Hotel Saint Vincent
About the Project
Hotel Saint Vincent is a premier destination for visitors to the Crescent City. But there was a time this renowned, boutique respite was quite the opposite. For years, the former Saint Vincent orphanage lay unappreciated and underused along a quiet stretch of Magazine Street in the city’s Lower Garden District. When an ownership group saw the potential to turn this grand but neglected property into a beacon of hospitality in New Orleans, they sought a partner with the vision, ambition, and experience to bring it to life.
Restoring more than 150 years of history with care and precision
Viewing this once revered community property through the lens of historic renovation and new construction, we planned for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to preserve its grandeur and once again display it to the world. The building was blessed with many classic New Orleans architectural details—deep verandas, an intricate wrought iron facade, an interior courtyard, beautiful 100-year-old tile—that give the hotel its unique character and spirit. We worked carefully and precisely to restore more than 150 years of history while leveraging our self-perform capabilities to create custom millwork, trim and door fabrication that would live seamlessly with the historic features.
More than restoring a building, we were challenged with a transformation from an orphanage turned discount guesthouse into a luxury hospitality destination. This level of complexity called for an expert infrastructure team with the experience to overcome major legacy structural obstacles. Consulting with engineers, we installed a new storm water retention and modern drainage system that solved for local building codes and flooding challenges. Another challenge was the need for all new insulation and a complete replacement of its legacy HVAC system that required a full reconfiguration to accommodate the revamped interior. We also created ground-up builds of a new event space and pool bar to complete the property’s luxury experience.
A testament to collaboration, talent and a shared vision
Completed in 2021, this project has been considered an immediate success, creating immeasurable impact for both our clients and the thriving arts community surrounding the hotel. Designed by Liz Lambert with Lambert McGuire in collaboration with New Orleans-based Metro Studio, the final result is a testament to collaboration, talent and a shared vision. The Hotel Saint Vincent has been featured in several design magazines and earned an ABC National Eagle Award as the nation’s top historic restoration. Most importantly, it has returned this legendary property back to the neighborhood, the city and people from around the world.
“As with any historic redevelopment utilizing state and federal historic tax credits, designers and contractors must ensure that the project meets all tax credit standards and regulatory requirements. This was no small feat given the building’s challenges, high standards of design, and unique history. The entire RNGD team exhibited professionalism and a solution-oriented attitude while facing challenges head-on from preconstruction through construction completion.”
Zach Kupperman
Kupperman Companies
Hotel Saint Vincent Infrastructure
Historic grounds gained integrated utilities and shallow stormwater retention systems.
