The Roosevelt New Orleans

The Roosevelt is one of the grand old hotels of New Orleans, and it has more than 130 years of history behind it. Louis Grunewald, a German immigrant, opened it as the Hotel Grunewald in December 1893, and in 1923 it was renamed The Roosevelt in honour of Theodore Roosevelt. It later spent four decades as a Fairmont, closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and, after a major restoration managed by Waldorf Astoria, reopened as The Roosevelt on 1 July 2009. It now has 504 rooms, including 125 suites.

The block-long lobby is the hotel's showpiece, and its Christmas decorations have been a local tradition for generations. The Sazerac Bar, which opened as the Main Bar in 1938, keeps its mahogany bar, walnut panelling and murals by Paul Ninas. It is closely tied to local history: the Louisiana politician Huey P. Long kept a suite on the 12th floor in the 1930s, and in 1949 the bar was opened to women for the first time, an event remembered as "Storming the Sazerac". The Blue Room, opened on New Year's Eve 1935, was for decades the city's leading music venue, hosting big bands such as Glenn Miller's and Tommy Dorsey's.

Today the hotel's bars and cafés include the Sazerac Bar, the Fountain Lounge for cocktails and dinner, Teddy's Café in the Grand Lobby for coffee, café au lait and beignets, and Café Alice. On the roof, a pool with city views is surrounded by private cabanas and a poolside bar, and the Waldorf Astoria Spa offers a full menu of treatments. Room types range from standard rooms to luxury suites.

The Roosevelt suits couples, history lovers and travellers who want a traditional grand hotel with full facilities. At Christmas, the hotel holds a Teddy Bear Tea for families. The hotel is busy during the festive season and at Mardi Gras, so book early. Even if you stay elsewhere, a drink in the Sazerac Bar is a classic New Orleans experience.

The hotel is in the Central Business District, just steps from the French Quarter, so most of the old city's restaurants, bars and sights can be reached on foot. For events in the ballroom and meeting rooms, contact the hotel directly through its website.