Omni Riverfront Hotel

The Omni Riverfront Hotel, which completed an $8 million renovation in 2014, offers elegant interiors in a former rice
mill. Guests get glimpses into
the hotel’s past life from the front façade, while interiors mix industrial-chic and more traditonal elements. Exposed brick walls, wood beams, and long windows lend an airy, loft-like feel, and the restaurant also has beautiful wooden herringbone floors. The classy, polished lobby is adorned with ornate
chandeliers, gleaming tile floors, mirrored rectangular pillars, and elegant sofas and armchairs.The hotel isn’t exactly
riverfront -- and guest rooms facing the Mississippi get a view instead of its
iconic bridge -- but its proximity to the cruise line terminals makes it a
popular stay for cruisers. Convention-goers, though, are likely to be
disappointed in the lack of a business center and in the
daily fee charged for in-room Wi-Fi (though members of the hotel's free loyalty program don't have to pay).

The hotel is located in the
Central Business District (CBD) and directly across the street from the
Riverwalk complex, which houses the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, the
Museum of the American Cocktail, and dozens of shops. Business travelers are
frequent guests as the CBD is full of corporations, foreign consulates, and the
city’s convention center (a five-minute walk away) as well as the Superdome. While
not directly on the Mississippi River, the property is a block behind it, and
is a quick walk to the Erato and Julia street cruise line terminals. Several
attractions are within walking distance, including Harrah’s Casino (four-minute
walk), the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas (eight-minute walk), and the
Insectarium (10-minute walk), while the French Quarter and the myriad dining
options and bars lining Bourbon Street can also be reached on foot (around a 20-minute walk) or via
streetcar that stops nearby. The Louis Armstrong International Airport is about
a 25-minute drive away.

Rooms and suites are
elegant and tastefully appointed with modern, streamlined furniture and a
neutral color palette of gray and cream hues. Beds framed in large
cream-colored headboards are dressed with pillow-top mattresses and plush goose
down duvets. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, work desks, tea- and coffee-makingfacilities, telephones, and iHome radios, plus many have sofas or armchairs.
Bathrooms are small, but clean and modern, with black granite-topped vanities and
roomy cabinetry; many have shower/tub combos rather than walk-in
showers. Rooms overlook the courtyard (which doubles as a driveway) with
glimpses of the Crescent City Connector Bridge, or have city views facing away
from the river. Suites (some of which are duplexes) have large separate livingrooms furnished with sofas and armchairs as well as wet bars. Cribs are free upon request, and there's a fee for extra beds.

The hotel’s elegant restaurant, Fulton Street Bistro andBar, serves French fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as cocktails
and a variety of drinks. The 24-hour fitness center is a bit small, but well-equipped with cardio machines, free weights, and exercise balls, plus free
towels and water are on hand. The hotel also provides in-room workout kits. Kids
are well catered to by the hotel’s Omni Sensational Kids program that includes
a gift of a game-filled backpack upon check-in and a delivery of cookies and
milk on the first night. For business travelers, there are four meeting rooms
available, though there’s no business center on-site. The hotel offers valet
parking, or there’s self parking available across the street, but both options
are pricey. Wi-Fi is free in the lobby, but incurs an added fee in-room (free
for Select Guest members).