The Troubadour — Joie de Vivre Hotels' first property in the southern U.S. — opened in New Orleans’ central business district. The 184-room boutique is hotel located in a 17-story building at 1111 Gravier Street.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of The Troubadour and to establish a foothold in the South for Joie de Vivre,” said Niki Leondakis, CEO of hotels & resorts, Two Roads Hospitality. “The vibrant, free-spirited nature of New Orleans matches the whimsy and playfulness of the Joie de Vivre brand. We look forward to providing a dynamic hub for both locals and visitors in this exciting, up-and-coming neighborhood."
Embracing the local New Orleans community, The Troubadour tapped local tastemakers Gabriel Flores and Juley Le to create unique programming for the hotel. Gabriel Flores, a local street artist will create an installation with bright colors and “Instagram-able” moments at the soon-to-open Monkey Board—The Troubadour’s rooftop bar.
A snap from our opening day "second line" through the streets of New Orleans! pic.twitter.com/SjygeCAaQR
— Troubadour Hotel (@troubadourhotel) December 16, 2016
The hotel is also debuting staff attire curated by local fashion blogger Juley Le. Le, the founder of Upperlyne & Co. and Drip Affogato Bar, based her inspiration on design elements found throughout The Troubadour.
Chef Phillip Lopez oversees The Troubadour’s two dining concepts—Petit Lion and Monkey Board. Petit Lion is the hotel’s signature, 64-seat restaurant offering modern and Parisian fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant overlooks Gravier and Rampart Streets, and has a horseshoe-shaped bar.
Monkey Board, the rooftop bar opening January 2017, will offer food truck favorites, shareable small plates and large-format pitchers and frozen drinks created by T. Cole Newton. Newton also created the cocktail program for Petit Lion, which focuses on craft and classic cocktails, as well as the punch bowls at the second-floor Lobby Lounge inspired by one-hit wonders of the late 1960s.
Originally developed as an office building, The Troubadour’s home at 1111 Gravier Street was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. Locally-based Campo Architects kept the building’s original staircase intact, which leads guests to the second-floor Lobby Lounge, as well as the “Highball” and “Snifter” meeting rooms. Each of the 184 guestrooms and suites has a modern aesthetic with touches of the city’s mysticism, music, and local culture; full-length windows; retro-style refrigerators; mini bars with locally-sourced items; and two-person bar tops for guests to enjoy in-room cocktails. Bathrooms have dramatic tiles, sconces and Jonathan Adler custom-scented bath amenities—a Joie de Vivre brand signature.