Roberts Walthall Clarion Hotel

formerly The Edison Walthall Hotel

Jackson, Mississippi

The Edison Walthall / Roberts Vista - Jackson
Hotel Amenities & Services Take our Free Virtual Tour Additional resources

 

Note: This hotel is open, but is currently being renovated. It is scheduled to open as a Clarion branded hotel sometime in 2009.

Brief History:

The Walthall Hotel began sometime in the early 1920's (I haven't found an exact date) when the Jackson Baking Company, a large bakery, was built on the hotel's future site in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. The bakery had a tea room on the first floor, which attracted considerable business. A group of enterprising businessmen saw opportunity in the popular tea room, and decided that a hotel would be better suited to the site than the bakery. They hired local Jackson, Mississippi architect N. W. Overstreet, who designed a remodel and addition that would convert the original 3-floor bakery into a new 8-floor hotel. The new hotel was named the Walthall Hotel after local Civil War hero and politician Edward Cary Walthall, who had died about 30 years earlier. The new hotel opened in 1928. The tea room became the dining room of the Waltham Hotel.

Like so many of these older downtown hotels the property slowly fell into disrepair over the years. The original rooms were tiny and not very comfortable. By the 1960's modern motels had become the popular places to stay for both tourists and businessmen. The Walthall was given new life through a complete remodel in 1967 to convert it into a outside-corridor design, which was the current trend in motor motels. Guests now arrived by automobile so parking was required. A new addition was added to the back of the hotel to provide parking, a swimming pool, and additional guest rooms. The new 7-story edition featured four floors of parking garage, with three floors of rooms above it. A courtyard with a large swimming pool was built on the 5th floor of the new addition above the parking garage. The hotel was renamed the Downtown Motor Inn, and later became the Radisson Hotel. The years passed and the hotel slowly fell into disrepair once again.

In the early 1990's, the hotel was once again sold, this time to Earl Gaylor of Edison Hotels and Resorts, and in 1992 the hotel was once again remodeled. The rooms were redecorated, and a few new suites were created. On the first floor modern plaster walls that had been added during the 1960's remodel were removed to expose the original mahogany paneling behind them. The mahogany paneling was restored and 1920's period furnishings were added to restore a traditional elegant appearance similar to the original hotel. Many of the hotels original paintings were found in storage, restored, and rehung. Meeting rooms, a new ballroom, and a banquet kitchen were added on the second floor. Additional meeting rooms, as well as another banquet kitchen, were added on the eighth floor. The guest rooms were redecorated and new fixtures and furniture were added to many of them, including refrigerators and microwaves. The hotel was once again renamed by combining the Edison label with the original Walthall name, resulting in The Edison Walthall Hotel.

The photos in the virtual tour were taken in 2007 during the Edison Walthall period.

In the year 2008 the hotel went into bankruptcy and was sold. It was purchased by the Roberts Hotels Group, who have announced plans to invest $10 million into remodeling the hotel. The hotel is scheduled to reopen in 2009 under the Clarion (Choice Hotels) brand name as the "Roberts Walthall Clarion Hotel".

If you have additional information on the history of the hotel, or corrections, please contact me, Jess Stryker, see the bottom of this page for contact information. I would love to hear from you!

Amenities, Services Offered:

Historic-Hotels-Lodges.com

Roberts Walthall Hotel - Jackson, Mississippi

(Formerly the Edison Walthall Hotel)

Information Sheet

Note: A major remodel of the hotel in underway. The hotel is expected to stay open during the remodel. Due to the remodel some facilities may not be available or may have changed. Please call the hotel for current conditions.

 

In-Room Amenities

Feature   Comments
Air conditioning yes  
Individual Room
Climate Control		 yes  
Television yes  
Telephone yes  
High Speed Internet yes  
Coffee Maker yes  
Refrigerator most, ask  
Microwave most, ask  
Ice Bucket & Glasses yes  
3-prong Electrical
Outlets in Rooms		 yes  
Hairdryers yes  
Iron & board yes  
Shampoo, Lotion, Etc. yes  
Non-Smoking Rooms some  
Fire Sprinklers no Some areas have sprinklers
Kitchenettes some  
Sound Insulation yes  
Fireplaces no  
Pets Allowed yes Fee charged
Bathrobes no  

On Site Facilities

Feature   Comments
Year Built 1928  
Number of Rooms 208  
Swimming Pool yes  
Spa or Hot Tub yes  
Exercise Room yes  
Tennis Courts no  
Massage & Staffed Spa no  
Self-Serve Laundry no  
Full-Serve Laundry yes  
Safe Deposit yes At front desk
Golf Course no  
Restaurant yes  
Lounge or Bar yes  
Gift Shop yes  
Meeting Rooms yes Several of various sizes.

Hotel Services

Feature   Comments
Free Breakfast no  
Free Evening Reception no  
Daily Linen Change yes Optional
Free Parking no Fee for parking.
Valet Parking no  
Airport Transportation yes Limited, call ahead.
Bell Hops no  
Concierge no  
Room Service yes limited
Credit Cards Accepted? yes All major cards.
ATM or Check Cashing yes nearby

Additional Notes:

   

Rates and Reservations:

Roberts Walthall Hotel, Jackson, Mississippi (formerly the Edison Walthall Hotel)
Reservations phone (800) 932-6161

Note: This hotel is open, but is currently being renovated. It is scheduled to open as a Clarion branded hotel sometime in 2009.