New Orleans' biggest hotel is getting another serious tune-up. The 29-story Hilton New Orleans Riverside has kicked off the next stage of a long-running makeover that will overhaul guest rooms and public corridors across much of its midtower. The multiyear program is focused on modernizing technology, refreshing bathrooms and improving accessibility at a property that hosts thousands of convention and leisure visitors every year.
This new third phase carries a price tag of about $18 million and covers guestroom towers on floors 4–13 and 29. The work will carve out two new suites, one facing the Mississippi River and one looking toward the city, nudging the overall room count up by two. General manager David Piscola put the scope in perspective, saying, "when you have a battleship like this, with 1,622 rooms, you're almost constantly renovating." The phase is part of a roughly $50 million total overhaul, and the hotel says the room refresh is scheduled to wrap up in October, according to NOLA.com.
Owner And Timeline
Park Hotels & Resorts, the Virginia-based real estate investment trust that owns the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, has been footing the bill for the multi-phase project. The company reported $83 million in capital improvements in the first quarter of 2026, a figure that includes earlier renovation phases at the Riverside, according to Park Hotels & Resorts. Investor materials state that the final phase of the main tower is targeted for completion by December 2026 as part of a broader capital plan. Executives have framed the spending as a strategic reinvestment to keep the company’s core urban properties competitive.
What Guests Will Notice
Inside the rooms, guests can expect upgraded tech, including smart TVs, updated door locks and new Wi-Fi infrastructure, along with refreshed bathrooms and parlor rooms. Accessible guest rooms are being updated to align with the latest Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines, as reported by NOLA.com. On the food and beverage front, the property has added an on-site Junction Café & Provisions, which Hilton introduced earlier this year to give travelers a grab-and-go coffee and snack option inside the Riverside, per Hilton.
Conventions And Meeting Spaces
Sitting next to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and offering more than 130,000 square feet of event space, the Riverside is a key player in New Orleans' convention business and downtown hotel economy. The hotel previously refreshed its meeting spaces in a multi-year effort, including work completed between 2017 and 2019, according to Lodging Magazine. Owners say this newest phase is meant to keep the Riverside at the front of the pack for large conventions as demand continues to rebound.
Officials note that the phased renovation began years ago and hit delays during the pandemic, but management still plans to keep much of the property open for events while construction continues. Park’s latest investor update lists the Riverside tower work among capital projects expected to be substantially complete by year-end, and hotel leaders say refreshed rooms should be ready in time for the fall convention season.
