Kimpton Hotel Fontenot

Kimpton Hotel Fontenot opened in May 2022 at 501 Tchoupitoulas Street, on the site of a former Staybridge Suites, and brought the brand back to New Orleans after 16 years. The name honours Canray Fontenot, a Creole fiddler from Louisiana, and the hotel keeps a musical theme throughout. In early 2023 it took over the historic building next door at 521 Tchoupitoulas, which added 33 rooms and suites, more than 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space and a French brasserie. The total now stands at 235 rooms.

The place

The hotel sits at the edge of the Central Business District and the Warehouse District, a few blocks from the French Quarter. Tchoupitoulas Street is on the official Mardi Gras parade route, and the hotel advertises that it is located directly on it, with discounted on-site parking for the season. Pets are welcome at no extra fee, with no limit on size, breed or number.

The concept

The New York firm MarkZeff designed the hotel, which the operator describes as a contemporary take on the traditional Crescent City hotel, with chic design and playful touches. The music reference comes from Fontenot himself, a figure of Creole and zydeco tradition, and recurs in the names of rooms and spaces: the largest ballroom in the annex, 5,500 square feet, is called Canray, and a third-floor room of just over 1,000 square feet is called Lala.

The expansion was announced in October 2022 for a January 2023 completion. The meeting space is the reason the hotel can host weddings and corporate events, which the first building alone, with 202 rooms, did less easily.

Recognition came quickly: the hotel lists a AAA Four Diamond rating, a Michelin Guide mention in 2025, a Travelers' Choice award for 2026 and a second place among New Orleans hotels in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 ranking.

Dining & wellness

King is the French brasserie of the annex, designed by MarkZeff with a Mediterranean slant and a patio. It serves three meals a day under executive chef Samuel Peery, seats up to 125 according to one report, and won a Wine Spectator restaurant award in 2025.

The Peacock Room, an ornate bar full of prints and patterns, programmes music and arts events and has been recognised for its cocktails. Gospel Coffee and Boozy Treats is the counter for coffee and pastry.