In the summer of 2025, Watts & Dray was tapped by HRI Hospitality to reimagine the historic, 255-key Hilton New Orleans St. Charles Avenue in the heart of the city’s Central Business District.

The hotel occupies a remarkable century-old building, purpose-built in 1926 as the Grand Lodge of the Louisiana Masonic Temple. Its significance was evident from the beginning: the cornerstone ceremony drew an extraordinary 7,000 Masons from 44 New Orleans lodges in procession.

Working within this Neo-Gothic landmark — designed by prominent New Orleans architect Sam Stone Jr. of Stone Brothers and now recognized by Historic Hotels of America — became a tremendous source of inspiration for the Watts & Dray team.

Rather than impose a new story on the building, we began with the one already there. Century-old ceremonial spaces, stained glass, marble, intricately carved and illustrative woodwork, and the extraordinary tiled ceiling of the original Grand Entry Hall gave us a rich architectural vocabulary from which to work.

From there, we looked outward to New Orleans itself. Art, music, storytelling, and a deep reverence for history are woven into the culture of the city, and all four became touchstones as we considered what the next century of this hotel could look like.

The result gives the hotel back to its city: a place of color, drama, history, and just enough folly to be unmistakably New Orleans.

Slated to reopen in October 2026, stay tuned, because we can’t wait to show you more...