Newcrest Image plans to rebrand the Cotton Exchange Hotel in New Orleans to the AC Brand Hotel by Marriott. The opening marks the brand’s first location outside Europe.

Dallas-based Design Duncan Miller Ullmann will be the interior designer for the hotel’s $10-million renovation.
“We are transforming a historic hotel into a new, hip, and urban environment,” says Mehul Patel, chairman and CEO of Newcrest Image.
The design will respect the building, a national historic landmark built in 1871, while enhancing its look. Along with 200 guestrooms, AC Brand Hotel by Marriott will include meeting space, a rooftop pool, and a library and business center. Renovations will begin by April and will conclude within six months. The hotel will remain open during renovations.
“New Orleans is a vibrant destination that is ideal to help us establish the AC Hotels by Marriott experience on this side of the Atlantic,” says Callette Nielsen, vice president of AC Hotels by Marriott. “The historic building will have a ‘wow’ factor in its own right.”
AC Hotels by Marriott operates approximately 80 properties in Europe and is now expanding to the U.S. The European brand is design-centric and inspired by the fashion houses of Milan.
