The holidays have a way of bringing us back in time: to the people we love, the places we remember, and the traditions that make this time of year feel like our own.
At The Windsor Court, that might mean an annual holiday afternoon tea at Le Salon, family photos under the Grand Lobby’s Christmas tree, or a holiday dinner with everyone at the table and no dishes to be done.
For locals and guests alike, there is comfort in having a place where the season feels extra special. Somewhere to dress for the occasion, enjoy a little holiday extravagance, and still feel entirely at home.
Seasonal experiences like holiday-themed afternoon tea, celebratory meals, and rooms ready for a holiday stay give friends and families a place to gather. Come for an evening or settle in for the week. The invitation is the same: make yourself at home.
Holiday Magic Begins in The Windsor Court’s Grand Lobby
Throughout The Windsor Court, ten Colorado blue spruce trees, more than 3,000 ornaments, and festive wreaths and garlands set a magical holiday scene. The centerpiece in the Grand Lobby stands 19.5 feet tall and is illuminated by more than 25,000 miniature white lights. Beneath its branches, a classic toy train circles the base, inviting children—and nostalgic adults—to stop and watch it pass.
The hotel will be fully decorated by November 23, when The Windsor Court welcomes the season with its annual invitation-only Tree Lighting Ceremony. The celebration begins at 5 p.m. with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live entertainment in the Grand Lobby.
Among the decorations, the Windsor Wishes tree holds something more personal. Visitors can write a holiday wish on an ornament and hang it on a branch, adding their hopes to a tree filled with handwritten messages. Take a moment to consider what you hope the coming year will bring, or make a wish together as a family.
Children can also write their Christmas requests and drop a letter into the lobby’s red “Letters for Santa” mailbox. For little ones, that small delivery can be an occasion in itself.
And when the evening calls for something warm, complimentary self-service hot chocolate is available in the lobby from 5 to 8 p.m. Stop by for a cup while admiring the decorations, or make it part of an annual family outing.
Together, these moments create the feeling of being completely immersed in the holidays. A grand, festive escape where the season surrounds you from the moment you arrive.
Holiday Dining Brings Everyone Together at The Grill Room
The Windsor Court’s holiday dining celebrations give Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve a home at The Grill Room. Bring the whole family, gather your closest friends, or reserve a romantic evening for two.
The celebration begins before you reach the table, with festive décor carrying from the courtyard into the Grand Lobby and up toward The Grill Room. Garlands dress the staircases and balconies, lights glow throughout the hotel, and the nearly 20-foot Christmas tree anchors it all below. By the time you sit down at your table, the evening already feels like an occasion.
For Thanksgiving, The Grill Room offers a four-course prix fixe menu that brings familiar holiday flavors together with a distinctly New Orleans touch. Start with crawfish deviled eggs or whipped ricotta bruschetta, then enjoy Cajun turkey roulade with oyster stuffing, green beans, and cranberry chutney. For dessert, choose between chai-spiced panna cotta and brown butter cake with roasted sweet potato. The menu is $110 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with optional wine pairings for $55.
Celebrate the season the New Orleans way with Réveillon Dinner. Rooted in the feasts traditionally shared after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, Réveillon honors the city’s Creole heritage through the pleasure of gathering over a generous meal. The Grill Room continues the tradition from December 2 through December 30, excluding December 24 and 25. The four-course prix fixe menu features pan-seared diver scallops, beer-braised short ribs, and apple tarte tatin mille-feuille for dessert. Dinner is $80 per person, with suggested wine pairings available for $55.
Hanukkah dinner service takes place December 5-6 and December 9-12, with a three-course prix fixe menu featuring green onion latkes with dill crème fraîche and salmon roe, brown sugar-smoked brisket with pickled red onions and roasted carrots, and honey olive oil cake with honey-tahini caramel and pomegranate. At $80 per person, with optional wine pairings for $55, the evening offers a chance to gather the people you love and enjoy each other’s company, with dinner and cleanup handled by someone else afterward.
Christmas Eve prix fixe dinner is served from 5 to 9 p.m. On Christmas Day, prix fixe lunch is available from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. The Grill Room’s Christmas menu features dishes such as seared scallops with heirloom tomato pesto, grilled beef filet with truffle potato purée, and herb-crusted lamb with leek purée and cherry gastrique. For dessert, enjoy bourbon pecan baklava or sugared cranberry verrine. The menu is $110 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with optional wine pairings for $55.
Open presents at leisure, visit with family, and arrive ready to enjoy a holiday meal you haven’t spent the morning preparing.
The Grill Room marks New Year’s Eve with a prix fixe dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Dress for the evening, raise a glass to the year ahead, and let the last dinner of the year be one to remember.
After dinner, head to The Polo Club for live music and a nightcap, letting the celebration linger a little longer.
Holiday Afternoon Tea at Le Salon Is a Tradition Worth Sharing
Holiday Afternoon Tea at Le Salon offers an elegant setting for one of the season’s simplest pleasures: spending time with people whose company you love.
For more than 40 years, The Windsor Court has made this British pastime part of its holiday celebrations, welcoming locals and visiting guests to dress up for the occasion and spend an afternoon together over tea and treats.
An annual gathering of friends, a quiet afternoon for two, or a tradition shared across generations all find home at Le Salon. The setting feels both opulent and intimate, while the unhurried ritual invites you to linger over conversation and enjoy having nowhere else to be for a little while.
For children joining the table, the ceremony holds its own enchantment: a chance to dress up, sit a little taller, and participate in something wonderfully grown-up. For some families, that tradition now spans generations, as those who once came to tea with their own mothers return with children of their own.
Come for a cherished Windsor Court tradition, and return next year to make it your own.
Reservations are required for Holiday Afternoon Tea. Contact Le Salon at (504)596-4773 for seasonal dates, pricing, and availability.
What Is Christmas Morning Like as a Guest at The Windsor Court?
Some holiday traditions need a little room. A place to wrap presents out of sight, somewhere to gather in matching pajamas, and a bedroom door that keeps the morning’s surprises hidden until everyone is awake.
At The Windsor Court, spacious suites let those familiar rituals travel with you. Deluxe Suites offer 600 square feet, while Premium Suites offer 800 square feet and are also available in two-bedroom layouts. Separate living and sleeping spaces give you room to prepare for Christmas morning after the children have gone to bed.
For families traveling with grandparents or gathering across generations, the Two-Bedroom Corner Suite offers 1,250 square feet, with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a living area, and a dining table for four. There is space to spend the morning comfortably together and a quiet place to retreat to when someone is ready for a nap.
On Christmas morning, order breakfast through 24-hour In-Room Dining and watch the children unwrap their gifts. Settle in with a cup of coffee, knowing there is nowhere to rush off to and no breakfast dishes waiting in the sink.
For an added layer of comfort throughout your stay, Club Level accommodations offer access to The Windsor Court’s private Club Lounge. Guests can enjoy daily breakfast, afternoon tea and light snacks, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and attentive service from a dedicated concierge. It’s another way to enjoy the holiday festivities without planning every detail of the day.
What Are Holiday Rates Like at The Windsor Court?
The Windsor Court’s Papa Noël offer provides special holiday rates for early bookings, inviting you to add a stay to your seasonal plans.
For visitors, it is a chance to settle into New Orleans during a beautiful time of year. For locals, a few nights at The Windsor Court can turn a favorite holiday outing into a getaway close to home. Enjoy dinner, take in the lights, and let the evening end with an elevator ride upstairs.
Explore Papa Noël availability through The Windsor Court’s holiday booking page, or call (504) 523-6000 to plan your stay.
Bring a Little of The Windsor Court Home for the Holidays
Some holiday memories deserve something tangible to remember them by.
The Windsor Court offers a selection of holiday gifts, including gift cards and keepsakes such as snow globes. For those who have made the hotel part of their annual traditions, these small reminders offer a way to bring a little of the experience home.
A gift card can also introduce someone you love to a Windsor Court tradition of their own, whether that means afternoon tea, a celebratory meal, a day at the spa, or a future stay.
Make The Windsor Court Part of Your Holiday Traditions
The first visit might begin with an invitation to tea, a dinner reservation, or plans to spend Christmas in New Orleans. The memories are what bring you back: the delicious meal you still think about, the photograph that now sits above the fireplace, the child who asks if you can do it all over again next year.
That is how a place becomes part of your family. Bring your traditions, leave room for new ones, and make yourself at home for the holidays at The Windsor Court.