The Southern Hotel is set to open June 1st, 2014, the original opening date of the hotel 107 years ago. The building, which was bought for $1.75 million, has cost an estimated $9 million to renovate, restoring the original historical charm with a touch of modern. Completed, the hotel will have 42 rooms (including a Walker Percy Suite), a fountained courtyard, a sun room and large ballroom, a pool, a spa and fitness facility, among many other luxuries. Possibly most anticipated is “Ox Lot 9”, the Hotel’s featured restaurant. Chef Jeffrey Hansel (Commander’s Palace and most recently, Veranda in Birmingham, Alabama) has prepared a menu following the “farm to table” concept, using fresh produce, meats and seafood obtained from the area. The restaurant’s name is a nod to downtown Covington’s unique ox lots, one of which adjoins the Southern Hotel property.
