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The Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria

So I was searching the entirety of North America for a swanky hotel to stay at, and up came The Roosevelt which is a Waldorf Astoria, the highest property type Hilton has. The last time I stayed in one was 2009 so I was excited to go to one again.

I then started scouting flights and found an acceptably priced one to New Orleans and well, it was a lock at that point for me.

This hotel, built in 1898, is an amazing old grand dame of a place. Originally the Grunewald, it has gone through a few high end luxury owners, but it does fit the Waldorf's over the top level of swank.

Arrival

I flew to Louis Armstrong International (MSY) and got a Lyft (about 25 minute ride) to the hotel in downtown New Orleans basically fronting on Canal Street. The entrance was impressive and when I got inside, the main floor did not disappoint!

The main grand hall- are those 30 foot ceilings?

The Room

Now, after the Conrad in Indianapolis, I started to figure out the rules for Diamond upgrades, and this time I got a two room suite overlooking the pool deck area.

Pay attention to what tower and elevator bank to use, tower 1 and tower 2 are not equal floor heights and floor 8 in tower 1 is the same as floor 7 in tower 2, but they are all connected in the middle so you can traverse.

The Louis XIII dresser did make it a bit of a squeeze to get around the front of the bed

Ok, this is official Rob advice, never use the minibar for anything. Not even for putting your stuff in it here because a $50 restocking fee

A vanity that was just big enough for my stuff and a little more. Look Lora (my Editrix who always complains I leave the toilet seat up for pictures) the toilet is closed!

Wow, here I was expecting the bath amenities to smell like a handbag or shoes, but it was spicy instead

Large shower, given the age and construction of the hotel (load bearing brick and concrete). It was a small bathroom and you have to close the door to get in the shower easily

I'm really starting to like this type of storage and presentation that I first saw in 2021 at the St. Regis Maldives

The Restaurants

This hotel is lousy with places to eat and drink. 5 locations, which surpasses my feelings for what makes a place a resort. I mean, you don't have to leave the hotel at all. 2 bars, 3 restaurants. Breakfast is served at the Fountain and Teddy's. Dinner/lunch is available at Fountain and Domenica. Drinks are at Sazerac and the Pool Bar but you can get drinks at Fountain Lounge and Domenica's bars also.

I did not go to Domenica because the menu really didn't appeal to me, but they do have a lot of in-house dried meats of the Italian persuasion.

Fountain Lounge - Bar, Breakfast and Lunch

Nightime lighting is quite dim, which is good for my ancient face

Your standard hotel breakfast options and layout of eggs and sausage

The Sazerac Bar, home of the world's first cocktail

And the Sazerac is a very tasty cocktail, the origin point for the Manhattan

Teddy's cafe, home of breakfast, pastries and lots of coffee

The Pool Bar, Daquiris and booze and well, booze - so nothing more is needed

Facilities

Being almost a resort, the spa seems quite well decked out. A let's call it decent sized gym. Not really super huge but had the devices needed, and seems to be the recent trend focusing towards running/cardio machines.

The pool, a bit small but not nearly as small as their online pictures made it seem

The spa, I think one of these days I will experience one

So much spa stuff for your skin and well, my god if I need this much to look good, I'm just gonna stay ugly

Like I said, functional, not overly equipped, lots of treadmills

But, water, fruit, and those glasses? They are very substantial and sturdy

Now, the world-famous Blue Room, which has special holiday events, is rentable, and was part of the circuit where the world renowned bands played during the radio show heyday, including Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra.

Large, elegant space, can be arranged to your specifications with direct access to the kitchens for prompt service

From the southside toward the front desk, past the Fountain Lounge and the Sazerac Bar

Yes, they work and they pickup twice daily for mailing

Ok, so a bit of warning, this street on the south side, is not a place where Rob, an Army veteran, would tend to enter or exit in the darker hours. Trust me on this one

Event Space

The entire Mezzanine is event space and the ballrooms are just astounding. I got a private tour from the manager of event spaces at the hotel (one room we couldn't find the lights but wow it was massive with the ability to have cars delivered via elevator and more).

Astor Ballroom, obviously the wedding venue space of choice

Roosevelt Ballroom, 18,000 square feet and then some, this room is so big, and can be segmented for various smaller events

Summary

An old but graceful and visually stunning hotel. The rooms can be a bit tight due to limits of the hotels superstructure, but they are still so comfortable and with great amenities. It's the top of their portfolio luxury hotel, so there are charges for many things that normally you would have included in lower levels, but I find it worth it.

Room prices here are pretty aggressive so luckily you can, with a little flexibility, find a suite for a price that shouldn't break the bank. The bar and food options are very good.

So much stuff in the gift shop, very eclectic and a decent amount of Waldorf Swag. I got a coffee mug and a set of Sazerac glasses

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