Former Columbus mill building is now a boutique hotel. Take a look inside.
A historic grist mill renovated into a boutique hotel on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Columbus is now open for business.
City Mills Hotel officially opened Tuesday, Pezold Companies Director of Marketing and Public Relations Cassie Myers told the Ledger-Enquirer during a tour.
The initial opening will include half of the hotel — 30 rooms and a breakfast area inside the Mill Building. The hotel, when fully open, will consist of 64 rooms.
The City Mills development includes the hotel, a restaurant named Mill House, event space and more. A yoga studio, River Flow Yoga, already has moved into the building full-time.
“(City Mills) is a mix of trying to marry modern with history,” Myers said. “A lot of the artwork you’ll see in the rooms are old, historic photos from the mill. ... A really artisanal mix of people went into this project.”
The bones of the property, once a grist mill, still remain visible to visitors. Much of the wood and flooring lining the hallways is from the original structure, as well as artifacts like a sifter found in the mill’s ruins.
“We really wanted to keep the integrity of the hotel, of the building,” Myers said. “Lots of exposed brick, very clean, very simple, so the building itself, the room itself, speaks to you, and that’s what you see.”
Most rooms offer views of the Chattahoochee River and feature exposed brick walls, large windows and retro-style radios. Google Home Hubs allow visitors to request anything from additional towels to dog bowls. And yes, the hotel is pet-friendly.
“There is not a single room that doesn’t have a good view,” Myers said. “ ... The ability to book a room and look out your window and see the river, morning, noon and night, I just think is something we don’t see very often.”
The remainder of the project is expected to open in spring 2022, Myers said. A pedestrian bridge connects the two buildings.
History of the project
City leaders unveiled a “City Village” master plan in 2016, with City Mills among four districts along the river that could be revived with the help of $60 million in public money from multiple sources, the Ledger-Enquirer previously reported.
A deal was reached in 2018 to put a restaurant and boutique hotel in City Mills, and Columbus businessman Jack Pezold acquired a controlling interest in the historic City Mills property just north of the downtown TSYS campus that year.
Project developer Ken Henson, operating as City Mills Property LLC, purchased the property around five years ago for $800,000. He since has partnered with the Historic Columbus Foundation to continue efforts to pump life back into the former flour and grist mill. It is on the National Register of Historic Places because it is part of the Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District.
There’s over $90 million worth of investment happening in areas like Mercer School of Medicine’s riverfront campus, which will open ahead of schedule this December, plus Chase Homes and City Mills.
“We in the community really focused on revitalizing the Uptown area,” Myers said. “ ... I think it’s so exciting to see it start moving this way. Moving north a little bit. The fact that we’re able to have Mercer Medical School and City Mills, and all of these different villages, and AirBnb’s, and all these things popping up, it’s really exciting for our community.
“We’re taking these places that you never thought something like this was possible, and now it is.”
How to book
To book a room at City Mills, visit the development’s website and click “book now.”
The hotel has king, queen and corner king rooms. Prices per night start at $189, with discounts for AAA and government employees.
