After being closed for more than a year, the St. James Hotel in Selma has set a tentative reopening date of Sept. 15, according to owner representative Jim Lewis.
The historic 55-room hotel on Water Avenue closed several times after it opened in early 2021, and it was boarded up and fenced off after a hard closing on Aug. 23, 2025.
Lewis said the reopening St. James “looks better than it did when we first opened,” and it will receive guests as soon as the hotel receives final approval from Marriott.
St. James had been part of the Hilton family. Lewis, ownership principal of Rhaglan Hospitality, said because Hilton franchises several nearby hotels, including a Hampton Inn in Selma, the St. James found itself competing with sister properties.
In contrast, the closest Marriott flagged hotel is in Prattville. Lewis said he hopes that will give the St. James a better chance to capture customers booking rooms through Marriott’s system.
Lewis said that the St. James will offer breakfast service for guests only at first. Bar and dinner service for guests and the community will follow soon after. Lunch service will come later, if at all, he said.
The hotel can sustain itself at 30 booked rooms a night, which is where it plateaued during the Hilton era, Lewis said. But he said he hopes the reborn St. James can average 40 rooms a night.
“That 10 rooms make a big difference” in the hotel’s bottom line, Lewis said.
Lewis said he has confidence in General Manager Cymethia Rudolph, a Dallas County native with experience in the hotel business.
“She is driven, smart, hardworking,” Lewis said. And when it comes to hiring the right staff, Lewis said, “I trust her network in the community. She’s been there her whole life.”
As for safety of guests who choose to stay on Water Avenue, Lewis said that “activity will only make the place safer.”
“We want more (development) down there,” Lewis said. “We sure would like a neighbor. No question about it.”
He said the Selma Police Department has been responsive, and he feels they watched the closed hotel “like a hawk.”
Lewis said he also appreciates that Selma Mayor Johnny Moss III and his staff helped "keep the ball rolling with Marriott."
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.