METAIRIE, LA—Al Copeland Investments has completed the $16.4-million renovation of Copeland Tower, which is home to the newly converted Best Western Plus Landmark Hotel & Suites.
The hotel, which opened a portion of the property just 13 days following Hurricane Katrina, celebrated its grand reveal earlier this month with business and civic leaders, brand executives and loyal guests.
“The Landmark has long served as a landmark in the Jefferson Parish landscape,” said John Young, president of Jefferson Parish. “Now, 10 years after Hurricane Katrina, we are so grateful for the tremendous investment, courtesy of Al Copeland Investments, which reinvigorated the property by incorporating beautiful facilities for meetings, conferences and events, along with exciting new amenities that give the Best Western Plus Landmark Hotel & Suites even more star power to attract and accommodate businesses, residents and visitors to Jefferson Parish for years to come.”
The investment added 95 condo-style suites, increasing the hotel’s inventory to 251 guestrooms and bringing the total number of hotel rooms in the New Orleans metro area to nearly 39,000, up 10,000 from 2005, according to the company.
“Several years ago, our team launched extensive market research. Based on our findings, we were able to determine that the rooms should be transformed into suites in order to offer an upscale, extended-stay option centrally located between the airport and downtown New Orleans,” said Gary Weissert, president, Best Western Plus Landmark Hotel & Suites. “With that, we converted every two rooms into one. The Landmark is one of the only hotels in the area to offer these facilities, and we feel as though we are thoughtfully designed to suit the needs of any business or leisure traveler.”
The condo-style suites offer 750 sq. ft. of space, including a full-service kitchen with cooktop, dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave. A separate living room has a queen sofa/sleeper, 47-in. wall-mounted LED TV, activity table for two and complimentary hardwired and wireless internet service. With only eight suites per floor, the property provides added privacy and comfort. Other hotel amenities include a full-service restaurant, fitness room, business center, outdoor swimming pool and complimentary parking.
Along with the suites addition, the 17-story tower renovation includes meeting and conference facilities on the 16th floor and now houses the Al Copeland Investments corporate headquarters. Al Copeland Investments, established by the late Al Copeland, Sr.—founder of Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken—owns and operates a wide variety of concepts including restaurants, hotels, a food processing company and comedy clubs throughout the Southeastern U.S.
“Copeland Tower is more than just a hotel. It is my family’s promise to provide locals and visitors alike with the finest hospitality experience each and every visit,” said Al Copeland, Jr., chairman of the board and CEO of Al Copeland Investments, parent company of the Landmark Hotel.
With panoramic views of the New Orleans area available on the 16th floor and one of the largest ballrooms in Jefferson Parish, the property now has more than 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting and conference space. This additional capacity allows guests to book seated, standing, convention, theater, classroom and banquet-style events for any occasion.