Valentino family buys Maison Dupuy in French Quarter | Business News

The Maison Dupuy, one of the French Quarter’s largest hotels, has a new owner with big plans to renovate and rebrand the 200-room property.

In a deal that was finalized earlier this month, the family-owned Valentino New Orleans Hotels purchased the Maison Dupuy, located at the corner of Toulouse and Burgundy streets, from the estate of developer Joe Jaeger, who owned and operated the hotel for nearly a decade.

The Valentinos plan to spend an estimated $13 million on a complete overhaul of the hotel, which will be closed during the six-month renovation. When it reopens in 2027, it will fly the Hilton Curio flag, an upscale Hilton brand that includes boutique and full-service hotels in unique or historic properties.

“It won’t be a cookie-cutter hotel, a Hilton on the side of the interstate,” said Chris Valentino, who, with his father, Michael, and sister, Emily, owns the hotel portfolio. “It is a property that will tell a story — the history of the French Quarter.”

The acquisition brings to seven the number of hotels in the growing portfolio of the Valentino family, which has emerged in recent years as a dominant, local player in New Orleans’ tourism and hospitality sector. In addition to hotels, including the Prince Conti, Place d’Armes and Hotel Ste. Marie, they also own Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours and operate tours of St. Louis No. 1 Cemetery.

The Maison Dupuy will be the family’s biggest and most ambitious project yet.

“This is a large step for our family business, but it is one we feel very comfortable with,” Michael Valentino said. “The French Quarter is still the highest demand property in the city.”

Extensive renovation planned

The Maison Dupuy was built in 1971 and has 200 guest rooms with meeting space and a full-service restaurant, which currently operates as a creole establishment named Bistreaux. The hotel also has a below-grade parking garage that can accommodate 85 vehicles, which is a significant asset in a French Quarter property.

But it is perhaps best known as an event venue, popular for destination weddings, with a patio courtyard and large pool.

Jaeger purchased the hotel in 2017 from out-of-state investors and operated it under his portfolio of J Collection hotels, which at one point included 20 hotels and resorts, mostly in the French Quarter and downtown.

The Valentinos did not disclose how much they paid for the 55-year-old hotel, which was the last free-standing hotel built in the French Quarter from the ground up before a city ordinance banned new hotel construction in the historic neighborhood.

But a source familiar with the deal says the purchase price was $40 million, the amount of debt the late Jaeger had on the property.

Jaeger’s estate still owns 14 hotels under the J Collection, two years after the developer’s death, as well as several other high-profile properties around the city. Randy Waeshe, the trustee for Jaeger’s estate, declined to comment Friday on the sale or the status of any other potential deals except to say, “I am working through the portfolio to honor the legacy of Joe Jaeger.”

Maison Dupuy was well managed under the J Collection, Chris Valentino said. Still, the property is in need of a “head-to-toe” overhaul to maximize its revenue-generating potential.

The renovation will include new furniture, fixtures and equipment in guest rooms and common areas and upgrades to the restaurant and offices, as well as mechanical and HVAC work.

“The renovation is extensive enough that we determined it doesn’t make sense to operate while we’re under construction,” Chris Valentino said.

When the hotel reopens, one of the most notable changes will be to the restaurant. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it operated as Dominque’s by well-known chef Dominique Maquet, who went on to open several bistros Uptown. Chris Valentino said the family hopes to reintroduce a notable, upscale restaurant brand to the dining space.

“The restaurant is pretty unique,” he said. “It is raised 24 inches above the street, making it a beautiful place to eat. We’re really excited about what we hope to bring there.”

Upside potential

The recent deal comes amid a relative softening in New Orleans’ hospitality sector. Hotel stays were slightly down last year, with occupancy in the 26,000 French Quarter and CBD hotel rooms averaging a little more than 61% compared to 64% in 2024, according to Smith Travel and Research.

Nationally, hotel investment also has slowed slightly, as higher borrowing costs and lingering performance volatility impact deal volume. PwC reported in June that U.S. hotel transactions in the first half of the year were down 2.5% over the preceding six months, though much of the slow down was in mid-tier properties.

The report also noted that investors have been bullish on luxury and upper upscale brand hotels, which have rebounded in 2026 after a slowdown in 2025, commanding higher room and occupancy rates and showing better financial performance as measured by revenue per available room, or RevPAR.

Against the backdrop of those local and national industry trends, Michael Valentino said the French Quarter properties in his portfolio are performing well, with occupancy averaging in the mid-70s.

“We’re flat, not growing, but it’s fine,” he said. “We’d like to be in the 80s but the market is not there yet.”

Local hotel expert Len Wormer, a broker with Hospitality Real Estate Counselors, said the Valentino acquisition of Maison Dupuy is a good investment with a lot of potential for the local ownership group.

“It’s on a street with easy access into the French Quarter with its own parking garage and it has so much upside with the food and beverage,” he said.

Rebranding as a Hilton Curio, which brings with it the built-in customers who are members of chain’s loyalty program, is another significant advantage that will help drive performance.

“That will enable them to get the occupancy, room rates and RevPAR up to where they need it to be,” he said.