Wyndham Adds Landmark New Orleans Hotel

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. October 29, 2008

OCTOBER 28, 2008. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts today announced the addition of the 251-room Chateau Bourbon, A Wyndham(R) Historic Hotel in New Orleans to its portfolio of upscale hotels.

The former Chateau Sonesta hotel, owned by New Orleans-based HRI Lodging, is situated between Canal and Iberville Streets in the city's famed French Quarter district. The pre-Civil War structure was formerly the D.H. Holmes department store, which operated for more than 140 years until it was converted into a hotel in 1995 by HRI Properties, Inc.

Upgrades to the property will include the addition of the Wyndham brand's signature "Be Well" bedding; flat screen televisions; new guest room and public space carpeting; and significant enhancements to bathrooms, guestroom furniture and fixtures.

The Chateau Bourbon Hotel is the ninth historic property to join the Wyndham portfolio, which also includes the Whitney in New Orleans; Abraham Lincoln in Reading, Pa.; Hotel Galvez and Tremont House in Galveston, Texas; The Roberts Mayfair in St. Louis; The St. Anthony in San Antonio; Union Station in Nashville; and The George Washington in Winchester, Va.

Peter Strebel, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts president, said Wyndham historic hotels "have a true sense of place" and are a "unique part of the brand's DNA."

"Wyndham historic properties elegantly blend their historic integrity, unique architectural features and ambience with the contemporary creature comforts today's travelers expect," he said. "We are honored to welcome the Chateau Bourbon Hotel to our distinguished family of celebrated historic hotels."

"Our goal is to restore the Chateau Bourbon, A Wyndham Historic Hotel back to its status as one of the finest hotels in the French Quarter through our affiliation with the Wyndham brand, which has a sterling reputation in the lodging industry for supportive and valuable partnerships with hotels in historic buildings," said Honor'e Aschaffenburg, president of HRI Lodging.

Following its opening in 1849, the former D.H. Holmes department store became beloved by New Orleans shoppers. It later gained broader appeal by the 1981 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces whose opening scene features the landmark's famous "clock," a favorite meeting place for generations of New Orleanians.

Property highlights include 12-foot ceilings in each guest room; a contemporary art collection featuring original art by emerging and established artists; the Atrium Courtyard, with its glass roof and exposed cypress beams from the D.H. Holmes building; the Clock Bar lounge adorned by alabaster pillars from the original D.H. Holmes soda fountain; Ralph Brennan's Red Fish Grill; and Tempo Restaurant. Modern comforts and amenities include an airline boarding pass station; in-room spa services; wired and wireless high-speed Internet access; Nintendo(R); heated outdoor pool; 24-hour business center; and complimentary fitness facility.

Specializing in meeting and wedding events, the hotel also offers 10,000 square feet of function space including 10 meeting and banquet rooms for groups up to 320.