Selma’s historic St. James Hotel announces closure

One of the most historic locations in Selma will close this weekend—its second closure in recent years.

The St. James Hotel, which opened on Water Avenue in 1837, announced earlier this week it will be closing its doors on Aug. 23.

“We are deeply saddened to share that the historic St. James Hotel will close its doors on August 23rd. Since first opening in 1837, the St. James has welcomed an extraordinary range of guests—from the infamous Jesse James to Civil War soldiers and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. This was not an easy decision, and our hope remains that one day the St. James will once again be restored to the prominence and legacy it so richly deserves.”

St. James Hotel

The hotel reopened back in 2021 as part of Hilton Hotel’s Tapestry Collection after a $5 million renovation. It had been closed for more than three years prior to that renovation.

However, the doors closed on that Hilton partnership earlier this year. It reopened again back in May with refurbished rooms and a new restaurant + bar in the lobby.

But that was not enough to keep the doors open for more than four months.

The hotel remains the only pre-Civil War waterfront hotel standing across the country. A historical marker was erected near the hotel in 2014.

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