This article is for quizzes on Tuesday December 6th...
The Roosevelt New Orleans in
New Orleans,
Louisiana, is a 504-room hotel owned by Dimension Development and managed by
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The hotel was originally built by Louis Grunewald, a German immigrant, and opened in 1893 as "The Hotel Grunewald."
As early as 1900, Grunewald began plans and eventually construction
of an 'Annex' tower on the University Place side of the block. The cost
of the new tower was reportedly $2,500,000 and was considered one of the
finest in the country. The new tower was 14 stories tall and had 400
rooms. Its grand opening was at Midnight, January 1, 1908. This
expansion was designed by the architectural firm, Toledano & Wogan.
Louis Grunewald's son Theodore became the Director and Manager of the
Hotel. The lobby of the Annex featured a large Italian Marble staircase
which reached an overlooking mezzanine level of the hotel. The Annex
Tower allowed the addition of several entertainment and dining
facilities. Among the new options were the Forest Grill, The Lounge, The
Fountain Grill and the most famous, The Cave. The Cave was designed to
mimic a subterranean cave complete with waterfalls, stalactites, glass
topped tables and statues of gnomes and nymphs. Revues similar to the
Ziegfeld Follies were presented on a nightly basis.
In 1915, Theodore Grunewald became the sole owner of the hotel when
his father died. He retained ownership of the hotel until early 1923
when, on his Doctor's advice, he sold all of his business interests.
