Over the past year, two boutique hotels have opened to bring modern, upscale experiences to the historic Garden District in New Orleans. Although the two hotels were opened by the same owner and are run by the same management company, the two properties are sisters, not twins.
The Blackbird Hotel opened in late 2024, and its sister property, The Garden District Hotel, made its debut across the street in June. The hotel projects came from Groogrux Hotels, a business started after a 30 year-plus friendship between two entrepreneurs who share a passion for New Orleans' culture and history, as well as traveling.
“When it came to thinking about the hotels, [the owners] were obviously struck by the city's beauty and culture, but also planned these hotels out really based on a void that they saw locally in the hospitality landscape relative to a lack of truly relevant, luxurious accommodations that were authentic reflections of the spirit of New Orleans," said Adam Patenaude, president of Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality, the management company overseeing both the properties.
Located in the historic Garden District, Patenaude said the hotels aim to provide guests with "the southern richness of the New Orleans culture at every turn." And Ceptember Evans, area general manager for both of the hotels, said the atmosphere of the area adds to the experience for visitors.
"The Garden District is just such a beautiful area to be in — all of the preserved architecture — and just seeing some of the older homes and the preserved buildings here is really unique, because you go to other cities like Houston or Austin or somewhere else in the south, and there isn't that same level of architecture and design in the area," she said, also adding that it's a lush and plant-focused area with trees and flowers everywhere.
According to CoStar data, of the 352 hotels in New Orleans, 40 are classified as boutique hotels. And, of those 40 boutique hotels, all but one are located in CoStar's French Quarter submarket, which includes the Garden District.
In fact, most of the Garden District is residential, and the two hotels are tucked away into the sleepier part of town while being nearby some of the attractions New Orleans is known for.
"Both hotels are really ideally positioned just off St. Charles [Avenue] and the street car line," Patenaude said. "So the properties offer really great connectivity to the various parts of New Orleans — the Warehouse District, Central Business District, French Quarter and a host of of great nearby restaurants, retailers and other destinations."
Designing distinctive properties
While both hotels were designed by Jeannine Jacob Interiors, a local designer, they each have their own identity. The Blackbird opened first and has only 13 rooms — each unique in size and decor. The historic building was once a children's home, later becoming a residence before being converted to a hotel.
The design for The Blackbird is dark and moody with an elegant old-world mystique — from its black exterior to its captivating ensuites.
"I love the bathrooms at the Blackbird," Evans said, adding that every one is different. "There's a lot of really nice stonework in the bathrooms and gorgeous fixtures. The designer did a really good job of mixing different colors and fun textures and interesting wallpapers. And I think each room is just so individual and so unique to itself that you feel like you're having your own experience when you're there.
"It doesn't feel like you're at a hotel. It feels like you've selected that space for yourself," she added.
The Blackbird's pool and food-and-beverage offerings have a similar style to the rest of the hotel. The pool — a small, shaded escape with lush greenery surrounding it — has a nearby bar that serves light bites and fresh cocktails. The hotel's bar inside focuses on creative and intricate drinks, even providing programming with cocktail-inspired events.
In contrast to The Blackbird's dark, moody vibes, The Garden District Hotel is light and airy — and larger with 47 rooms. Evans said the style of the hotel is mid-century modern with natural finishes and "punches of gold." The hallmark feature of The Garden District Hotel is its resort-style pool, which is one of the largest in New Orleans and, according to Evans, has the only swim-up bar in the city. While the market doesn't exactly cater to a summer vacation crowd, Evans said the pool provides guests and locals an escape from the nearby hustle and bustle.
"I think if you picture swim-up [bar] or anything resort-like, you start thinking of Galveston or somewhere else with an actual beach," she said. "I think that this kind of transports you into that beach mindset, which is nice, and you feel like you're on vacation, even though you're still in the middle of the city."
The hotel has more of a wellness focus to its programming, with weekend yoga and a full fitness center. Neither hotel has spa facilities.
In addition to the swim-up bar, The Garden District Hotel has a garden bar, and both serve lighter bites for guests. Both hotels also have cafes for coffee and grab-and-go stations.
The two hotels have quickly grown in favor with locals, who have began booking staycations or day passes to the pools.
"It's been really interesting to see how quickly the locals have come to the property, and we have a bunch of locals who are regulars with us now," Evans said.
Operations optimized
Evans, whose prior experience includes multi-property management in Austin, said she is streamlining operations over both hotels by sharing resources — such as inventory and labor — while providing guests with unique experiences at each hotel.
"In terms of operations, it's important to have a team that can operate across both hotels," she said. "But in order to do that, you have to have a very well-defined brand of [each] property."
She added that allowing her team to work on both properties, they grow their skill set and interact with different guests. The hotels each even have different staff uniforms — all black at The Blackbird and resort-style at The Garden District.
"It's really just about defining the brand of each property so that when the associate walks into that hotel, they know exactly what the experience should be, and they can live it out for the guest," she said.
The well-defined brand is as important to the guests as it is to the staff, as travelers are looking for unique experiences.
Guests are "looking for unique experiences and design elements in hotels that tie to the local community and interesting food-and-beverage experiences that are not cookie cutter," Patenaude said. "It gives hoteliers the ability to have unique platforms that cater to each guest's individual wants and needs. And I think the design focus — the sensory piece to it, the sights, the sounds, the smells — are all very prevalent in this segment of our business, and very much so at these two hotels."
Upcoming third property
So far, the duo of hotels has seen a successful opening season, thanks in part to the locals that have made an effort to visit. But Evans said they've also seen a lot of drive-in visitors — mostly attracting leisure travelers. In January, Conde Nast Traveler named New Orleans among its list of top U.S. destinations for 2025.
"Over the summer, this should be our slowest time period in New Orleans, but it's been consistently busy for us at the properties," Evans said, adding that business transient has grown too. "New Orleans in general has been trending up over the last couple of years, especially with some of the work that's going on in Texas on a lot of the event centers... A lot of their business is rerouting to New Orleans or to Nashville or somewhere similar."
Considering the opportunity and success of both The Blackbird and The Garden District hotels, Patenaude said the owners are already working on a third boutique hotel.
“Opening The White Heron alongside Dreamscape Hospitality is a continuation of our shared vision for exceptional boutique hotels in New Orleans," said Reid Gray, operating partner of Groogrux Hotels. "Dreamscape’s dedication to operational excellence and memorable guest experiences ensures this property will become a standout choice for travelers seeking something fresh and refined to the Garden District."