New Gathering Place
I recently spent a perfect weekend in New Orleans, and was lucky to experience the brand new NOPSI Hotel, a Grand Dame with quite a bit of history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the iconic, nine story brick building is, simply put, magnificent. It first opened its doors 90 years ago to house NOPSI, aka the New Orleans Public Service Inc., which was the city’s power and transportation company. It was a well known destination, as many of the locals remember paying their electricity bills in person there.
NOPSI’s imposing lobby opens to the right into the hotel’s delicious restaurant ‘Public Service’, where you can eat and mingle amidst a fun, communal vibe. Walk through a museum walkway with NOPSI memorabilia at the back of the lobby, and you’ll find one of the coolest event spaces that I’ve seen in a while…A historical warehouse, with huge windows and a massive industrial lift (look up!) has been transformed into a ballroom. We had dinner there one night, and sitting at a beautifully set table right in the middle of the hall, was an extraordinary experience–one of my favorites of the weekend.
If you need a break from sightseeing, there’s a rooftop pool for guests, which turns into a sparkly, glamorous bar at night. Make sure you don’t miss the views from up there. The guestrooms are generous and super comfortable–not that I got to spend too much time in mine : )
Other high points of my stay? NOPSI’s team is lovely and extremely helpful. The hotel’s location is central; it took just a few minutes to walk over to the French Quarter, and a few more to discover the Warehouse District, which has become home to an extensive and ever growing number of art galleries.
>>>A huge thank you to NOPSI Hotel and its fantastic team (you know who you are!) for hosting an unforgettable 3 days in The Big Easy. @NopsiHotel #NOPSIHotel #SalamanderExperience
