Omni Royal Orleans has reopened its renovated La Riviera Rooftop and Pool Bar in the French Quarter, turning a landmark hotel roof into a day-usable pool and bar destination for guests and for the public with day passes.
New Orleans City Business and Canal Street Beat both report the rooftop is open now with a new pool, expanded deck seating, remodeled bar and restaurant, and cabanas, while guest-room renovations continue through early 2027.
If you are planning a French Quarter stay or a New Orleans day without a hotel room at Omni, the traveler decision is whether La Riviera is worth a day pass or cabana now, or whether you should wait until every guest room finishes in early 2027.
- What opened: Renovated La Riviera Rooftop and Pool Bar at Omni Royal Orleans.
- Where: 621 St. Louis Street, French Quarter, New Orleans.
- Public access: Day passes and private cabanas via ResortPass.
- Hotel guests: Full rooftop access; reduced cabana rates.
- Still unfinished: 345 guest rooms and suites through early 2027.
City Business frames the rooftop as the latest phase of a two-year, property-wide renovation that started in July 2025 and covers about 37,500 square feet of public space.
Farouki Farouki designed the public spaces, and Ryan Gootee General Contractors led construction while the hotel stayed open.
Completed work already includes lobby, ballroom, Rib Room, meeting spaces, a new jazz club, Royal Bar, and coffee shop updates.
The final phase modernizes all 345 rooms and suites with completion slated for early 2027, so the hotel is only partly finished as a product.
That split matters for booking math: a traveler who mainly wants the rooftop pool and bar can use the hotel or a day pass now without waiting for every suite refresh.
A traveler who needs a fully refreshed guest room as the primary reason to stay should treat early 2027 as the cleaner finish line and confirm which floors are already offline.
General manager Cesar Matus told City Business the project is one of the hotel’s most significant investments and a long-term commitment to New Orleans demand for culture, food, and music.
He also framed each new venue as a reason to linger rather than treat the property as a pure sleep-and-leave French Quarter box.
Public access is the concrete new traveler tool because non-guests can buy day passes or reserve private cabanas through ResortPass.
Hotel guests keep full rooftop access and can rent cabanas at a reduced rate, which keeps overnight stays useful even when day visitors fill the deck.
City Business lists day-pass amenities as pool access, towel service, Wi-Fi, and poolside food and drink available for purchase Friday through Sunday.
Pool hours run from 6 am to 9 pm daily, which is early enough for a morning swim before a French Quarter walking day and late enough for evening light.
Dining hours are listed from 11 am to 5 pm daily, while bar hours run from 11 am to 6 pm Sunday through Thursday and from 11 am to 8 pm Friday and Saturday.
Cabana rental runs from 10 am to 6 pm, so plan lunch and pool blocks inside that window rather than assuming late-night cabana service.
Cabanas hold up to six guests and include reserved seating, two chaise loungers, a Smart TV, stocked mini fridge, sparkling wine, a fruit platter, and day-pass amenities.
That package is useful for small groups who want a fixed base on the roof without buying six separate day-pass strategies and scrambling for seats.
Menu color from the same reporting leans resort casual, with guacamole, Gulf shrimp ceviche, hummus, calamari, patatas, salads, a burger, blackened fish tacos, a chicken sandwich, stuffed dates, a champagne float, and a New Orleans ice cream sandwich with bananas foster ice cream.
Treat those dishes as current menu illustrations, not a locked forever card, and confirm the live menu plus any day-pass price before you plan a meal around a single item.
Design details help set expectations: Matus described a French Riviera inspired oasis with Mediterranean color, while designer Jenny Renn Key said new openings frame views toward Jackson Square and Armstrong Park.
City Business also notes a retractable awning, more dining areas, and an observation deck angle that replaces an underused rooftop gym with a gather space.
Construction logistics are not your packing problem, but they explain why the hotel stayed open while the roof was rebuilt with cranes, drainage fixes, and French Quarter constraints.
For travelers, the useful residue is simple: public spaces are the product available now, and guest rooms remain a rolling renovation zone until early 2027.
If you want a New Orleans culture day beyond the pool, pair the hotel’s French Quarter address with park-level history at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park rather than treating the rooftop as the whole trip.
Wetland and bayou day trips can still use the same city base through nearby preserve planning once the French Quarter nights are locked and heat windows are managed.
Summer heat still owns midday in New Orleans, so a rooftop day pass works best with early pool time, shaded cabana blocks, and a late afternoon exit into indoor music venues rather than a full sun-only plan.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a light cover, and a backup indoor hour if thunder cells roll across the river, because outdoor pool days can pause without refunding every adjacent hotel deposit.
Investors and hotel owners care about asset repositioning language in the local business coverage, but travelers should ignore occupancy forecast talk and stick to access rules, hours, and room renovation status.
Your decision is whether La Riviera is usable for this trip, not whether the renovation will improve long-term ADR for owners.
| If you | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want the rooftop pool this week | Book an Omni room for full access or price a ResortPass day pass and cabana without waiting for 2027 rooms. |
| Need a fully renovated guest room | Target stays after the early 2027 room program finishes, or confirm which floors are already refreshed. |
| Are a local or visitor without a room | Use day passes for Friday through Sunday food service windows and cabana blocks from 10 am to 6 pm. |
| Care more about live music than the pool | Treat Three Maries Jazz Club and Royal Bar as separate evening products already in the finished public-space package. |
- Now: La Riviera rooftop pool, bar, and restaurant are open for guests and day-pass visitors.
- Access: ResortPass day passes and cabanas open the roof beyond hotel guests.
- Hours: Pool 6 am to 9 pm; dining 11 am to 5 pm; later weekend bar hours.
- Rooms: 345 guestrooms still renovating through early 2027.
- Trip design: Use the rooftop as a French Quarter day product, not proof every room is new.
Keep unknowns separate from confirmed access: exact day-pass dollar prices, seasonal hour changes, and which specific room categories are already offline for renovation can move after press day.
Confirm those on ResortPass and Omni booking tools before non-refundable plans, and save screenshots of the hours and amenities you relied on.
Confirmed for planning: the renovated rooftop is open, public day access exists, hotel guests keep full access, and the full room program is still scheduled into early 2027.
If Omni later posts a finished-room date range or changes public access rules, that is a material update on this stream rather than a second sibling story.
Can non-guests use the Omni Royal Orleans rooftop pool?
Yes. City Business reports public day passes and private cabanas through ResortPass, while hotel guests keep full rooftop access and reduced cabana rates.
What are the rooftop hours?
Pool hours are listed as 6 am to 9 pm daily, dining 11 am to 5 pm, with longer weekend bar hours and cabana rental from 10 am to 6 pm.
Is the whole hotel renovation finished?
No. Public spaces including La Riviera are open, but the final phase renovates 345 guest rooms and suites through early 2027.
Where is the hotel?
Omni Royal Orleans is at 621 St. Louis Street in the French Quarter, with rooftop views toward the Mississippi River and downtown landmarks.
