The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center to open in December

The National WWII Museum is scheduled to open The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton this December.  This will be Curio Collection by Hilton’s first property in the state of Louisiana.

The newest addition to the museum’s campus is named after Andrew Higgins, the founder and owner of New Orleans-based Higgins Industries, who oversaw the production of more than 20,000 “Higgins boats” used during World War II, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The hotel is part of the museum’s master plan to expand its campus.

The eight-story hotel will have an Art Deco modern style of architecture designed by Florida architectural firm Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, with 230 guestrooms and specialty suites, and 14 meeting and conference spaces. The hotel’s interiors will also embody the Art Deco-style with touches of WWII history. Los Angeles interior design firm Kay Lang + Associates received exclusive access to the museum’s artifact collection to display select pieces throughout the hotel.

When guests walk through the hotel’s main lobby, their attention will be drawn to the mural painted by Art Deco artist Michael Kudnl. The painting celebrates Higgins Industries’ workers and Louisiana’s pride for the war victory. The lobby’s ceiling, glass windows, staircase and statement 1940s-style chandelier made of glass, metal and bronze will evoke a look of grandness characteristic of the era.

The hotel’s guestrooms will have upholstered bed frames, embroidered bed sheets and WWII-era artwork, such as colorized old photographs of soldiers and trains. Three suites, named in honor of WWII-era presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower, will include living and dining areas for entertaining, an in-suite bar and a Victrola Record Player.

On the hotel’s second floor, a conference center totaling 18,000 square feet will include a boardroom and meeting rooms.

The hotel will also have a number of restaurants available for private functions, including Café Normandie; Kilroy’s Bar & Lounge; Provisions; and the rooftop bar and lounge Rosie’s on the Roof (which will have views of the city and celebrate the legacy of women in World War II with industrial decor elements, such as an airplane propeller hanging from the ceiling.

Located in the Arts and Warehouse District, a revitalized neighborhood transformed from a former 19th century industrial area, the hotel is in close proximity to entertainment centers, art studios and restaurants. In addition to sitting directly across from the entrance to The National WWII Museum, the hotel is a short walk to the French Quarter and the Garden District.

Photo credit: The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center