Big Freedia announces plans to open a hotel in New Orleans

The New Orleans bounce icon could soon become one of the Crescent City’s first Black hoteliers with the opening of Hotel Freedia.

theGrio Lifestyle

Feb 4, 2023

Big Freedia has big plans for this upcoming year. Aspiring to bring a longtime dream to fruition, the “Queen of Bounce” shared plans to open an entertainment venue that will include a restaurant, jazz club, and boutique hotel. Hotel Freedia intends to open for business by Mardi Gras 2024, with construction set to begin this spring.

Big Feedia, New Orleans, Hotel Freedia, Mardi Gras 2024 theGrio.co — (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)

“This dream of mine has been in the works for a long time, I’ll be one of the first Black hotel owners in New Orleans,” Freedia tweeted. “Will keep y’all posted on the official opening date, can’t wait to see y’all at Hotel Freedia.”

Despite its name, Hotel Freedia plans to operate more as an entertainment space than a hotel. With only five rooms, the venue’s main attractions will be its nightclub with food, drinks, and music, as well as an outdoor pool space. The anticipated hot spot will be located in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, on Decatur and Frenchmen streets.

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Freedia’s manager Reid Martin describes the space as a crossover between a country club and a music venue. Understanding the importance of music, the team intends to feature local and national musicians in its events. This idea initially came to fruition during the pandemic, when the “Break My Soul” featured artist found herself doing more cooking.

“Not being able to go out and work during the pandemic, cooking brought so much light and creativity it just really got me interested in doing a restaurant,” Freedia said, per Rolling Stone. “And I always had a dream of opening a hotel, so it just kind of came together that way.”

If you haven’t made plans to visit New Orleans, you sure have reason to now.

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