Rockbridge and HRI Properties, LLC proudly announce the opening of The Eliza Jane, a 196-room hotel centrally-located just two blocks from the French Quarter and a short walk away from many of the city’s iconic landmarks.
The Eliza Jane is a thoughtful blend of elegance, combined with just the right mix of fancy and funky. This one-of-a-kind boutique hotel is built within nine historic warehouses that stand distinct on the outside but have been united inside to create sizable guest accommodations in addition to a 2,000 square-foot open-air interior courtyard. Inspired by buildings’ rich history, the hotel’s design team drew inspiration from many of the buildings’ original occupants: The Daily Picayune, the Gulf Baking Soda company, as well as the Peters Cartridge shop and Peychaud Bitters factory.
The hotel is named after Eliza Jane Nicholson, publisher of The Daily Picayune in the late 1800s and the first woman publisher of a major metropolitan newspaper in the United States. The hotel’s design creatively showcases this rich history, giving guests and locals alike a glimpse into centuries-old stories and a feel of old New Orleans charm.
“Our goal with The Eliza Jane was to embrace the history and location of these distinct buildings to create a special experience for our guests. The team worked hard to capture the classic culture of New Orleans and has no doubt succeeded,” said Jim Merkel, Rockbridge CEO. “We have really enjoyed our collaboration with HRI and Makeready to create a truly unique destination in New Orleans.”
The Eliza Jane joins The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand, which launched in 2016 as a unique collection of new and existing luxury and upper-upscale properties offering unique stay experiences and story-worthy moments.
Designed by esteemed firm Stonehill Taylor, the hotel’s accommodations and amenities comprise 196 guestrooms with 50 suites, including 12 signature suites, a fitness center, garden courtyard and food and beverage offerings by Makeready, which will feature a locally inspired restaurant and a lobby bar, which is now open. The Eliza Jane will also feature more than 1,700 square feet of multi-purpose event space, suitable for hosting meetings and celebrations, as well as an alfresco patio adjacent to the restaurant.
“New Orleans is one of the most exciting places in the country, and we are thrilled to bring a fresh take on the city’s hospitality scene with the opening of The Eliza Jane,” said General Manager Travis Tague. “The property fully embraces our city’s spirit, and we look forward to complementing that by offering personalized and genuine New Orleans experiences to our guests.”
About Rockbridge
Rockbridge has been investing in and building brands for nearly 20 years. The business has made 223 hotel investments in 38 states worth more than $5 billion in capitalization. Rockbridge has been a prolific investor in the hospitality space and recently delivered several new, independent hotels similar to Eliza Jane. These properties include Cliff House (Cape Neddick, ME), The Adolphus (Dallas, TX), Noelle (Nashville, TN) and soon to open, The Alida (Savannah, GA), and Charter Hotel (Seattle, WA) to name a few. Rockbridge’s core strength comes from its collaborative team, innovative thinking, relentless curiosity, and focus on its culture.
About HRI Properties
HRI Properties, LLC (“HRIP”) is an internally managed, fully integrated owner, operator and developer of premium branded hotels and upscale apartments in top urban U.S. markets. Since 1982, HRIP and its predecessor have completed more than 80 projects involving more than $2.5 billion of total invested capital, which include over 5,000 apartment units, over 5,000 hotel rooms, and more than 1.4 million square feet of office and retail space. HRIP is a full-service real estate development company, with in-house architectural design and construction management capabilities and is a national leader in the adaptive reuse of historic structures. As the urbanization trend in the U.S. continues, we are committed to Elevating the Urban Experience by developing, acquiring and managing high quality real estate located within “walkable” urban neighborhoods where people want to live, work and play.
About Makeready
Designed from the ground up to create truly independent hotel, restaurant, and retail brands with individual points of view, Makeready is a different kind of hotel operator – one that provides an opportunity for travelers to connect to the world around them, city by city and person by person. Makeready is passionate about developing independent experiences that are an essential part of each community, cultivating deep, emotional connections across guests, teams, and local brands to create sustainable value for investors. .
About The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand is a portfolio of new and existing upper-upscale and luxury hotel properties, ranging from historic urban gems to contemporary trend-setters, boutique properties to resorts, and private home accommodations. Whether it is a fascinating past, an exclusive location, famous architecture and design, or an award-winning dining experience, the properties in the collection provide guests with “social currency” and allow them the freedom to be unique.
About Stonehill Taylor
Stonehill Taylor is a hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm based in New York City. For each project, the firm seeks out the essence of the location and the client’s vision for a unique and inspired approach. The firm’s high-profile portfolio ranges from interior design and renovation, to new building construction, adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects, including: Ace Hotel New York, The St. Regis New York, The Camby Hotel, The Asbury Hotel, InterContinental Barclay, The Bryant, The Whitby, and Paramount Hotel’s Diamond Horseshoe. Stonehill Taylor is at the forefront of innovative and award-winning sustainable design, developing projects like The Crosby Street Hotel, The NoMad Hotel, and Portland’s Press Hotel that are conscious of their impact on local communities and the world.