Reviving the Roosevelt: An era of grandeur and elegance is reborn
It was like old times, the best of times. There it was, the beautiful Roosevelt, finally open again in downtown New Orleans, and impressive as ever after a $145 million restoration. The reopening of the hotel marks the newest addition to the Hilton Hotel Corporation’s upscale Waldorf Astoria Collection. I checked in to spend one night, play tourist in my own home town, and to relive the magic of bygone days. I was curious about the newest era of this grand old luxury hotel that has played host to kings, queens, presidents, and stars through the years.
Formerly named the Fairmont from 1965 (after principal owner Seymour Weiss sold it to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts) until 2005, when hurricane Katrina forced the hotel to close its doors after considerable water damage, the Roosevelt was renowned during its flourishing Blue Room supper club era for its world-class entertainers backed up by Leon Kelner and his orchestra. The hotel was also used as the headquarters of Governor Huey P. Long in the 1930s, when the Kingfish built a 90-mile road from the state capital all the way to his 12th-floor suite at the Roosevelt. Many schemes were hatched in that famous luxury suite.
During the Fairmont era, when the elegant Sazerac restaurant served sorbet in lighted ice swans between dinner courses (an old boyfriend once popped the question as I toyed with my raspberry sorbet), a canopy of 10,000 twinkling lights adorned the block-long “angel hair” lobby each December. Local school choirs performed daily in the lobby and kids flocked to the Christmas Teddy Bear teas, taking photos with Santa on his sleigh after nibbling on peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches. I was glad to learn recently that the Teddy Bear teas are being reinstated in December (entertainment will include storytellers, trumpeters, and appearances by Santa), along with the elaborate holiday decorations in the lobby, which is really something to see.
I decided to plan my stay shortly after the hotel reopened in July, since I have many fond memories of the Roosevelt, having practically grown up there. I stayed at the Roosevelt with my family each time we visited New Orleans, which was rather often. In its heyday, it was the finest hotel in the city and the Waldorf has returned the historic property to its former glory by bringing it back to its original architectural splendor and also by reviving the famous Blue Room. The 504 luxury guest rooms and 135 elegant suites are appointed with exquisite décor as well as all the contemporary, hi-tech bells and whistles.
The Sazerac bar, with its splendid WPA Paul Ninas murals, has also reopened. Up until the 1940s, women were not allowed into the bar except on Carnival day; so a group of angry women stormed the Sazerac bar, demanding to be admitted, thus eliminating the rule forever. In September, not long after the Roosevelt reopened, the “Storming of the Sazerac” was recreated with a party hosted by the Tales of the Cocktail organization. Droves of women flocked to the famous bar dressed in 1940s attire and enjoyed the festivities and libations long into the night. The reopening of the Roosevelt is generating a lot of interest among locals in New Orleans, which now has 34,000 hotel rooms, shy of the 39,500 it had pre-Katrina.
Opened in 1893 as the Grunewald, the hotel was renamed the Roosevelt in 1932 in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. Weiss, who had worked his way up through the ranks from barbershop manager to the hotel’s general manager, had acquired principal ownership in the hotel in 1931 and ran things until 1965. Weiss reminded my parents one evening in the Blue Room that my grandmother, Amanda Hebert, was his piano teacher long before he landed at the hotel. He struck up a long friendship with the colorful and controversial Governor Long, and was known as his “right-hand man.” The Kingfish reportedly carried around a notorious kickback money box and he regularly camped out at the Roosevelt during his reign as governor and also as a U.S. senator. Many celebrities stayed in the plush suites over the years, including Elvis Presley and his crew during the filming of King Creole in 1957.
Reminiscing about the good old days, I pulled up to the front door of the Roosevelt, wondering if the new owners had returned the hotel to its former grandeur, and all my high expectations were met. The valet took my keys, the doorman welcomed me with a big smile, and I at once felt at home in the sprawling lobby. As a small child I had eaten my very first oyster in the Blue Room supper club, where my parents took me to dine and dance to the sounds of Leon Kelner and his orchestra. I was also given my first corsage, an orchid, in the Roosevelt’s lobby.
I reminisced about the night when singer Tony Bennett kissed my hand after singing I Left My Heart in San Francisco during a performance in the Blue Room, which formerly had a low stage to allow performers to venture out into the audience during acts. This has been replaced by a lovely herringbone-pattern dance floor. Musicians now occupy a raised stage in the sumptuously restored room with immense, heavy gold doors that open from the lobby. I was glad to see that tables are still set on two tiers, just as they were before. During the grand reopening of the Blue Room in August, Pete Fountain, who first performed at the famous supper club in the 1940s, took the stage with jazz clarinetist Tim Laughlin, backed up by a big band, as guests feasted on caviar, lobster, filet mignon, and baked Alaska while dancing the night away.
Laughlin now performs in the Blue Room each Sunday during the gourmet jazz brunch, which was reinstated in October ($59 for adults, which includes valet parking and a complimentary glass of champagne; half price for children under age 10; phone 504-648-1200 for reservations)
Many locals are curious to see what will be scheduled in the coming months in the Blue Room, which is currently available for weddings and private events, since it was once the place to see and be seen in New Orleans. During its heyday, from the 1930s to the 1970s, the Blue Room was a great place to catch a live show. Countless households would await the announcement each Saturday night on WWL radio, “We’re live, from the Blue Room,” as Leon Kelner and his orchestra began performing with a flurry of horns. Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Durante, Marlene Dietrich, Jack Benny, Bette Midler, Sonny and Cher, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Mel Torme, Ray Charles, and BB King were among the many celebs that took the stage at the swank supper club over the years.
Years before I ate that first oyster, my parents were in charge of hosting Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (of the 1950s television series I Love Lucy) as part of an entourage at the Roosevelt that was led by my parents’ close friends, former New Orleans Mayor DeLesseps “Chep” Morrison and his wife, Corrine. “I will always regret going to the ladies room when they took that picture,” says my mother as she shows me a photo with only her mink stole on an empty chair next to Lucy and Desi at their table. Many former guests harbor such fond memories of the Roosevelt and its amazing cast of characters over the years. My brother fondly recalls when Bob Hope came up and visited with him and his friends at their table in the Blue Room after his high school prom. My best memory of the Blue Room is that hand kiss from Tony Bennett as a child, and being presented with my first baked Alaska flambé, which was also served during the grand reopening of the Blue Room in August.
During my recent stay at the hotel, as I strolled through the stunning, block-long lobby with its long row of gleaming crystal chandeliers and grand piano, I noticed that the carpets had been removed and the floor was lined with marble and mosaic tile, a replica of the original flooring that was found during the restoration. The Sazerac bar off the main lobby was packed with guests.
My opulent Waldorf suite had a dining table seating eight (which was perfect for our party), two LCD televisions (one in the living area, the other in the master bedroom with a king bed), a side room with a wet bar and a mini fridge, two bathrooms (the master had a small TV mounted on the wall and a great shower), and a spacious, beautifully appointed living area with a fold-out sofa that was perfect for the kids. We enjoyed the private butler service, and were paid prompt attention with every small request (the room service menu includes a very good New York strip, Creole crab cakes, bread pudding, and Black Forest cake). Layered heavy draperies, oversized leather chairs, waffle bath robes, and a crystal chandelier over the dining table added to the luxurious experience.
The grand opening of the hotel was celebrated in October with a gala weekend featuring Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, and the Neville Brothers performing in the grand ballroom. The hotel also introduced its 12,500-square-foot Guerlain Spa with 10 private treatment rooms, a couple’s therapy suite, a large fitness center and a line of Guerlain products from Paris. A new rooftop pool and a poolside bar have replaced the tennis courts, and the suites are more beautiful than ever.
Dining options include Teddy’s Cafe off the main lobby featuring salads, sandwiches, bagels, local PJ’s coffee (including iced coffee), and a selection of local cheeses from Chef John Folse and Coeur Royale; the Sazerac restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (great seafood gumbo, foie gras with green tomato jam, and redfish with crawfish sauce); and Chef John Besh’s latest restaurant, the Italian-inspired Domenica. From the elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites to the Sazerac bar and the restored Blue Room, the return of the legendary Roosevelt is a jewel in the crown of New Orleans’ finest luxury hotels. For reservations, call 504-648-1200; toll free: 800-925-3673. ✦
