On June 15, Florida-based timeshare company Bluegreen Vacations opened The Marquee, a luxury resort in the former Elk Medical Plaza building. And on June 29 the I celebrated the grand opening “The Marquee,” with some of New Orleans finest people while surrounded by the lap of luxury. The moment I stepped into The Marquee, I was pleasantly greeted by the smell of fresh-cut flowers; a vast combination of roses, lilies, hydrangeas. The hotel has a 1950s Broadway theme with a New Orleans flair and is decorated artistically with a huge dose of luxurious elegance.
Did I mention the hotel, the well resort is one of New Orleans’s first luxury timeshares?! The Marquee units range from 525 to 1,935 square feet in size, and all include full kitchens and parking garage access. The building sits a block off Canal Street in the CBD, is walking distance to the Super Dome, French Quarter, and the streetcar and bus transportation is right outside the door.
“We set out to provide our owners and guests with a one-of-a-kind stay that fully immerses them in New Orleans’ history and makes them the center of the experience by incorporating unique virtual and augmented reality and design elements,” said Shawn Pearson, president and CEO of Bluegreen Vacations.
Do not bother listening to the negativity about the area being “unsafe” it’s not true. Yes, public transportation and the public library is located along the street, but it’s New Orleans! I was worried about changes that would take place because the hotel is near all that the people hold dear, but all is well. I have so many memories growing up catching the Tulane bus across the street, going to the movies at the Joy Theater, and meeting friends at the library. When people book timeshares, they typically want to experience local life in luxury, and The Marquee offers that, without the oceanfront experience lol. But you will love it, and for your parking concerns, The Marquee provides a secure parking lot.
Back to my experience.
The representatives from Finn Partners were gracious hosts from the moment I received my invitation. At the hotel they rolled out the red carpet, treating us media folk to a private tour of the luxury hotel. Marie was kind enough to check on me throughout the evening, ensuring that I was having a lovely time.
I could go on and on about the delicious food spread which featured the best of New Orleans cuisine. We dined on juicy plump shrimp & thick creamy grits, flaky, redfish topped with some sort of corn relish, lump crabmeat salad (let’s just say lump crabmeat because there wasn’t a trace of anything else), delicious prime rib and for dessert, bananas foster to die for. I wish I could get a little taste right now, but the food was divine.
I sipped on champagne and designer cocktails while grooving to the sensational performance of Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Judith Hill. If you haven’t heard this beautiful songbird, I suggest after you listen to my clip that you Google her and buy her record! There was another songbird that graced us with her soulful voice. The band she sang with had a 50s sound, I loved it. I’ll track down who she is as well as the band’s name.
Everyone involved in bringing the event to life needs an award! It was thoughtfully planned, nonstop entertainment, excellent networking and just straight pure New Orleans hospitality and fun. Our evening started with an hour of sipping and socializing in one room, dining and dancing in another mingled and in traditional Nola Style we poured into the streets following behind the 2nd Line Brass band. You would think that was the end, but nooo. We we arrived back there was a beignets truck and Hansen’s Snowball stand greeting us with goodies as we entered the patio area for an Outdoor Silent Party with a DJ, a brass band and swings! We swang, sang, and danced until the end of the event!
The hotel staff provided top of the line New Orleans hospitality. I spoke to some of The Marquee employees, and the typical response was they were excited about working for The Marquee, and they felt included in the flow of the event, and it showed in their service. Towards the end of the night, I noticed there was so much food leftover, and I asked the staff if the food would go to waste. And I was informed that The Marquee would permit them to take food home. Several hotels in New Orleans do not allow the food to be taken off the property often dumping thousands of dollars of food away after each event and it breaks my heart knowing that it could have provided substance to someone. Most hospitality workers can not afford to miss a day any less dine on the likes of prime rib, lump crab meat, and so on. I appreciate not only the generosity with the leftover food but all that The Marquee has put in place to make their employees feel valued. That alone is a reason to book a stay at The Marquee!
I spoke of how much I loved the flower display and was gifted with two bouquets from at the end of the night, which only added to my Nola Experience at The Marquee!
Yes, I had a ball! At the grand opening party for The Marquee most exciting hospitality experience from Bluegreen Vacations!
Enjoy a short swim surrounded by city lights in the rooftop pool.
Source and Photo credit: The Nola Chic, The Marquee, Bluegreen Vacations and https://www.facebook.com/wandernolamore/
Dat NOLA Chic 