The Roosevelt New Orleans, a fabled grand hotel with a long history in the city, is undergoing a $145-million historic restoration as the newest member of luxury brand The Waldorf Astoria Collection. Legendary throughout the U.S. from its opening in 1893 to its closing following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, The Roosevelt New Orleans again will feature the Blue Room, Sazerac Bar, Angel Hair Lobby and other attractions that had long positioned the hotel as a destination for luxury travelers.

Because of its extensive experience and success in positioning brands, The Ehrhardt Group was hired to develop a public relations program that would:

• Raise the property's public and media profile with consistent coverage

• Develop community relationships that extend beyond the opening

• Take advantage of natural awareness opportunities to build excitement and

• Extend awareness of all property offerings to drive qualified traffic

As the first step toward accomplishing the goal, The Ehrhardt Group assembled a strong communications team with significant experience in public relations counseling, the news media, corporate communications, community relations and special events. Using its extensive, proprietary media database, along with long-standing relationships with key media, the agency delivered immediate, high-quality media coverage; a New York City media tour that broke all agency records in terms of the quality and quantity of media interviews; growing local, regional and national media interest; and a high level of community "buzz" about the upcoming opening of the hotel. The agency also executed two "roundtables" with community and business leaders to spread the word about this remarkable project, launched a blog to gather memories of The Roosevelt and increase awareness, and created other partnerships and initiatives all designed to raise awareness and, ultimately, drive qualified traffic to The Roosevelt New Orleans.