KEY TAKEAWAYS: Omni Royal Orleans has opened its renovated La Riviera Rooftop Pool Bar as the latest phase of a property-wide renovation. The rooftop features a new pool, expanded deck seating, cabanas, remodeled bar and restaurant, and panoramic French Quarter views. Public day passes and pr ivate cabana rentals are available through ResortPass, while hotel guests receive full rooftop access. The final phase of the renovation will modernize 345 guest rooms and suites, with the overall project scheduled for completion in early 2027.   Project description: The Omni Royal Orleans has completed its reimagined La Riviera Rooftop Pool Bar, the latest phase of a two-year, hotel-wide renovation. Updates include a new rooftop pool, expanded deck seating, remodeled restaurant and bar, and cabanas, along with broader upgrades to the lobby, ballroom, jazz club, Royal Bar, Rib Room, meeting spaces, and a new coffee shop. The final phase will renovate 345 guest rooms and suites. Address: 621 St. Louis St., New Orleans Owner: Omni Hotels Resorts Architect for public spaces: Farouki Farouki General Contractor: Ryan Gootee General Contractors LLC Square Footage: 37,500 square feet Renovation cost: Undisclosed Start date: July 2025 Completion date: Early 2027 The renovated rooftop terrace at Omni Royal Orleans has opened, marking the latest phase of the French Quarter hotel’s property-wide, multi-year renovation. Featuring sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the city, the rooftop terrace includes a remodeled and covered La Riviera poolside bar and restaurant, a new pool and deck, expanded lounge seating, and cabanas. Hotel guests have full access to the rooftop, while the public can purchase day passes or reserve private cabanas through ResortPass. Hotel guests can also reserve/rent cabanas and receive a reduced rental rate. Day passes for guests include pool access, towel service, Wi-Fi, and poolside food and drinks available for purchase Friday through Sunday. Pool hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Dining is available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, while bar hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Cabana rental is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cabanas accommodate up to six guests and include reserved seating, two chaise loungers, a Smart TV, stocked mini fridge, sparkling wine, fruit platter, and day pass amenities. The reimagined rooftop terrace was designed by New Orleans-based Farouki Farouki and with Metairie-based Ryan Gootee General Contractors LLC (RGGC) as the lead construction firm. It is the latest phase of a two-year, property-wide renovation for the Omni Royal Orleans. Additional renovations already completed by RGGC include broader upgrades to the lobby, ballroom, Rib Room, meeting spaces, and a new jazz club, Royal Bar, and coffee shop. The final phase will renovate 345 guest rooms and suites, with completion slated for early 2027. “This is one of the most significant investments in the hotel’s history, and it’s a clear statement of Omni’s commitment to New Orleans for the long haul,” said Cesar Matus, general manager of the Omni Royal Orleans. “The French Quarter has always drawn travelers seeking authentic culture, food, and music, and that demand isn’t going away. It’s about creating a destination that feels alive at every hour, while staying deeply rooted in what makes the French Quarter unique.” Matus said each new space is designed to give guests more reasons to linger, and to feel the personality of New Orleans in every corner of the hotel. “By investing in spaces like Three Maries Jazz Club, La Riviera, the refreshed Rib Room and updating every guest room, we’re ensuring the Omni Royal Orleans continues to be a landmark, not just a place to stay, but a place that reflects the resilience and vibrancy of the city itself, for generations to come.” Rooftop terrace expands city views, poolside luxuries La Riviera features a retractable awning, more panoramic views of the city, a tucked-away observation deck, more dining areas, and expanded bar and restaurant menu items. “It’s a nice retreat from the bustling French Quarter, inspired by the glamour of the French Riviera and brought to life through vibrant Mediterranean color palettes,” said Matus. “La Riviera offers a chic oasis escape.” Jenny Renn Key, senior interior designer at Farouki Farouki, said new punched openings at the rooftop bar frame sweeping views of Jackson Square and Armstrong Park, “giving guests a perspective of New Orleans that feels both memorable and uniquely tied to the hotel.” “I’m most proud of creating more opportunities for people to gather and experience the hotel,” Key said. “By transforming an underutilized rooftop gym and two first-floor meeting rooms, we introduced a vibrant lobby bar, the new Three Maries music venue, and expanded rooftop lounge spaces, all without increasing the building’s footprint.” La Riviera’s bar features cocktails, spirits, beer, and wine, while the restaurant menu includes appetizers such as guacamole, Gulf shrimp ceviche, hummus, calamari and patatas; salads; handhelds including a burger, blackened fish tacos, and chicken sandwich; and desserts such as stuffed dates, champagne float, and a New Orleans ice cream sandwich with bananas foster ice cream and a shortbread cookie. “The rooftop restaurant menu leans into that easy, resort feel too, spritzes and frosé by the pool, ceviche and guacamole to share, a Riviera burger or blackened fish tacos, and a champagne float for dessert,” Matus said. “It’s a great way for locals and visitors who aren’t staying with us to still experience the rooftop.” Brandon Hebert, project manager at RGGC, said the rooftop terrace renovation required close coordination among the construction team, hotel operations, designers, and trade partners. “Watching that space come together piece by piece, despite the challenges we faced, was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am proud of the collective effort,” Hebert said. “We were holding daily internal team meetings alongside multiple external coordination meetings to ensure that current constraints were in front of the right decision makers at the right time. Our team made a conscious choice to view every constraint as an opportunity to succeed rather than a roadblock.” Rooftop terrace built for New Orleans weather Hebert said the pool area presented a series of technical and logistical challenges, particularly because crews were building a rooftop outdoor space intended to withstand New Orleans weather. That meant adding and replacing existing roof drainage, ensuring proper under-paver slopes so both pool and rainwater could effectively drain off the roof, maximizing every inch of space within the new kitchen, and confirming that windows and string light supports could hold up during high-wind events, Hebert said. “The most demanding aspect was ensuring we were building an outdoor space capable of withstanding the New Orleans climate long-term,” Hebert said. “On the logistics side, we were constantly solving for the same fundamental question: ‘How do we get this to the roof?’ – whether that was coordinating a crane lift for the pool shell or utilizing the existing parking garage for material access.” The combination of working in the French Quarter and performing construction while the hotel remained open required RGGC to be intentional about site setup. Crews used pipe and drape, and temporary partitions to create clear separations between construction and hotel operations. They prioritized routing construction traffic through back-of-house paths whenever possible and scheduled loud or disruptive work and required shutdowns between 2 and 4 p.m., a window when many hotel guests were out exploring the city. “We held daily meetings with all our trade partners to reinforce the minimal-impact standard we held ourselves to,” Hebert said. “Our team worked relentlessly to find solutions that minimized disruption to Omni’s operations throughout.” Historic research guides modern design The design concept for La Riviera and the rest of the renovated public spaces drew from both French Quarter history and contemporary luxury hospitality. Farouki Farouki’s design team researched the property’s history at The Historic New Orleans Collection, using archival details throughout the masterplan renovation to guide design decisions. The building’s signature archways remain a defining architectural element and informed the millwork in the new lobby bar. A historic floor plan revealed a simple black-and-white checkerboard pattern, which inspired the large-scale marble flooring in the coffee shop. Vintage photographs of the rooftop, complete with bold orange-and-white striped umbrellas, became the starting point for the pool deck’s color palette. “Research was an essential part of our design process,” Key said. “Rather than recreating the past, we reinterpreted these historic details through a contemporary lens. … We drew on timeless Parisian influences, including bold contrasts, rich marble, and warm wood accents, that feel as relevant today as they did decades ago.” The original antique glass map in The Royal Bar remains on display as a nod to the property’s past. The ballroom renovations were inspired by the elegance of a classic Chanel tweed suit. At Three Maries, charcoal limewash accents and floral wallpaper inspired by romantic garden conservatories were chosen to honor the city’s character. “Throughout the hotel, streamlined millwork and refined detailing bring a fresh, modern sensibility while preserving the warmth, comfort, and grandeur that define luxury today,” Key said. Color helped distinguish the individual spaces while maintaining an overall sense of cohesion. A photograph of the Rib Room from the 1960s inspired the rich red-orange ceiling, while vintage rooftop menus featuring greens and oranges informed the palette for La Riviera. “Historic references guided many of those decisions,” Key said. “By using these historic colors on contemporary forms and furnishings, we created spaces that feel fresh and modern while remaining connected to the hotel’s history.” Key added: “We established a consistent design vocabulary through recurring themes, including strong geometries, such as the half-round banquettes inspired by the building’s existing archways, along with organic florals and marbled patterns in the artwork and textiles that soften the hard-lined architecture.” Matus said the renovation was intended to give each new venue its own identity while keeping the property rooted in the culture and history of the French Quarter. “From the panoramic rooftop views of the French Quarter and the Mississippi River at La Riviera to the intimate music atmosphere at Three Maries Jazz Club, each space was designed to celebrate the spirit of New Orleans,” Matus said. “I’m proud that as we’ve brought these new spaces to life, we’ve stayed true to the heart and soul of New Orleans and the history of the hotel.” ...read more read less