- Fairmont returns to New Orleans after 20 years.
- Kailas Cos. developed the 250-room hotel.
- The hotel has more than 19,000 square feet of meeting space.
Fairmont New Orleans is now open in New Orleans, marking Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ return to the city after a 20-year absence. The 250-room property is the Accor brand’s 100th hotel worldwide and 19th in the U.S.
The hotel, developed by Kailas Cos. and operated by Fairmont, occupies 17 floors of the former Bank of New Orleans building, a 31-story tower designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1970. Rooms start at $459 per night, Fairmont said in a statement.
The hotel offers more than 19,000 square feet of meeting space across nine venues, including two ballrooms of about 4,000 square feet each, six meeting rooms and an executive boardroom, for groups of 10 to 500.
“After two decades away, returning to New Orleans feels like a joyful homecoming,” said Omer Acar, Fairmont CEO.
Indian American businessman C. Mohan Kailas founded Kailas Cos., a Metairie-based real estate development and investment firm, in 1990 and serves as its CEO. Naveen Kailas is chief development officer. The company manages more than 2 million square feet of office, residential, retail and hotel properties in Louisiana, according to its website.
Kailas acquired the bank building in 2014, the statement said. The redevelopment preserved its entry canopy, lobby floors, concrete walls, bronze paneling and cypress ceiling, and Rockwell Group designed the interiors.
The tower also houses the 216-room Element New Orleans Downtown, which opened in February. In August, Access Point Financial and TMGOC Ventures provided $120 million in bridge financing and preferred equity to recapitalize the project.
The hotel opened with two restaurants developed with chef Emeril Lagasse and The Emeril Group. Delmonico Steakhouse, the concept’s first location outside Las Vegas, serves prime and dry-aged beef, Japanese Wagyu, seafood and an oyster and caviar program. The Café by Emeril serves breakfast and lunch with French, Creole and Southern influences.
Lagasse said the two restaurants reflect his love of cooking and bringing people together.
Fairmont said Bleu Perdu, a bistro with views of the city and the Mississippi River, and Third Measure, a late-night cocktail bar developed with Cure founder Neal Bodenheimer, will open in early December. The rooftop pool and terrace will include cabanas, sun loungers and a performance area.
Fairmont Gold, on the 29th and 30th floors, will open in December with a private lounge overlooking the river, concierge service, complimentary breakfast and afternoon canapés. A 10,000-square-foot spa and fitness center with treatment rooms, a couples’ suite, a sauna and a steam room is also scheduled for early December.
