Last Open as a Ramada Inn, this Hotel Building in New Orleans has been Converted to Apartments

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Holiday Inn construction in the mid-20^th Century was directly related to the way cities were mapped out historically as they responded to suburban growth. As cities grew during the mid-20^th Century, interstates and other major thoroughfares were being constructed, which led to the growth of suburban areas, such as New Orleans East. Interstate 10 offered a direct route through New Orleans East and thus, new business began to be built along it, including hotels, which could provide more options for travelers and visitors to New Orleans outside of the main central business district and French Quarter. In New Orleans, the construction of this particular Holiday Inn not only served the traveler passing through, but the new community of New Orleans East as well.

The Holiday Inn Company in the United States and New Orleans

The story of the Holiday Inn chain began with Kemmons Wilson, a construction business owner, who took a road trip with his family in 1951. He returned home frustrated over the hotel system with uncomfortable accommodations and extra charges for children and amenities. He had a vision, a place ideal for the midsize family and a standardized chain of hotels across the US all within a day's driving distance of each other. Soon that vision became reality and certain amenities were included and made standard at every location. Some of these standardizations included the room format, a swimming pool, free television, telephone access, ice machines, a restaurant, and no charge for children under 12. Despite slow beginnings, the company soon took off, especially after the Federal Highway Act of 1956. Along with the growing ease of fast food chains, Holiday Inn signs soon became easily recognizable. The grand neon Holiday Inn sign, designed to welcome the weary traveler, was conveniently located near a highway, and provided the comforts of a home away from home.

In the 1960s, Holiday Inn's brand continued to grow, ranging from economy size to high-rise style buildings. The high-rise design, still used by many chains today, was designed by the firm of William W. Bond and Associates. This modernist design was defined by its pre-cast concrete slabs and brick veneers to form distinctive exterior features. The firm designed hundreds of hotels in this style, both in economy and high-rise styles as a part of the portfolio of over 2,500 buildings. These plans were quickly produced by Bond's firm, thanks to newly developed computer technology which allowed for quick replication of standardized design features. Examples of high-rise buildings of Bond's work in this design include, 465 Broadway, Gary, IN; City Line Ave., Philadelphia, PA; and 6324 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA.

The Holiday Inn at 6324 Chef Menteur Highway was the third Holiday Inn constructed in New Orleans. It was found in newspapers mentioned as New Orleans Holiday Inn Highrise and New Orleans Holiday Inn East. The land was originally bought by Jacob and Vincent Morreale in 1966. The survey of the land in the notarial records shows the proposed I-10 highway path, which had yet to be built and was recorded in the archives in April 1966. The area called New Orleans East was only just being developed in the 1960s due to the promise of the new federal interstate system. After some early subdivisions such as Plum Village were constructed, the highway was built. The highway finished construction the same year as the survey was recorded, in December 1966. In 1968, the building contract for the Holiday Inn was completed and construction began, with the architect on file being William Bond. Bond's firm's defining design characteristics of concrete slab and frame construction with exteriors utilizing cast concrete breeze block ornamentation and brick veneers were fully implemented in the design of the Holiday Inn Highrise. All of the standard Holiday Inn amenities, as well as an in-ground pool, were included as well. The location near the highway was thought to be ideal for the traveler visiting or passing through New Orleans.

This design, in particular, with the cast concrete breeze blocks was a feature used in many Holiday Inn's across the country. Most buildings found once with the breeze block pattern are now either demolished or renovated with a different style. This building is one of the last buildings found retaining the original style in the country. Some examples of cities with Holiday Inn buildings that had similar breeze block patterns include:

Once completed, advertisements began to be listed in the local newspapers for open positions in 1969 for the New Orleans Holiday Inn High Rise. Not only was the hotel marketed toward travelers, but to locals as well. Two early examples to be noted were in in October 1969, a "Balloon-O-Mat," was listed to be at the hotel, a helium balloon vending machine, and in January 1970, a job fair was held in the conference rooms.

Open until 1995, the Holiday Inn Highrise played a significant role in the development of the commercial sector along the I-10 interstate in New Orleans. Not only did it affect the city through its contribution of hotel space for an increasing flux of tourists and business people, but the structure also represents a new day in the age old profession of the architect with its use of computerized drafting.

Since 1995, the building was sold to Ramada Inn and continued to be used as a hotel for 10 more years. Early in 2005 the building was sold again and has since then remained vacant. In 2017, it was recognized to have been tagged with one of the largest graffiti tags the city has seen, on the front elevation depicted the text: CAVEMAN READER OYE, and on the rear elevation depicted the text: READ UP CAVEMAN 2017.

'The Caveman' building in New Orleans East converted to workforce housing

Building Description

The Holiday Inn Highrise East is located right off the Chef Menteur Hwy in an area of New Orleans known as New Orleans East. It is one of the first high-rise buildings one sees when crossing over the Industrial Canal on Interstate 10. Constructed in 1968, this building has withstood the elements and stands as a monumental building holding integrity in many areas and has undergone little to no structural change over the years. The front, Chef Menteur Hwy-facing elevation has an overhanging concrete awning over the first floor. The rear elevation is identical to the front elevation sans awning. Both elevations have concrete block screening, which is both functional and decorative, on the second through ninth floors. The side elevations are distinguished by brick veneered walls and decorative concrete elements. The inside of the building has lost its interior finishes, but still has its overall structural integrity and layout. The primary design emphasis for this building was placed on the exterior to help the building stand out as a billboard for the Holiday Inn hotel chain.

Detailed Description

The former Holiday Inn Highrise East is located off of Chef Menteur Hwy, approximately 0.5 miles on the right off the Downman Road exit from I-10. Located in New Orleans East, east of the Industrial Canal, the structure is approximately six miles from downtown New Orleans, a short 10-15 minute drive east on the interstate. Due to its relative height, this building is one of the first to be noticed upon crossing the Industrial Canal Bridge. This was certainly intentional. On the front (North) and rear (South) elevations of the building, there are parking lots covering most of the land on the property. Next to the road, there is an empty sign bracket. Historic hand-drawn postcards show an iconic Holiday Inn neon sign once lit up in its place. The entrance is on the north side of the building off Chef Menteur Hwy. On the rear, south side of the building near I-10, is an in-ground swimming pool, still surrounded by palm trees.

The building itself is nine stories in height and is of cast concrete construction on a concrete foundation, with brick veneer on both non-primary elevations. The front elevation window openings are now boarded up with plywood, but once had a stretch of storefront windows resting on matching brick bulkheads. The rear elevation is also now boarded up with plywood and had a smaller stretch of storefront windows less distinguished than the front elevation. On the west side elevation are decorative vertical lines of concrete stretching from the second to ninth floors. The east side elevation is composed of a brick veneer that extends around to the eastern corners of the front and rear elevations.

On the first floor stretching the width of the building is a projecting concrete awning, currently painted green, but shown in the historic postcard and a photo posted in 2015 as being white. The line of the awning continues through the western elevation to meet with the decorative concrete vertical lines. On the second through ninth floors, the front and rear elevations feature seven columns of cast concrete breeze blocks in a floral design which hide the HVAC units outside each room. There is a visual break in the pattern distinguishing each floor. Fourteen built-in balconies run across floors two through nine on both the front and rear elevations. Sliding glass doors likely existed at each balcony, but the glass is now gone (the framing is still in place).

On the flat roof, there is the mechanical system housings for the two elevator shafts which are covered aesthetically with an envelope of brick walls. On these higher elements, historic signage was displayed as depicted in the drawing of the building from the hand drawn postcard. When comparing modern photos of the building to historic postcards, the building is clearly a prime example of the hotel chain's corporate design at the time and looks almost exactly the same. The design of the hotels at this time was intentional and intended to serve as its own billboard for the company. When someone saw a building that looked like this, they were supposed to recognize it as a Holiday Inn.

The interior of this hotel was never intended to be highly styled or designed. It was much more utilitarian and the emphasis of design was placed on the exterior. The main design details on the interior were in the layout of a main lobby on the ground floor, central corridors on the upper floors, and rooms off of this corridor. While the materials on the interior have been stripped out over time as is common with a corporate chain hotel, the layout and floor plan of the building remains true to its date of construction. The interior materials were continually updated and replaced with updated materials as the hotel was continually used.

The first floor was designed to be communal by nature, once housing a reception desk, conference rooms, dining halls, and a full bar and kitchen. Although the rooms are stripped of their materials, the spaces themselves remain to help identify most of the rooms' former purposes. The interior was meant primarily to serve their purpose as providing a space for guests to stay and feel at home. The exterior design features were meant to be the more significant and prominent details.

There are two elevator shafts, one flush against the eastern elevation and used as a service elevator and the other a double shaft near the western elevation and adjacent to the reception area. There are also two emergency stairwells, each flush against each the eastern and western elevations of the building.

The second floor is bare of all fixtures and plumbing utilities and is mostly stripped to its concrete wall and metal stud framing. Some walls not made of concrete have been torn out but the overall layout remains. There is a middle hall, six feet wide and stretching the length of the floor. This floor is different than the above guest floors in that part of the floor is separated by a doorway that led to a service and break room for employees on the eastern side of the hall. The rest of the hall has guest rooms off either side of the hallway. The hallway, service, and guest rooms now have their carpet and vinyl tile removed leaving the concrete subfloors exposed.

The rooms are generally the same square footage except for three rooms on the southwestern side of the building designed to accommodate the main elevator shaft. These rooms have a different layout and are slightly wider in size. Each room has its own bathroom that can be distinguished by remaining plumbing connections and tile floors.

Floors three through nine share an identical layout, with a main hallway stretching the length of the building and guest rooms on either side, mostly with identical layouts or a mirrored floor plan in one direction or another. On each floor towards the western elevation, there are ice and vending machine hallways near the emergency stairs and service elevator. There are also separate service rooms opposite of these hallways noted by their laundry hookups and layout.

In total there are approximately 216 guest rooms. On the second floor, there are 20 guest rooms, and on the third through ninth floors, there are 28 rooms each. What is left of materials still intact emphasize the standardized room layout, a new concept for the era. The floorplan, concrete framing, and cast concrete ornamentation continue to demonstrate the integrity of this eye-catching postmodern commercial hotel building.

North, front facade (2018)

South, rear facade (2018)

West facade (2018)

East facade (2018)

Recreational pool area (2018)

Main entrance and reception area (2018)

Dining area (2018)

Cast concrete breezeblocks from second floor north facade (2018)

Standard room from exterior (2018)

Second floor staff room (2018)

Remaining ceramic tile in some rooms (2018)

Service elevator (2018)

Door separating second floor staff area (2018)

Standard upper floor hallway (2018)

Standard room (2018)