The group argues that it is close enough to ground zero for the spill to satisfy plaintiffs who want justice meted out on their turf but far enough away from New Orleans to find a fair jury pool.

WSJ: Fight Erupts Over Oil Trial Venues

The building, designed by the Rockwell Group, uses a flowing design throughout the hotel -- literally, through the lights moving up and down its walls, and symbolically, as people spill out onto the street corners from its ground floor nightclub.

BBC: The City of Light becomes the city of design

And when the unexpected has happened -- like the Gulf oil spill or Hurricane Sandy -- he has been on the ground making sure that people get help right away and we deal with these challenges as professionally as possible.

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