. Case in point is its newly minted Le Méridien in New Orleans in a quiet nook that takes full advantage of its proximity to the brash buzz of the French Quarter and the Arts District, but without being overwhelmed by the crowds. The 410-room hotel has just emerged from a $29m renovation of the former W New Orleans, another Starwood sibling.
Meyer Davis Studio has mined Le Méridien’s origins as a creation of Air France to celebrate the heady ideal of travel and glamour, 60s-style. Which explains the retro vibe that permeates the interiors with wallpaper depicting enormously magnified maps of New Orleans, bright primary colours and pastel hues, Louis Armstrong quotes, and homages to the annual bacchanalian festivities of the Mardi Gras parade.
There are other diversions, not least short rib hash on the breakfast menu at the ground floor LMNO Restaurant, a rooftop pool lined with cabanas, and views of the Mississippi from the suites on the 16th-23th floors. The opening keeps on track Le Méridien’s goal to triple its portfolio in the Americas adding to a global haul that stretches from Thimphu and Bangkok to Dhaka and Qingdao.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
333 Poydras Street
-
Park Hyatt takes Kuala Lumpur to new heightsMore than a decade in the making, Malaysia’s first Park Hyatt floats between levels 75 and 114 of Asia Pacific’s tallest tower, redefining intimacy in the sky
-
Obakki’s homeware collections tell a story of craft with a humanitarian missionAs Obakki launches its ‘Made in Morocco’ collection, Wallpaper* speaks to founder Treana Peake on how she developed the ethical homeware brand
-
Corten curves and contemporary flair transform this terraced house in LondonCagni Williams Associates’ sensitive refurbishment of a south London Edwardian house features a striking and sustainable Corten steel extension
-
At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizonsA beloved Hampton restaurant becomes a tucked-away retreat set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York, and it’s as cinematic as you’d expectHidden in the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Seven kitchens, one fire: inside LA’s hottest new food marketAt Maydan Market, chef Rose Previte turns global street food and layered design into a vibrant, fire-lit experience
-
The Viceroy Hotel Group wants you to get on your bikeAcross properties in Santa Monica, Chicago, Washington DC and the Algarve, Viceroy guests can experience curated cycling routes and community events
-
Big flavours and bold design define La Nena Cantina, Los Angeles's newest Mexican hotspotFrom handmade tortillas to 40-ingredient mole, this new Sunset Boulevard restaurant takes Mexican cuisine seriously
-
Aperitivo time is this Los Angeles bar’s ‘ragione di vita’Located in Echo Park, Bar Bacetti is a welcoming haunt celebrating the great Italian ‘art of snacking’
-
This boisterous cocktail bar in Denver was inspired by Le CorbusierA 1950s furniture showroom has been reborn as a modernist social hub in the city’s Sunnyside neighbourhood. Its cocktails? Semiprecious
