Omni Royal Orleans
Encyclopedia
The Omni Royal Orleans is a 346-room hotel in the French Quarter
of New Orleans, Louisiana
. Before being purchased by Omni Hotels, it was called the Royal Orleans. It was constructed in 1960 on the corner of St. Louis Street and Royal Street
near Jackson Square
, at the site of the old St. Louis Hotel, which had been destroyed in the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
. The hotel has been rated four diamonds by AAA
. Its address is 621 St. Louis Street.
The Grand Salon ballroom of the Omni Royal Orleans has been a popular location for social events among New Orleans families for decades. The hotel's restaurant, the Rib Room, is frequented by many New Orleans politicians and attorneys, particularly at lunch on Fridays. It is often called the "Royal O" or just "The Royal" by New Orleanians.
Jazz pianist and composer Armand Hug
had a steady gig at the Royal Orleans for decades.
After Hurricane Katrina
, the Omni Royal Orleans was used as a headquarters for the New Orleans Police Department. It suffered no damage from the storm and has since returned to normal operations.
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
of New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Before being purchased by Omni Hotels, it was called the Royal Orleans. It was constructed in 1960 on the corner of St. Louis Street and Royal Street
Royal Street, New Orleans
Royal Street is a street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is one of the oldest streets in the city, dating from the French Colonial era, and is most well known for the antique shops, art galleries, and stately hotels that line its sides as it runs through New Orleans' French Quarter and tourist...
near Jackson Square
Jackson Square, New Orleans
Jackson Square, also known as Place d'Armes, is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.-Design:...
, at the site of the old St. Louis Hotel, which had been destroyed in the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
The New Orleans Hurricane of 1915 was an intense Category 4 hurricane that made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana during the 1915 Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane killed 275 people and caused $13 million in damage....
. The hotel has been rated four diamonds by AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
. Its address is 621 St. Louis Street.
The Grand Salon ballroom of the Omni Royal Orleans has been a popular location for social events among New Orleans families for decades. The hotel's restaurant, the Rib Room, is frequented by many New Orleans politicians and attorneys, particularly at lunch on Fridays. It is often called the "Royal O" or just "The Royal" by New Orleanians.
Jazz pianist and composer Armand Hug
Armand Hug
Armand Hug was an American jazz pianist.Hug was based out of New Orleans for most of his life, having begun playing professionally at age 13. He played with Harry Shields in 1926, with the New Orleans Owls in 1928, and with Sharkey Bonano in 1936...
had a steady gig at the Royal Orleans for decades.
After Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, the Omni Royal Orleans was used as a headquarters for the New Orleans Police Department. It suffered no damage from the storm and has since returned to normal operations.
Omni Royal Orleans in pop culture
- In "Live and Let DieLive and Let Die (film)Live and Let Die is the eighth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman...
," James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
stays at the Royal Orleans. - The Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
song "Royal OrleansRoyal Orleans"Royal Orleans" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin, from their 1976 album Presence.When in New Orleans on concert tours, members of the group would stay at the Royal Orleans Hotel, and the song is reportedly based on an incident that occurred there...
" is purportedly based on an incident involving the band members at the hotel during the 1970s. - In 1965, the Royal Orleans was mentioned in Arthur HaileyArthur HaileyArthur Hailey was a British/Canadian novelist.- Biography :Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, Hailey served in the Royal Air Force from the start of World War II during 1939 until 1947, when he went to live in Canada. Hailey's last novel, Detective , is a mystery told from the perspective of a...
's novel HotelHotel (novel)Hotel is a 1965 novel by Arthur Hailey. It is the story of an independent New Orleans hotel, the St. Gregory, and its management's struggle to regain profitability and avoid being assimilated into the O'Keefe chain of hotels. The St. Gregory is supposedly based on the Roosevelt Hotel, although the...
as being arguably the best hotel in North America.