Notes from the Road: New Orleans

A culture of hospitality

There just isn’t anywhere in the world quite like New Orleans. Many cite the food, architecture and music as primary evidence of this, but I believe it’s something much more: a deeply engrained hospitality culture. Here, hospitality “training” begins practically at birth, whether it be showing strangers respect, lending a helping hand wherever it’s needed or going the extra mile just to make someone’s day. Hospitality isn’t a skill in New Orleans—it’s a lifestyle; one that meeting profs can experience for themselves in one of the best places to gather in North America (and beyond).

Places to Meet and Stay

I was given the keys to one of Caesars New Orleans Hotel & Casino’s brand new, freshly renovated rooms in the former Harrah’s location on Canal Street, the major thoroughfare that connects the French Quarter to the Central Business District. The location allows guests walkable access to some of the city’s biggest attractions, such as the Caesars Superdome, the Audubon Aquarium, Bourbon Street and a boundless variety of sumptuous dining options.

Read More: Brennan’s of New Orleans Way of Hospitality: Making Friends

Tableau served up truffled crab claws, shrimp remoulade and herb-roasted chicken for my first meal on this grand trip to The Big Easy; I savored the best bread pudding I’ve ever tasted at Chapter IV, the restaurant of chef Dook Chase (grandson of Leah Chase, the inspiration behind the main character of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog); and I didn’t even have to walk out of Caesars New Orleans to enjoy an incredible sampling of the best Nobu has to offer. The world-renowned Japanese establishment is also putting the final touches on Nobu Hotel, also located within the Caesars New Orleans building.

My visit to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) included a presentation on the center’s impressive, LEED Gold-certified sustainability program as well as a tour of current and upcoming renovations, which total $557 million. With the largest contiguous exhibit space in the U.S., NOENMCC will serve as the official location for the city’s 2025 Super Bowl Experience.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, I had an amazing time at the Caesars Superdome watching the Saints defeat the Falcons (my condolences, Atlanta), where extensive renovations have been completed without sacrificing the original, iconic outer structure. The stadium will host the 2025 Super Bowl and has never been better prepared for such an immense event.

I also enjoyed a tour of New Orleans City Park that ended with lunch in its beautiful botanical gardens. Denise Augustine, a legendary New Orleans resident and storyteller who was also in attendance, summed up her greatest wish for you, the reader, by saying, “No matter where you travel in the world, I want you to look around and think, ‘This is amazing…but it’s not New Orleans.’”

I also had the honor of touring The National World War II Museum, where I was deeply moved by exhibits that manage to connect the seemingly distant past with the increasingly urgent present. The museum features show-stopping meeting spaces, including the U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, where six historic aircraft are displayed across the ceiling.

Vue New Orleans is located just feet away from Caesars New Orleans and features a high-tech, interactive museum and a rooftop 360-vista. Visitors can enjoy touchless-screen exhibits with the point of a finger and listen to the stories of famous New Orleans residents, exquisite jazz notes and the histories of the city’s most famous dishes.