A new boutique hotel in Columbia’s Vista has an opening date. Here’s when
A new boutique hotel is getting ready to debut in one of Columbia’s most popular neighborhoods.
The Lantern will open its doors to guests on Jan. 21, 2026, according to posts on the hotel’s Facebook page and a notice atop the company’s website.
“Set within the Historic Columbia Central Fire Station at the top of @thevistasc, our hotel features 59 thoughtfully designed rooms and suites across three connected buildings,” Lantern Columbia posted on Facebook. “The restored Fire Tower offers two unique rooms and a four-story suite with sweeping views of Downtown Columbia and the Capitol.”
Reservations for the Lantern for Jan. 21 and beyond are now live, the hotel noted on social media and its website.
The building at 1001 Senate St. was the city’s central fire station from 1951 until its closure in 1994, according to Historic Columbia. The history nonprofit notes on its website that the former fire station and its neighboring tower incorporated “tenets of both the Art Deco and International styles, resulting in a unique municipal facility.”
The Lantern hotel project is coming from hospitality and development company Raines. The hotel initially broke ground for construction in Nov. 2024. The company is partnering with the University of South Carolina’s CarolinaLIFE program and the university’s college of hospitality for career development initiatives.
The Vista remains one of Columbia’s most enduring hospitality districts just east of the Congaree River. It’s lined with restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, art galleries and more.
