Dallas-based design firm Flick Mars was commissioned to lead the restoration process blending traditional English décor, the signature of the Windsor Court, with French Vogue, the hallmark of New Orleans. Flick Mars referenced the city’s history, color, textiles and flora, as inspiration for the design and motifs seen throughout the hotel.
“This is the first time in 13 years we’ve completed a restoration of this significance at the Windsor Court,” said David Teich, general manager. “We look forward to our returning and new guests experiencing the hotel in all its newly designed entities, from the suites and restaurant to the spa and meeting spaces, which will certainly impress.”
New Orleanian Darryl Berger, founder and chairman of The Berger Company, which acquired the Windsor Court in 2009 along with the Dallas-based Crow Family Holdings, added “We’re extremely proud of the new design and upgraded amenities of the Windsor Court, New Orleans’ beloved crown jewel hotel, and look forward to seeing the positive response from the local community as well as our visiting guests from all over the globe.”
Guestrooms and Suites Updates
The design in the hotel’s guestrooms and suites features a new soothing robin’s egg blue color scheme; opulent furnishings, such as Italian marble bathrooms, custom traditional toile depicting the St. Louis Cathedral and French aristocrats, and locally designed secretary desks; modern butler’s pantries, and elite city skyline and river views. The rooms and suites also offer upgraded amenities, such as: Frette linens; oversized Molton Brown bath products; personalized evening turndown service; Keurig coffee makers; plush terry robes and slippers; and state-of-the-art electronics, including iHome docking stations, flat screen HD TVs and jack pack connections that allow guests to seamlessly connect their personal technology to the TV via various ports with cables available upon request. The hotel’s 2,780-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath presidential suite has also been completely reconfigured and resigned, inspired by historical Mardi Gras invitations from the Krewe of Rex, using a variation of purples, greens and golds.
The refurbished Club Lounge showcases a more sophisticated and modern look with the highest level of service in a relaxed atmosphere. It offers a dedicated concierge to attend to each guest’s needs and also features enhanced services, including: extended continental breakfast, traditional English afternoon tea, and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The Lounge’s lavish seating area is ideal for guests to unwind with a grand piano and large television room, while the outdoor terraces offer expansive views of the Mississippi River and New Orleans.
Public Spaces Re-Imagined
Le Salon, home to New Orleans’ renowned afternoon tea, has been given its own individual identity within the lobby, with a welcoming residential feel to appeal to the tea enthusiast and the craft cocktail aficionado. The space features a sage-green, ocean-blue and saddle-tan palate, reupholstered chairs and new accent furniture pieces. Flick Mars also built a new centerpiece bar that will serve as the lobby’s Cocktail Bar, which opened in January 2012 under direction of recently appointed hotel mixologist Christine Jeanine Nielsen.
The refresh of The Grill Room and Polo Club Lounge includes new deep-red carpets, drapes, sofas, and reupholstered and new chairs with navy hues, leathers and brass. In addition, Flick Mars softened the pool area by adding new accent tiles in the pool, and new wrought iron lounge chairs with blue-green cushions, influenced by the metal seen in the French Quarter. The hotel’s meeting and event spaces, ideal for intimate board meetings, weddings or social events, have received new carpeting and wall vinyl showcasing native floral designs, such as magnolias, the Louisiana state flower, and vines typically seen around the city.
New Spa
In spring 2012, the 4,500-square-foot Spa at Windsor Court will open with 10 treatment rooms, including one wet room and one couple’s treatment room, a sauna and salon facilities. Flick Mars, in conjunction with local architect Lyons & Hudson Architects, weaved the hotel’s design into the space, using the traditional English manor as a reference point and an English library as inspiration for the spa reception area that features Swarovski crystals lining the ceiling, mother of pearl tiles, and additional warm accents.
Along with this landmark restoration, the Windsor Court Hotel will soon announce additional events and amenities as they relate to the hotel’s food and beverage, in-room service and overall hotel programming for 2012. Rates at the Windsor Court Hotel begin at $260. Guests may book and learn more about the restoration at www.windsorcourthotel.com .
About Windsor Court Hotel
Located in the heart of the Central Business District steps from the French Quarter, the 23-story Windsor Court has long been the choice for discerning travelers to New Orleans. The award-winning luxury hotel features 316 oversized guestrooms and suites, the acclaimed Grill Room Restaurant, the storied Polo Club Lounge, the celebrated Le Salon for afternoon tea and an extensive art collection with mostly works of British origin, among other amenities and services. In January 2012 the Windsor Court completed a $22 million restoration to all its guestrooms, suites, and public spaces, including the Club Level Lounge, the pool, addition of the lobby Cocktail Bar and the forthcoming Spa at Windsor Court set to open in spring 2012. The hotel was purchased in October 2009 by a new ownership team led by The Berger Company of New Orleans and the Dallas-based Crow Family Holdings. Windsor Court is a member of Preferred Hotels® and Resorts. For more information, please visit www.windsorcourthotel.com.