Omni Royal Orleans

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The Omni Royal Orleans is a 346-room hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Before being purchased by Omni Hotels, it was called the Royal Orleans. It was constructed in 1960 on the corner of St. Louis Street and Royal Street near Jackson Square, at the site of the old St. Louis Hotel, which had been destroyed in the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915. The hotel has been rated four diamonds by AAA. Its address is 621 St. Louis Street.

The Grand Salon ballroom of the Omni Royal Orleans has been a popular location for social events among New Orleans families for decades. The hotel's restaurant, the Rib Room, is frequented by many New Orleans politicians and attorneys, particularly at lunch on Fridays. It is often called the "Royal O" or just "The Royal" by New Orleanians.

Jazz pianist and composer Armand Hug had a steady gig at the Royal Orleans for decades.

After Hurricane Katrina, the Omni Royal Orleans was used as a headquarters for the New Orleans Police Department. It suffered no damage from the storm and has since returned to normal operations.

[edit] Omni Royal Orleans in pop culture

In "Live and Let Die," James Bond stays at the Royal Orleans.
The Led Zeppelin song "Royal Orleans" is purportedly based on an incident involving the band members at the hotel during the 1970s.
In 1965, the Royal Orleans was mentioned in Arthur Hailey's novel Hotel as being arguably the best hotel in North America.