Prime Time
The HBO series Treme, named for a New Orleans neighborhood, chronicles the rebuilding of post-Katrina New Orleans. The second season begins airing this month.
Local Update
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, is undergoing a $9 million renovation of its guest rooms and suites. The 527-room property on the edge of the French Quarter on Canal Street features 35,000 square feet of meeting space, a 25,000-square-foot day spa and fitness center, and an on-site restaurant. The hotel will remain open throughout the work, which is expected to be completed in late September.
The $47 million New Orleans BioInnovation Center opened last month, between the medical district and the downtown business district. The 66,000-square-foot facility features a conference center with state-of-the art A/V equipment, along with a 2,000-square-foot retail and food service area. The property is the only LEED Gold-certified facility in the city.
Closed since 2005 due to severe damage from Hurricane Katrina, the 31-story, 1,246-room Hyatt Regency New Orleans is completing a $275 million redevelopment and will reopen in the fall. Within walking distance of the Superdome, the revamped property will include approximately 200,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as food options such as a 350-seat full-service restaurant with private and semiprivate dining rooms, a 210-seat media bar and a 70-seat atrium bar, in addition to several smaller venues.
Meeting Hotels
Among major properties in the city's bustling Central Business District are the 1,616-room Hilton New Orleans Riverside; 1,290-room New Orleans Marriott; 1,110-room Sheraton New Orleans; 504-room Roosevelt Hotel; 494-room JW Marriott New Orleans; 479-room InterContinental New Orleans; 423-room W New Orleans; 367-room Doubletree New Orleans; 324-room Windsor Court, an Orient-Express Hotel; 296-room Holiday Inn Downtown Superdome; 285-room Loews New Orleans Hotel, and 272-room Renaissance Pere Marquette.
For a complete listing of New Orleans properties, visit mcvenues.com.
Sweet Treats
Café Du Monde in the French Quarter is famous for its beignets
(deep-fried square donuts covered in powder sugar) served with café au
lait (hot coffee and chicory blended with hot milk).
Convention Center
The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 1.1 million contiguous square feet; number of meeting rooms, 140; (504) 582-3023
Airport Transit
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, 10 miles west of the Central Business District and the French Quarter. Transfer cost by taxi, $33; by shuttle, $20 (roundtrip, $38)
Taxes
Room tax, 4%, plus a $1-$3 surcharge per room, per night, based on room count; sales tax, 9%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13% plus the surcharge
Group Venues
Founded in 1961, Preservation Hall is a famous French Quarter venue honoring (and offering) New Orleans Jazz. Originally built as a residence back in 1750, the hall is available for private events and can accommodate up to 125 people. (504) 522-2841; preservationhall.com
Contact
New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 672-6124