New Orleans’ hotel market is in the middle of an unusually turbulent chapter, as a cluster of marquee properties have quietly — or in some cases very publicly — been put up for sale at steep discounts to their replacement cost or even to valuations from just a few years ago. Brokers, operators and industry analysts say the downturn reflects a mix of national pressures and local complications, creating one of the most buyer-friendly environments the city has seen in more than a decade.

Nothing captures the moment more vividly than the looming sale of Virgin Hotels New Orleans. Built four years ago in the Warehouse District for roughly $80 million, the stylish 238-room property is now expected to sell early next year for about half that amount. The hotel’s financial unraveling has effecti

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