Kristi Taglauer, who has served as general manager of two HRI Lodging (HRIL) hotels, has been named to manage HRIL’s newest property, the Aloft New Orleans Downtown, scheduled to open March 2015 in the historic 225 Baronne Building in the city’s central business district.
“Kristi has been an influential hospitality leader in the New Orleans area for more than 20 years, most recently serving as general manager at the Hilton Garden Inn French Quarter/CBD,” said Larry Daniels, HRIL vice president of operations. “She has been a member of the HRI Lodging team since 2008, and we are honored that she has chosen to continue her path with the company as the leader for this iconic property,” Daniels added.
Prior to managing HRIL’s Hilton Garden Inn French Quarter/CBD, Taglauer served as GM of the Chateau Bourbon-A Wyndham Hotel that was later converted to the Hyatt French Quarter.
Prior to joining HRI Lodging, she worked in management at several New Orleans hotels for more than 20 years, including general manager of The Whitney-A Wyndham Historic Hotel. She also worked in management positions at the Omni Royal Orleans and the Bourbon Orleans-A Wyndham Historic Hotel. She served as general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans Airport and the Holiday Inn, Covington, LA.
Taglauer earned her bachelor’s degree from University of New Orleans in the school’s Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism program.
The Aloft New Orleans Downtown is under construction in the 225 Baronne building in the heart of the New Orleans CBD. Featuring an eclectic style and a targeted demographic of Gen X and Millennials, the Aloft will offer 188 guest rooms, the signature W xyz Bar, a 24-hour fitness center and 2,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. The Aloft concept features a design partnership with Designs Within Reach.
The new hotel will accompany 192 apartments in the 225 Baronne building, the sixth combination hotel-apartment property developed by New Orleans-based HRI Properties. This part of the development will be named “The Strand Apartments.”
The 30-story building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in transforming New Orleans’ skyline from one of mid-rise buildings to high-rise structures over a ten-year period in the middle of the 20th century.
The building was completed in 1962 and was immediately 100 percent leased upon opening. Eleven of the 27 office floors were occupied by the Boeing Corporation and another six by the aerospace division of the Chrysler Corporation, both of which were developing the original Saturn rockets before they moved to NASA’s Michoud complex years later. The two companies’ dominance in the building earned 225 Baronne the reputation as “the Space Tower of New Orleans.”
The upper eight floors were the highest office space available in the city at the time and provided panoramic views on all four sides. The building was emptied of tenants after Hurricane Katina and remained abandoned until HRI purchased it in 2013.
