A building that was once utility headquarters for the city of New Orleans has received a second life as the Nopsi Hotel.
Managed by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, the nine-story brick hotel was originally constructed in 1927 as the headquarters for New Orleans Public Service Inc. (hence, NOPSI), the city’s former utility company and transit operator.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 217-room hotel including 76 also has a vintage style restaurant, Public Service – contemporary cuisine in an open-display kitchen with raw bar and open-flame rotisserie.
The space underwent significant restoration, including the building’s street facades, cast iron rails and stone panels. Inside the lobby, ceilings and ornamental columns were also renovated. The hotel also has a rooftop pool and bar called Above the Grid.
The property was originally designed by Favrot and Livaudais, a Louisiana-based architectural firm that worked on many other historically significant buildings. New Orleans-based Woodward Design + Build from New Orleans served as the hotel’s architect and general contractor during the renovation process.