Entrepreneurism is typically associated with innovation, with cutting edge ideas and shiny new solutions. But how does entrepreneurism look when the setting is historical, and the objective is to bring a beloved institution into a new, exciting phase?
The Omni Royal Orleans Hotel is a French Quarter landmark. Originally opened as the St. Louis Hotel in 1843, it later went through a period of major decline and decay before being recreated in its full glory in 1960. Omni Hotels began operating the property in 1986 and purchased it in 2010.
Known for its Parisian-style architecture and décor, its elegant accommodations and its signature Rib Room restaurant, the hotel enjoyed a comfortable niche in the New Orleans hospitality industry, but it had untapped potential.
In January, the Omni Royal Orleans debuted a new entertainment space — Three Maries Jazz Club and The Royal Bar. The 68-seat club serves food and signature cocktails while patrons enjoy performances by local musicians.
Balancing an entrepreneurial vision with curating a historic landmark was a fascinating challenge for the Omni design team.
“To be innovative within the city of New Orleans, we knew we had to update, to give new life to these spaces,” explained Dusty Carter, senior interior design manager for Omni Hotels and Resorts. “We wanted to be sure we spoke to the past, but we wanted to modernize it and make it feel special to people who haven’t been here.”
Of course, resistance to change was a delicate obstacle.
“We’ve run into people who didn’t want us to change a thing,” she noted. “We could have left it as it is for another 50 years, and some people would have been fine with it.”
But whether the industry is advanced technology or New Orleans hospitality, fresh ideas are essential to success. Despite the constraints of working within a historic, contained space, Carter and her team were determined to create something new and exciting.
One key step was bringing in the New Orleans design and architecture firm Farouki and Farouki, who brought local experience to the project. To help spark their collective imaginations, the team toured comparable properties in New Orleans and the French Quarter to see how they were managing similar challenges.
Having specific objectives in mind was vital.
“We knew we wanted another food and beverage space, and we knew we wanted to bring more foot traffic into the hotel,” Carter recalled.
There was a section of the building on the second story that had been a bar long ago, then become an occasional meeting space. The team settled on this area as their focus.
“This was innovation through the adaptive reuse of an underutilized space,” said Carter. “We reimagined an overlooked meeting room into a speakeasy-style jazz club by transforming the space’s function and purpose rather than expanding or rebuilding. We introduced upgraded sound control and acoustic treatments to support live music, while minimizing noise to surrounding areas. Lighting was also redesigned to create a low, atmospheric mood.”
While honoring the original Parisian influences was important, the space was infused with modern Southern art to “bring in some New Orleans flair,” Carter said. “There’s an artist or a musician on every corner here.”
“We want it to be a place that everyone talks about,” Carter added.
The result opens this section of the building up in a way that is both elegant and comfortable, timeless and yet very contemporary. Modern bar, food service and live performance technology blend seamlessly with traditional architecture and interiors.
“Thoughtful innovation allows hotels to remain relevant and meet the expectations of the modern guest while celebrating the space’s past,” explained Carter. “Throughout the renovation, we were intentional about balancing preservation with progress so the property can continue to serve both longtime locals and today’s travelers. Ultimately, thoughtful, experience-driven design proved key to long-term relevance and value.”
It’s a good reminder that entrepreneurial success doesn’t simply involve starting something new, it also means sustaining and enhancing it into the future.
Keith Twitchell spent 16 years running his own business before serving as president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans from 2004 through 2020. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.
