NEW ORLEANS – Today, Dec. 8, the National WWII Museum officially broke ground on it's newest addition – The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center.
At the morning press conference, the chairman of the board said the mission of the museum has always been to continue education and to tell a story to young people about the sacrifices made and the lives given, and to walk away with a greater appreciation of freedom and democracy. The 230-room hotel will hold 18,000 square feet of conference space, aimed at attracting new visitors to the city and the museum.
“We fundamentally believe that a dedicated space to host educational programs for students, teachers, enthusiasts, corporate groups, reunion groups and military is a core component of what we should have here at the museum,” said Stephen J. Watson, president and CEO of the museum.
“When we looked at our last undeveloped piece of land, we wanted to ensure that we created a property that would economically support the museum’s educational mission, while also enhancing our visitor experience. When you pair that with our increasing visitation, a hotel and conference center is a natural choice.”
Watson noted that the museum has seen 11 years of increased growth, with 700,000 visitors last year and around 85 percent of those visitors coming from out of town.
Continuing to grow that number, as well as attract more conferences and school groups from around the country, is the driving force behind the new hotel.
The Higgins Hotel will operate as a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, one of Hilton’s 14 market-leading brands. It will sport an art deco interior style and is set to open in 2019.
– by Kelly Massicot, editor BizNewOrleans.com
*Rendering given by The National WWII Museum
