Inside Fairmont New Orleans, the Brand’s 100th Hotel

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has opened Fairmont New Orleans, its 100th property worldwide, returning to the city after two decades. The hotel occupies 17 floors of the former Bank of New Orleans building, a 31-story 1970 landmark designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, in the Central Business District near the French Quarter and Caesars Superdome. Developed by Kailas Companies and operated by Fairmont, the 250-room hotel opened on November 2, 2026, with rates starting at $459 per night.

The interiors are by Rockwell Group, who looked to the contrasts of New Orleans for inspiration, referencing the city’s 1970s oil boom era with saturated colors, layered textures, and a mix of local flora and global patterns. The lobby, described by general manager Eric Overstreet as a “cultural living room,” is anchored by a mirror-clad monumental stair reflecting a three-story magnolia flower and Spanish moss-inspired chandelier. Several key architectural elements from the building’s early years, including the sidewalks, entry canopy, floors, and concrete walls on the lower levels, have been carefully restored, as have the decorative bronze paneling and local cypress ceiling on the second floor.

Guest rooms and suites are conceived as residential retreats, with three-dimensional entry mosaics referencing classical European flooring and large artworks evoking Louisiana’s bayous. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame city views, and select king rooms include “faux balconies” with café tables. The upper levels will introduce Fairmont Gold in December, with a private lounge overlooking the Mississippi River, concierge service, complimentary breakfast and canapés, and personalized check-in.

Fairmont New Orleans lobby interior with chandeliers and ornate decor — Photo: Cyprien Lomas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

Fairmont New Orleans debuts with two culinary destinations in partnership with Chef Emeril Lagasse and The Emeril Group. Delmonico Steakhouse, opening its first location outside Las Vegas, serves hand-selected prime cuts from Creekstone Farms, Japanese Wagyu, premium seafood, and an oyster and caviar program. The Café by Emeril offers breakfast and lunch with French-inspired classics, Creole accents, and Southern influences. Chef Lagasse said, “I’m thrilled to bring Delmonico Steakhouse to New Orleans alongside The Café by Emeril, creating two distinct dining experiences that reflect what I love about cooking and bringing people together.”

Additional venues are set to open in December, including the rooftop pool and Bleu Perdu, a bistro-style bar with panoramic city and river views, sun loungers, cabanas, and Spanish-inspired black-and-white tile. Third Measure, a cocktail bar developed with Neal Bodenheimer of Cure, will draw on New Orleans’ lost cocktail traditions and musical heritage, with sunset views and a custom Lasvit chandelier. The 10,000-square-foot spa and fitness center will also open in December, offering private treatment rooms, a couples’ suite, dry sauna, steam room, and relaxation lounges, including a sauna overlooking the skyline.

The hotel provides more than 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including two ballrooms with preserved cypress wood ceilings and restored bronze paneling, six meeting rooms, an executive boardroom, and three foyers. The second floor, originally the Bank of New Orleans’ main lobby, now houses two foyers and two grand ballrooms, with custom chandeliers designed to feel integral to the space.

Fairmont New Orleans is positioned near Bourbon Street, the French Quarter, Warehouse District, and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, placing guests at the center of New Orleans’ cultural and entertainment hubs. The phased opening will see Fairmont Gold, the spa, rooftop pool, Bleu Perdu, and Third Measure fully open in December.

The magazine has also looked at Axiom Hospitality’s London launch for Guild Hotels, which brought a new hospitality brand to another historic city.