The Jung Hotel in New Orleans, which opened in 1908 and expanded twice, claimed to be the largest hotel property in the South — offering more than 1,000 rooms at one time in its history.
In the 1920s, the Jung Hotel began as one building facing a side street that offered about 200 rooms, according to Marc Becker, area director of sales and marketing for the New Orleans Hotel Group. After two neighboring buildings were purchased, he said, the hotel expanded and became the biggest hotel in the South in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
The famed property changed hands beginning in 1971, and closed after Hurricane Katrina flooded its portion of Canal Street in 2005.
Finally, after an extensive restoration, The Jung Hotel & Residences held its grand reopening this month. A member of the New Orleans Hotel Collection, the new Jung Hotel includes 207 guestrooms, 15 premium king suites, 10 ADA-accessible rooms and 31 executive rooms with kitchenettes and laundry facilities. There’s also 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space — including a 12,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The hotel features a fitness center, a rooftop pool and a bar on the sixth floor. (A spa will eventually be added near the pool area.)
The property also includes new luxury apartments with additional high-end amenities.
The hotel was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1982, and historic tax credits were used in its renovation. The resulting attention to detail is evident. Many original features have been maintained, such as the guestroom doors, giving visitors a glimpse into a time when hotel rooms were tiny, but plentiful. Naturally, today’s guestrooms have more room to stretch out, and includie luxurious bathrooms with double vanities and walk-in showers with rain and hand-held showerheads.
Guestrooms include a beverage cooler with complimentary bottled water, a coffee station, a desk, a laptop safe, an iron and ironing board and complimentary Wi-Fi access. Comfy chairs recline so visitors can relax and enjoy the 48-inch flat-screen televisions.
Rather than featuring antiques and photos of old New Orleans, the decor feels modern and sophisticated. The artwork — all of which has been created by local artists — veers toward the abstract, and colors follow a beige, brown and gray palette. The large lobby features beautiful white Carrera marble and Italian floor tiles, while comfortable nooks line a long hallway bookended by the artwork of New Orleans’ Leroy Miranda Jr.
“We call the lobby ‘the gallery’,” said Becker. “It’s very spacious.”
A complimentary continental breakfast with local Abita coffee is available each morning, but in the future, the hotel will add a coffeehouse with direct access to Canal Street.
For years, locals enjoyed the old hotel’s rooftop event space and its Tulane Ballroom — named for nearby Tulane University, the owner’s alma mater — which featured big-name acts such as singer Tony Bennett. The rooftop space is gone, but the hotel’s 12th floor is home to an elegant venue with inside and outside bars and expansive views of the city. It’s available for receptions, convention parties and other events.
Valet parking is available and, with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome just a few blocks away, the hotel provides an ideal base for sporting events and festivals. A streetcar stops in front of the hotel that can whisk visitors to the French Quarter, about a mile away.
Visitors to New Orleans are often captivated by the city’s colorful past. Now, they have another hotel option that is at the center of that history.
In the 1920s, the Jung Hotel began as one building facing a side street that offered about 200 rooms, according to Marc Becker, area director of sales and marketing for the New Orleans Hotel Group. After two neighboring buildings were purchased, he said, the hotel expanded and became the biggest hotel in the South in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
The famed property changed hands beginning in 1971, and closed after Hurricane Katrina flooded its portion of Canal Street in 2005.
Finally, after an extensive restoration, The Jung Hotel & Residences held its grand reopening this month. A member of the New Orleans Hotel Collection, the new Jung Hotel includes 59 guestrooms, 15 premium king suites, 10 ADA-accessible rooms and 31 executive rooms with kitchenettes and laundry facilities. There’s also 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space — including a 12,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The hotel features a fitness center, a rooftop pool and a bar on the sixth floor. (A spa will eventually be added near the pool area.)
The property also includes new luxury apartments with additional high-end amenities.
The hotel was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1982, and historic tax credits were used in its renovation. The resulting attention to detail is evident. Many original features have been maintained, such as the guestroom doors, giving visitors a glimpse into a time when hotel rooms were tiny, but plentiful. Naturally, today’s guestrooms have more room to stretch out, and includie luxurious bathrooms with double vanities and walk-in showers with rain and hand-held showerheads.
Guestrooms include a beverage cooler with complimentary bottled water, a coffee station, a desk, a laptop safe, an iron and ironing board and complimentary Wi-Fi access. Comfy chairs recline so visitors can relax and enjoy the 48-inch flat-screen televisions.
Rather than featuring antiques and photos of old New Orleans, the decor feels modern and sophisticated. The artwork — all of which has been created by local artists — veers toward the abstract, and colors follow a beige, brown and gray palette. The large lobby features beautiful white Carrera marble and Italian floor tiles, while comfortable nooks line a long hallway bookended by the artwork of New Orleans’ Leroy Miranda Jr.
“We call the lobby ‘the gallery’,” said Becker. “It’s very spacious.”
A complimentary continental breakfast with local Abita coffee is available each morning, but in the future, the hotel will add a coffeehouse with direct access to Canal Street.
For years, locals enjoyed the old hotel’s rooftop event space and its Tulane Ballroom — named for nearby Tulane University, the owner’s alma mater — which featured big-name acts such as singer Tony Bennett. The rooftop space is gone, but the hotel’s 12th floor is home to an elegant venue with inside and outside bars and expansive views of the city. It’s available for receptions, convention parties and other events.
Valet parking is available and, with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome just a few blocks away, the hotel provides an ideal base for sporting events and festivals. A streetcar stops in front of the hotel that can whisk visitors to the French Quarter, about a mile away.
Visitors to New Orleans are often captivated by the city’s colorful past. Now, they have another hotel option that is at the center of that history.
The Details
The Jung Hotel & Residences
www.junghotel.com
