NEW ORLEANS, La. – Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, located in New Orleans’ Central Business District, is now complete with its expansion into the historic building next door now open to the public and guests.
The new additions include more than 12,000 square feet of flexible meeting and events space, 33 new guestrooms and suites, and the city’s newest French brasserie, King, which is now open for reservations at kingbrasserieandbar.com.
The fully opened hotel now occupies both 501 and 521 Tchoupitoulas Street, with the latter being the newly added building that includes King. Kimpton Hotel Fontenot now includes 235 rooms, multiple ballrooms and events space, and three restaurant and bar concepts. King joins Peacock Room, the award-winning cocktail bar that regularly features music and arts activations, and Gospel Coffee & Boozy Treats, the neighborhood cafe and frozen treats shop.
“The opening helps make Hotel Fontenot a great destination for locals and visitors alike to explore some of the best of New Orleans’ sights, sounds, and flavors. The new building will continue to expand on the property’s reputation for hosting unique events and pop-ups, already established by Peacock Room and the rest of the hotel,” a news release states.
The adaptive reuse expansion of the hotel designed by MARKZEFF blends sophisticated design with the unique historical personality of the newly added building. The design team incorporated many elements of the original structure built in 1844 by architect James Gallier–known for Gallier Hall and the Pontalba Buildings–throughout, including the existing brick walls and reclaimed timber.
Located on the ground level of the new building, and with an entrance both on Tchoupitoulas Street and through the hotel lobby, King is a three-meal restaurant rooted in the style of beloved brasseries of the French Riviera region, while weaving in rich culinary traditions of New Orleans. The upscale casual restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere has seating for 125 with options for dining and imbibing in the interior dining room, at the spacious bar or on the outside patio.
The hotel’s second floor has several flexible meeting and event spaces for weddings, corporate events, and everything in between. Among the spaces is the 5,500-square-foot Canray Ballroom, named after the musician the hotel is inspired by, Canray Fontenot, as well as the more intimate 554-square-foot Evangeline Ballroom. In addition to the space inside, one of the building’s most unique features is a second-floor outdoor terrace overlooking Tchoupitoulas Street, appropriate for a ceremony, group dining, or a reception accommodating up to 265 people.
The third and fourth floors of the newly added building contain additional meeting space with the 1,000+-square-foot room Lala as well as 33 new guestrooms and suites that are both distinct in their historical construction and tied into Hotel Fontenot’s design theme playing heavily on the city’s music and arts culture.
In addition to leading the culinary charge at King and the hotel’s other restaurant and bar concepts, executive chef Samuel Peery will also oversee the catering menu for events and gatherings taking place in the new spaces. Pastry chef Lanna Talley will lead the creation of the dessert and pastry menu.
