Selma’s Historic St. James Hotel to Close Its Doors
Reservations will be honored through Saturday, August 23
The beloved St. James Hotel will welcome its final overnight guests this coming weekend before closing quietly for now. The hotel’s general manager, Tongela Smith, told the Selma Times-Journal that staff were notified last Friday about the closure.
Reservations will be honored through Saturday, August 23. Once those last guests check out Sunday morning, August 24, the doors will remain shut. Staff will stay on through August 30 to help shut things down properly — think boarding up windows and getting things tucked away.
Smith didn’t know why the ownership chose to close the hotel, she said it was a hard message to bring to her team. Still, she made sure to thank the people of Selma. “It’s been a pleasure working and building relationships here in the Selma community,” she shared. “And it’s been a pleasure being the general manager here at the St. James Hotel.”
In a statement posted publicly, the hotel conveyed deep sadness. “We are deeply saddened to share that the historic St. James Hotel will close its doors on August 23. 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.”
The closure stems largely from economic struggles, as representatives of St. James Hotel LLC explained to the Selma Times-Journal. They regret that downtown Selma and the waterfront area haven’t kept pace. Guests voiced concerns that the area offers little to do, especially at night, and feels rundown or unsafe. With business running at a heavy loss, the hotel simply cannot continue.
After closing briefly in early March, right after the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, the hotel reopened under new management later that month.
Now, with its hallways going quiet, the hope remains that someday Selma’s St. James may rise again. Without that, this chapter draws to a close — for now.
