After years of anticipation, The Threefoot Hotel in Meridian opened its doors Tuesday. 

The opening was announced in a news release by Ascent Hospitality, LLC, which owns the hotel. 

“We are proud to give the Threefoot new life as downtown Meridian’s cornerstone luxury hotel,” John Tampa, with Ascent Hospitality Management Company, LLC said in the release.

“The building joined the landscape in the early 20th Century when Meridian was a force in railroad-dominated industry. We have brought the Threefoot back in a way that captures that luxuriant feel of the ‘Golden Age of Travel’ while offering modern amenities. Through the preservation and restoration, we have prioritized creating a property that serves the community as well as her visitors. The restaurant and the rooftop bar will add to the local culinary scene and bring new dining experiences to locals. We invite everyone to come and enjoy the Threefoot’s transformation.”

The 16-story Art Deco structure built in 1929 is the tallest building in East Mississippi. The name Threefoot is an Anglicization of the builder’s family name, Dreyfus.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and designated a Mississippi Landmark in 2008. 

The building’s most recent life was as office space. Vacant since the 1990s, local leaders set out to preserve it in the mid 2000s.

The Meridian City Council approved a final agreement for the sale of the building in October 2015.

In the past five years, the building has undergone a comprehensive renovation. Many of its features have been preserved, including the mosaic work on the exterior, and the elevator lobby’s marble wainscoting, flooring, mail shoot and the original art deco light fixtures. Guests are welcomed into two vestibules that feature original 1929 Victorian era brass lanterns with frosted and cranberry glass accents.

The registration desk displays restored wood doors and hardware from office doors reclaimed from the Threefoot’s former life.

In a collaboration with the Threefoot Historical Society, the building’s original office directory board is being updated with the names of the building’s former tenants.

The ground floor elevator features original, ornate brass etched doors, which were polished during the renovation and brought back to their original glory.

With 6:01 Local, Threefoot brings a new farm-to-table, modern American restaurant to downtown. Situated in the ground floor of the hotel, the restaurant will serve breakfast and dinner. The menu is Southern progressive, emphasizing fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

Threefoot also has a rooftop bar called The Boxcar, which features a cocktail menu, local craft beers, shareable small plates, and flatbreads. The Boxcar has indoor and outdoor seating and offers panoramic views of the city.

These names directly honor the city’s early 20th Century rail history and a time when five rail lines servicing 44 daily trains made Meridian the largest city in the state.

The Threefoot has 131 rooms, including 110 luxury guest rooms, 19 suites, and two presidential suites with balconies.