HQ Hotel

A headquarters hotel is in close proximity to a convention center, and offers easy access for attendees, with large, dedicated room blocks for meeting planners, and options to host a wide range of add-on events – everything from large banquets to intimate breakout sessions. In our case, the location is right across from Hall C.

A convention center headquarters hotel helps New Orleans to stay competitive with other cities by offering meeting planners and event organizers dedicated room blocks and event space near the Convention Center. This makes New Orleans a more competitive convention destination, creates jobs and drives greater demand for hotel rooms, restaurants and retail business throughout the city and region.

An independent study projects the project will have an annual economic impact of $214 million by year four of its operation, support 1,400 jobs and generate over $15 million in new taxes for the city and state.

New Orleans and the State of Louisiana depend on the Convention Center to remain competitive, to retain existing events and to attract new ones. This headquarters hotel strengthens the competitiveness of the Convention Center, helps retain and attract new events to bring thousands of new visitors who will support local small businesses, restaurants and other establishments.

Most recognize that the hotel will generate net new hotel room demand, as independent studies have projected, and elevate the average rates charged at existing hotels.

Omni Hotels & Resorts (Omni) will develop, own and operate the hotel. Unlike most brands, Omni owns and operates its properties, now over 50 in North America, many of them convention center hotels. The Convention Center owns the land on which the hotel is built and is leasing it to Omni.

Omni is the preeminent company developing hotels connected to or in close proximity to convention centers and has the financial wherewithal to develop the property in New Orleans. Omni has successful projects in Nashville, Dallas, Fort Worth, Boston, Oklahoma City, San Diego and Louisville – all of which have exceeded expectations. Omni also has projects in development in Raleigh and Fort Lauderdale. Of importance to New Orleans is the attention Omni gives to incorporating the local history and culture into project design.

Omni has been the Authority’s development partner since 2018, when the Authority first identified the need for a hotel.

The new hotel will be known as the Omni New Orleans and is designed to have 1,000 rooms and 100,000 square feet of ballroom, event and meeting space. It will feature several food and beverage outlets and offer amenities and services found at world-class hotels, including a roof-top pool deck.

The hotel will be located directly across from the Convention Center on property known as the Sugar Mill and its adjoining parking lot.

Yes, both the parking lot between the Convention Center and the Hilton Riverside New Orleans Hotel, commonly known as the Whale Lot, and the Authority-owned 8-acre upriver site in the River District neighborhood were considered. The owners of the Whale Lot were not interested in the opportunity and the investment of over $500 million remains a key obstacle for the upriver site without the River District further along. Demand will eventually drive hotel development in the River District, especially as other key projects, like the headquarters for Shell’s Gulf of Mexico operations, come online in the new neighborhood.

The Authority-owned upriver 8-acre site remains targeted for hotel development. It is believed that demand will dictate when the upriver site would support a hotel, which will be advanced as the River District progresses with key developments such as the headquarters for Shell’s Gulf of Mexico.

A portion of the park property may be necessary for the project in order to reduce overall project height and allow for a parking garage inside of the hotel. As part of the project, the park will be transformed and enhanced to provide residents and visitors with an amenity for years to come.

The hotel design includes an integrated 350-space on-site garage, which will be supported by the existing next-door 1,000-car parking garage, far exceeding what would be expected for a 1,000-room hotel.

This type and size of economic development often involves a public-private partnership. In this case, the current estimate for the project is $575 million. Omni will fund the hotel with 100% equity and guarantee construction completion and all costs associated with the development that exceeds the Authority’s $70 million investment.

Yes. The project will require certain hotel taxes and state sales tax generated by the hotel to be rebated to make it financially feasible, as has been the case with all like hotel projects. In addition, the Authority is making up to a $70 million investment in the project that will provide a return through a profit-sharing arrangement between Omni and the Authority.

Yes, among them is a “room-block agreement” committing 80% of the room block to use by events in the Convention Center up to a pre-determined number of months out from the event.

A preliminary meeting was held in the fall of 2024, where nearly 50 residents attended. Omni will hold additional public meetings through the permitting process and work with area residents to address their concerns regarding the project.

The Authority approved the principal documents on January 29, 2025, which provides Omni the necessary clearance to proceed with design of the hotel and initiate the public process for obtaining zoning approval, a height variance and public building permits from the City of New Orleans.

This process will include public meetings, which are expected to continue through the design process for the remainder of 2025. Construction is expected to last three years and start in 2026, pending zoning approvals and permits received.

The hotel is anticipated to open in 2029.