Hilton Junction Grab & Go
A New Guest Experience Inside a Hotel That Never Stopped
Hilton Junction Grab & Go transformed an existing Starbucks space inside an operating Hilton hotel into a Hilton-branded coffee station and marketplace. The renovation created a new destination for coffee, prepared food, retail items, and gathering while the hotel continued serving guests, hosting ballroom functions, and operating restaurants around the work area.
RNGD’s challenge was not the size of the footprint. It was delivering a high-finish pilot concept within an occupied hospitality environment where construction could not become the guest experience. The project required careful separation, daily coordination, and fast decisions to protect hotel operations while giving the new concept the precision and polish expected of a potential model for other Hilton properties.
Transforming the Old Starbucks From the Floor Up
RNGD stripped the former Starbucks back and rebuilt the space around a completely new guest experience. New millwork, flooring, tile, countertops, kitchen equipment, signage, lighting, mechanical and electrical systems, architectural finishes, and the defining overhead trellis came together to create a warmer, more open destination for coffee, food, retail, and gathering.
Because the renovation was being inserted into an existing hotel, the finished space had to adapt to conditions that were already there. Floors were prepared and leveled before cabinetry went in. Millwork and tile had to meet cleanly across highly visible surfaces. New plumbing, electrical, HVAC, food-service equipment, lighting, and controls had to connect back into existing hotel systems above and below the project.
That precision mattered most at the finishes guests would actually see. RNGD used laser control lines to establish the layout for the millwork and trellis, then coordinated the floor, cabinetry, countertops, tile, equipment, and ADA requirements around those fixed points. Instead of allowing small inconsistencies in the existing building to compound across the finished space, the team established the geometry first and built outward from it.
Keeping Construction Quiet in an Open Hotel
The biggest challenge was simple: the hotel never stopped being a hotel. Guests were sleeping nearby, restaurants remained open, and ballroom events continued throughout construction. In an open atrium, even routine construction noise could travel well beyond the jobsite.
RNGD planned louder activities around the hotel’s schedule, shifting core drilling, cutting, and MEP work into approved windows when they would have the least impact on guests. Temporary walls separated the work area from the atrium, and when sound began carrying farther through the open space, the team added tarping and additional containment to help control both noise and dust.
That coordination changed from week to week as events moved through the hotel. RNGD worked closely with hotel operations to understand when louder work could happen, then adjusted the daily sequence around those windows. Construction continued behind the barriers while restaurants, events, and guest activity carried on around it.
A New Destination Inside the Hotel
When Junction opened, the former Starbucks had been completely transformed into a new coffee, food, and retail destination for the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. New millwork, finishes, lighting, kitchen equipment, and gathering spaces brought new energy to an area of the hotel that had gone years without a major refresh.
The result is a polished, Hilton-branded space built to serve guests throughout the day and give the hotel a fresh experience in the heart of its second-floor atrium. For RNGD, the finished project also marked the successful delivery of its first project with Hilton, completed while the surrounding hotel remained active throughout construction.
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