NEW ORLEANS—Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, located in New Orleans’ Central Business District, announced the January 2023 completion of a property expansion into the building next door. The new addition to the hotel will include 33 new guestrooms and suites, over 12,000 square feet of meeting and events space, and King, a three-meal French brasserie with outdoor patio dining. When it opens, Kimpton Hotel Fontenot will be positioned for both visitors to the city and locals alike.
“We’re ecstatic to unveil the final phase of the Fontenot and welcome our New Orleans friends and visitors,” says Jesseca Malecki, general manager of Kimpton Hotel Fontenot. “Our expansion makes it possible to bring even more guests into the hub of our city—whether they are simply looking for leisure, a new dining experience, or a beautiful space to host an event.”
Located on the ground level with an entrance on Tchoupitoulas Street, King will be rooted in the style of the brasseries of France. The dining experience at the restaurant will be upscale casual with a comfortable atmosphere, serving breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner. In addition to the interior space, there will be outside seating for 16 as well on Tchoupitoulas Street in front of the restaurant and hotel, bringing the total seating for the restaurant to 123. King will round out Fontenot’s existing restaurant and bar concepts: Peacock Room and Gospel Coffee & Boozy Treats.
Designed by MARKZEFF, who worked on the existing hotel and the expansion, King will have lighting and detailed ceilings in a space employing colors and touches down to the floor mosaic. King will be helmed by the Fontenot’s newly announced executive chef, Samuel Peery.
“With King, our culinary program will be a jewel in the crown of one of the country’s great food cities,” says Chef Peery. “We hope our neighbors and tourists will come check out the Central Business District’s newest neighborhood brasserie, have a drink and bite on our patio, and stay a while.”
The adaptive reuse expansion will also introduce a new element to the property. The structure was built in 1844 by James Gallier as warehouse space but has since undergone multiple restorations. Many design remnants of the structure still remain. The team at MARKZEFF worked to integrate elements like the original brick walls and ceiling timber beams into the updated design.
New meeting and event spaces have plank white oak wood and reclaimed timber planks from the original building within the boardroom table. Located on the second floor, above King, the event spaces are for weddings, corporate meetings, and more. One of these new spaces will be the 5,500-square-foot Canray Ballroom, named after the musician the hotel is inspired by, Canray Fontenot. In addition to the space inside the building, a second-floor outdoor patio will offer even more options for events, both functional and celebratory.
Since opening in 2021, the Fontenot has focused on embodying the Crescent City’s arts, culture, and musical legacies from the musical instruments in the lobby artwork to a partnership with local nonprofit Roots of Music to the ongoing musical residencies in Peacock Room.
