Does your family travel during the Christmas Holiday season? If your travels happen to take you to New Orleans during this time of year, you will definitely want to see the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans Christmas display. The lobby of this hotel is the home of the fabulous “Waldorf Wonderland”.
A visit to the Roosevelt Hotel during the holidays is a popular tradition among locals as well as tourists. Here, I will share my family’s traditional visit this year with you. I hope that this inspires you to put this on your list of things to do when you’re in town. (I will provide details about the outfit I wore in another post.)
Even if you are not staying at the hotel, take a walk through the lobby. You will love it, I promise!
The Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans Christmas Display
A Grand Hotel with Fascinating Memories
Ever since I was a little girl, I continue to keep the tradition of visiting the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans Christmas display. Although the decor is relatively the same every year, it is mesmerizing nonetheless.
The display is a fascinating delight for both young and old. “Waldorf Wonderland” is an updated version of the hotel’s magnificent lobby decor from years past.
I have always loved this hotel. My mom used to bring me there as a little girl, on shopping trips downtown. At that time, it was the Fairmont New Orleans. Even at a very young age, the opulent surroundings impressed me. I loved everything from the luxurious ladies room to the fancy letter “F” embossed in the sand of the ashtrays. (Honestly, I still love the ladies room!)
The Roosevelt has catered to many prominent guests through the years, and is known for the Blue Room and the Sazarac Bar. The Blue Room is now being used for meetings, weddings and other events. In years past, it was as an incredibly popular venue for entertainment legends like Frank Sinatra. Isn’t that just amazing? Boy, would I have loved to see Frank Sinatra perform!
To this day, this hotel and its past fascinates me. Although H and I have had a few staycations downtown (usually during Mardi Gras), I have not yet had the opportunity to stay at the Roosevelt. But I certainly plan to at some point!
Hurricane Katrina
During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Fairmont New Orleans sustained serious damage. The hotel closed for several years, changed ownership and underwent major renovations. In 2009 the hotel re-opened as the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans under management of Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts.
Waldorf Wonderland – The Tradition Continues
Although the hotel was completely remodeled, it is still comfortably familiar to me. Each year during the holidays we keep the annual tradition. H and I get together with close friends and my goddaughter to visit the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans Christmas display. We make a night of it, and it’s always a lot of fun.
First things first – a cocktail. Then, we walk through the lobby, sit for a bit, and take a few pictures. Finally, after we are satisfied that there are no changes from the previous year’s visit, we head out to dinner.
Roosevelt New Orleans lobby, December 2016
Until Next Time
I welcome any opportunity to visit the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans. Through the years I have attended several fabulous wedding receptions at the hotel. Sometimes, we just pop in to the Sazerac to meet friends for a cocktail. But what I look forward to most is our Christmas visit. Every year at the “Waldorf Wonderland”, we recall cherished memories and create new ones.
The following video shows the time-lapsed process of decorating the hotel for the annual Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans Christmas display. When I saw this on Facebook I absolutely loved it – I think you will too!
The “Waldorf Wonderland” at the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans is truly a breathtaking holiday display. The decorations delight both adults and children of all ages. An annual walk through the hotel lobby is a cherished tradition among both locals and tourists.
No visit to New Orleans during Christmas would be complete without a visit to the Roosevelt New Orleans. Even if you aren’t a guest at the hotel, walk through the lobby to experience the “Waldorf Wonderland” display. If you do visit, please let me know what you think in the comments below!
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