Hotel St. Helena reopening Friday after years-long closure
ST. HELENA — The Hotel St. Helena is reopening Friday after being closed for
at least five years.
Eight of the downtown hotel’s 18 rooms will be available for booking this weekend as part of a soft opening, owner Mary Haney told the St. Helena Star on Thursday. The other rooms will become available eventually, she said.
City officials have been working with the hotel for years to resolve lingering code issues. Fire Chief John Sorensen said the hotel passed its final fire inspection on Thursday.
Online listings offer rates ranging from $2,000 to $3,000.
With the city of St. Helena sorely in need of tax revenue and downtown businesses trying to attract customers, members of the City Council have occasionally voiced frustration that it was taking so long to get the hotel back up and running.
A 2023 economic report by the Urban Land Institute recommended getting the hotel back online as soon as possible.
“The repositioning of the historic St. Helena Hotel could … breathe new life into Main Street and become an important hub for the community,” the report stated.
The reopening is occurring just in time for what could be a busy weekend in St. Helena due to a pair of Andrea Bocelli concerts at Charles Krug Winery this Saturday and Sunday, as well as a smaller private event featuring Bocelli on Friday night.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Fire inspector Alec Vidler signs off on the Hotel St. Helena’s fire inspection on Thursday, to the delight of owner Mary Haney.