A Legacy Rooted in New Orleans

OUR STORY

The history of NOPSI is as rich and as storied as New Orleans itself. Constructed during the Roaring Twenties, this iconic property has evolved over its 100-plus years to deliver luxurious modern-day conveniences with plenty of Jazz Age style, standing today among the most distinctive boutique hotels in New Orleans.

Fast-forward to present day, the former headquarters of the New Orleans Public Service Inc. remains a living American treasure, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America.

The Spirit of the Jazz Age

The Roaring Twenties was a decade defined by flappers, radio empires, the Art Deco movement and rapid technological advancements. NOPSI gleans its name from the acronym for New Orleans Public Service, Inc., which was once the transit, electricity and gas company powering New Orleans.

Black and white photo of a crowded vintage streetcar

NOPSI Building Constructed

Designed by acclaimed Louisiana-based architectural firm Favrot and Livaudais, the nine-story brick headquarters of New Orleans Public Service, Inc. swung open its doors in 1927, welcoming generations of locals who frequented the lobby halls to pay utility bills and purchase trolley car tokens.

Black and white 1927s city street scene with vintage cars lined along both sides

NOPSI Headquarters Relocated

The New Orleans Public Service Inc. ran the city’s electric, gas systems, and public transit systems up until 1980. NOPSI later became Energy New Orleans and moved out of the building at 317 Baronne Street. (Fun fact: manhole covers throughout the city still bear the NOPSI acronym).

Street scene from 1980 with two men in work attire operating equipment over a manhole

Historic Landmark Declared

In 2011, the building was declared a historic landmark by the Historic District Landmarks Commission, its architecture and design embodying distinguishing characteristics from a bygone era. We’re talking terrazzo floors, original stone-top counters in the lobby where utility customers used to pay their bills, and the ballroom’s 24-foot-high crane and tracks, which were once used to move electrical equipment to storage vaults for repair.

A sleek black grand piano sits in a sunlit room, casting reflections on its surface

NOPSI Hotel Opens

New Orleans Public Service, Inc.’s former headquarters at 317 Baronne Street, which stood abandoned for decades, was transformed into the 217-room NOPSI Hotel. Fun fact: the restored landmark was originally designed to have the upper floors illuminated entirely with indirect lighting, giving way to the hotel’s distinctive sweeping windows, high ceilings and stunning natural light.

Close-up of a round manhole cover with "NOPSI" and "Vulcan" text

A Living Legacy

Fast-forward to present day and the former headquarters of the New Orleans Public Service Inc. continues serving as a powerful symbol of the city’s Jazz Age past while pointing to its possibility-filled future. Reborn as a luxury hotel catering to young, sophisticated travelers, NOPSI New Orleans boasts spacious suites, a rooftop pool and bar, ample indoor and outdoor meeting space, easy access to the action of Bourbon Street and the French Quarter and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and a member of the Historic Hotels of America.

Entrance of NOPSI Hotel with brass accents, and a doorman in a uniform standing in front of large glass doors

A Legacy That Lives On

NOPSI New Orleans is living proof that some things get better with age. Our hotel provides modern luxuries while evoking the glamour of the Jazz Age, giving guests the best of both worlds (plus plenty of architectural details to feast their eyes on).