Petersburg's boutique hotel is now open with a restaurant, rooftop bar and coming-soon speakeasy
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Hotel Petersburg opened Dec. 5. Image: Courtesy of Laura Visioni via Hotel Petersburg
After more than 50 years of neglect — and a seven-year, $23 million renovation — Hotel Petersburg finally opened its doors last week.
Why it matters: The opening is the latest development in the ongoing revitalization of the city 20 miles south of Richmond, which nearly went bankrupt nine years ago.
The big picture: More than a century ago, Hotel Petersburg was the crown jewel of downtown Petersburg, until a 1969 fire shuttered it for the remainder of the 20th century.
- The 1917 building was left vacant until local entrepreneur Nat Cuthbert bought it in 2017 with plans to return it its former glory.
- Funding through The Partnership for Petersburg, a state and local initiative spearheaded by Gov. Youngkin, helped fuel the project.
Zoom in: Hotel Petersburg is operated by Retro Hospitality, which also oversees Richmond's Quirk Hotel.
- Inside the 64-room boutique hotel is Shirley's (a full-service restaurant and bar), 20 West (a seasonal rooftop bar), and The Boiler Room, a coming-soon speakeasy.
- Rooms start at $140 a night.
What's next: The Boiler Room should open in January and just a few miles down the interstate, coming in 2026, the first phase of Live! Casino Resort, the $1.4 billion casino Petersburg voters approved in November.