A new boutique hotel is lighting up Columbia’s Vista district—designed with purpose, rooted in history, and connected to the University of South Carolina. The Lantern Hotel will transform the historic Columbia Central Fire Station into a 59-room destination, offering students from USC’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management—and the CarolinaLIFE program—hands-on experience and inclusive career opportunities. It’s where hospitality meets impact, just steps from campus.
The project is a collaboration among Raines Development, Florence, South Carolina, Garvin Design Group and Mashburn Construction. Raines will be working closely with the University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management and CarolinaLIFE, a program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to provide hospitality career paths through training and gainful employment to those students and others in the community who have historically faced barriers to employment.
Finding Your Career in Hospitality
The Lantern’s food and beverage program and Ladder 13 signature restaurant will be designed by James Beard Award nominee and USC alum Kevin Johnson.
Raines has worked with leading brands such as Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt, and its portfolio features Hotel Theo in New Orleans, The Foundry Hotel in Ashville, and Hotel Florence in Florence, SC, among its 55 properties throughout the Southeast.
The Lantern Hotel is expected to open in Fall 2025, with The Lantern Rock Hill opening in Fall 2026.
