Pontchartrain

The hotel provides the public with little information about its history. Our team researches the hotel's past, from the very beginning, verifying its exact opening date and providing an overview of its history up to the present day.?If you have any useful information and would like to share it, please send it to archives@famoushotels.org.?Thank you This is what we know so far (attention: unverified history!): Named in honor of Count de Pontchartrain from the court of Louis XVI, the doors of the Pontchartrain Hotel were first opened in March of 1927. The impressive 12-story hotel included 80 apartments. In 1940, the Pontchartrain secured ownership of the coffee shop, naming it "The Silver Whistle" after a play starring Jose Ferrer, a frequent guest. In 1941, as the nation was thrust into war, the hotel converted some of the apartments into transient rooms. The timing proved excellent as the demand for hotel rooms reached an all time high due to the many travelers the war brought to New Orleans. For more than 20 years, the Pontchartrain was the tallest commercial building in the city's renowned Garden District and until 1990, the hotel continued to house "permanent residents." In 1947, the cypress-beamed lounge, the Bayou Bar, opened, making way for the elegant and award-winning Caribbean Room Restaurant. The instantly-popular restaurant received numerous awards including the Travel Holiday Award for "excellence of cuisine" in 1958, an honor received every year in operation since. Its famous Mile High Pie made culinary history. The beautiful setting of the Caribbean Room Restaurant soon became the most sought-after venue for special events. Aglow in pink and rose luxury, the Caribbean Room now exclusively hosts group functions, weddings, and banquets with its adjoining private rooms. The Bayou Bar remains a popular meeting place for locals and out-of-town visitors today, and features sophisticated live entertainment. Exquisite canvas murals depicting scenes of Louisiana bayous, birds, and aquatic flowers adorn its walls. By 1949, a steady stream of celebrities regularly returned to the Pontchartrain Hotel on their visits to New Orleans, and it was often the setting for receptions and private parties. By 1951, the Patio Room opened ... a lovely addition to the Caribbean Room with a mural of Louisiana flowers by local artist Charles Reinike. Overlooking beautiful St. Charles Avenue, it continues to offers lovely views and a garden-like setting for many special events. In 1966, each room of the Pontchartrain was individually furnished with period antiques. As celebrities stayed in the newly decorated suites, they began naming suites in their honor. Suites are now named for Mary Martin, Richard Burton, Joan Fontaine, Carol Channing, Helen Hayes and many others who considered the hotel their home in New Orleans.