Diamond Street Hotel

New Orleans, LA

Located in New Orleans’ Warehouse District, Diamond Street Hotel reimagines a long-vacant industrial building as an intimate boutique hospitality destination designed for guests seeking proximity to downtown, the convention center, and the cultural energy of the city.

Studio BKA Architects was engaged to provide both architecture and interior design for the transformation of the existing warehouse. Rather than erase the character of the original structure, the design preserves the warehouse’s simple, utilitarian form while introducing a new layer of warmth, texture, and hospitality.

A new courtyard was carved between the street-facing façade wall and the warehouse volume, creating a threshold between the city and the hotel interior. This exterior room acts as both arrival sequence and social anchor, with a pool, tiled surfaces, and a pass-through bar connecting directly to the hotel kitchen. The result is a compact but highly programmed environment tailored to conventioneers and visitors who want the ease of a private retreat within walking distance of downtown New Orleans.

The hotel includes thirteen guest suites organized around a central entertaining area with a shared kitchen, dining room, and living spaces. This layout supports a flexible hospitality model, equally suited for group stays, private events, and corporate gatherings. The interiors are intentionally minimal, with a restrained material palette that allows texture and craft to carry the design. Striated tile from Clay Imports animates the front façade, while modern tile from Otto Tile introduces pattern and depth along the kitchen backsplash. The tiled pool further reinforces the project’s emphasis on durable, tactile surfaces.

Diamond Street Hotel transforms an overlooked warehouse into a layered hospitality experience—one that balances preservation, adaptability, and quiet sophistication within one of New Orleans’ most active urban districts.

Photography by Jess Kearney