NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans hospitality industry is heading into 2027 with more than $1 billion in hotel renovations, new properties coming online and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional investment planned around the city’s convention district.
New Orleans & Company said the city has seen more than $1 billion invested in hotel renovations, along with $60 million in new hotels and more than $600 million committed to the planned Omni headquarters hotel near the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Tourism remains one of the region’s major economic drivers. New Orleans welcomed 19.46 million visitors in 2025, who spent $10.8 billion, according to a study by MMGY Global released by New Orleans & Company. Visitor spending increased from $10 billion in 2024, while the tourism and hospitality industry supports more than 85,000 jobs and careers in the New Orleans area.
“With new places to stay, once-in-a-century celebrations, acclaimed cuisine, a full calendar of events and expanded ways to reach the city, 2027 will bring both new experiences and milestone moments to New Orleans,” said Walt Leger III, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company. “In New Orleans we know how to bring people together. And when we bring people together, remarkable things happen.”
New Hotels Open in 2026
Three new hotels are among the hospitality investments that have opened or are scheduled to open in New Orleans in 2026.
Monarch New Orleans, a 34-room boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century building on St. Charles Avenue, opened in April. The property features Art Deco-inspired interiors and the S Bar lobby lounge.
The Warbler, a 58-room hotel on St. Charles Avenue, is taking reservations beginning Nov. 1. The hotel features a rooftop pool and three food and beverage concepts.
Fairmont New Orleans, a 250-room hotel in the former Bank of New Orleans building, will officially open Nov. 2. The hotel will feature a rooftop bar and pool, spa, dining concepts and meeting and event spaces.
Major Hotel Renovations
Existing hotels are also completing major upgrades heading into 2027.
New Orleans Marriott has completed a property-wide renovation of all 1,333 rooms and suites and its M Club. Updates include queen beds replacing former double beds, walk-in showers in most rooms, five new Crescent City Suites and refreshed specialty suites. The hotel also has more than 86,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hilton New Orleans Riverside is completing renovations to its 1,622 guest rooms, bathrooms, parlors, corridors and elevator lobbies. The project also includes accessibility and resiliency improvements.
Omni Royal Orleans expects to unveil redesigned guest rooms and refreshed ballroom and meeting spaces in early 2027. Its reimagined dining and bar offerings will include The Royal Bar, Three Maries Jazz Club, Fifi Parée coffee shop and La Riviera rooftop and pool bar. The historic Rib Room will also return with a refreshed look.
Convention Center Investment Continues
The hospitality investment extends to the city’s convention district, where more than $600 million has been committed to a planned Omni headquarters hotel adjacent to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The project is intended to expand the city’s ability to compete for conventions and meetings, which generate demand for hotel rooms and spending at restaurants, attractions and other local businesses.
New Orleans & Company’s Convention Sales team sold more than 1.7 million hotel room nights in 2025, generating business for hotels and other hospitality businesses across the region.
The Convention Center is also continuing a $763 million capital improvement program designed to modernize the facility and maintain its competitiveness in the meetings and conventions market.
The Convention Center’s multi-phase Capital Improvement Plan, launched in 2018 and expected to continue through 2030, includes renovations to 140 meeting rooms and upgrades to lobby spaces. Completed improvements include LED lighting, low-flow restroom fixtures and a 40-acre energy-efficient cool-roofing system.
