W New Orleans – French Quarter has unveiled a $9 million renovation to its guestrooms, Living Room lobby, and Studio meeting spaces. New York-based Nemaworkshop redesigned the hotel’s accommodations to reflect the Big Easy’s artistic energy and the intrigue of jazz and tarot. Each room showcases a palette of clean lines and modern blacks and whites mixed with vibrant gold tones and rich primary colors relevant to the room design motif. The jazz design features vibrant golden yellow walls and an oversized floor-to-ceiling brass image modeled after the bell of a horn, while the tarot-inspired rooms channel the mystic spirit of the city with décor inspired by New Orleans’ voodoo queen Marie Laveau. The walls boast a deep blue color as well as an oversized mural representing a woman reading tarot cards.
“The new design definitely has a little fun with the city’s spiritual side,” says Anurag Nema, principal at nemaworkshop. “You may see Marie’s eyes following you on the guestroom number placard, or you may recognize her headdress on a directional sign. If you look up while you’re standing in the lift landing, you’ll notice tiny, pin-like lights, playing off voodoo pins.”
In addition to a fitness center, the hotel added SoBou restaurant and lounge inspired by Louisiana street food. Each of the venue’s spaces offers a distinctive interpretation of mixology: the entry and front dining space recall an apothecary where floor-to-ceiling walls are clad in bottles; illuminated display cases house a collection of vintage tools, shakers, and glasses; and in the main dining space, a one-way glass installation showcases glowing bottles that multiply into infinity. Adjacent to the curving brass bar is a modern beer garden housing self-service wine machines and beer taps built directly into the tables.
