Most hotels in New Orleans lean into the city’s history. Virgin Hotels New Orleans at 550 Baronne Street in the Warehouse District leans into its personality, which turns out to be the smarter move.
The hotel opened in 2021 as a 14-story, 238-room new build, and the brand made an early decision that shaped everything that followed: they handed the interior design entirely to Logan Killen Interiors, a local firm helmed by Katie Logan Leblanc and Jensen Killen. The two designers, mostly known for residential work, said yes to the project and then got to work building something that reads as deeply New Orleans without being a caricature of it.
The result layers bold color, tropical and African-inspired patterns, enfilade layouts, transom windows, and enclosed porch-style spaces, all architectural moves borrowed directly from the city’s residential vernacular. Corridors feature custom carpet inspired by Henri Matisse’s 1943 book “Jazz.”
The concierge nook off the entrance has lacquered burgundy paneled walls, a plaid banquette, and a crystal chandelier hung above a black-and-white swamp photograph. Art throughout the property was commissioned from local artists, including Leroy Miranda, Augusta Sagnelli, and Alex Podesta.
The Commons Club on the ground floor is the social center, open to guests and non-guests alike. Connected by arched doorways, its three spaces include The Bar, anchored by a two-story cherry-red fringe chandelier designed by Lindsey Adelman that mimics Louisiana’s hanging moss; The Kitchen, with an open chef’s table and indoor porch seating; and The Shag Room, a smaller lounge for groups.
Chef Alex Harrell, a longtime fixture on the New Orleans culinary scene, runs the food program with a menu of elevated Southern and Mediterranean-influenced dishes. Think crispy house-made boudin on red grits with red-eye gravy, or Gulf shrimp over stone-ground Alabama grits with smoky tomato and fennel broth.
On the 13th floor, The Pool Club wraps around the building with indoor-outdoor terrace space, city views, live DJs on weekends, and a $25 pool pass available to non-guests. The Dreamboat cocktail lounge sits just inside. Both spaces pull a heavy local crowd on weekends, which tells you something about how the hotel fits into the city rather than sitting apart from it.
Virgin Hotels New Orleans is at 550 Baronne Street in the Warehouse District. Rates start around $148 per night. Call (504) 272-1000 or book at virginhotels.com/new-orleans.
