U of A's Historic Carnall Hall Given New Life as Hotel and Restaurant

Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Tourism

FAYETTEVILLE – Dilapidated and slated for demolition more than once, Carnall Hall on the University of Arkansas campus has been given a new life as a privately-operated hotel and restaurant. The Inn at Carnall Hall and Ella's Restaurant will open to patrons on Aug. 17, bringing a historic building back as a hub for social activities on the university campus and in the City of Fayetteville.

Built in 1905, Carnall Hall served for decades as a women's dormitory. It has also been used as a fraternity residence and was once home to a number of academic departments. Located at the intersection of Maple Street and Arkansas Avenue, the building was named after Ella Carnall, one of the first female faculty members at the U of A. She was an adjunct professor of modern romance language and English literature who died in 1894 at the age of 32.

Ella's and the Inn are patterned after the award-winning James at the Mill Restaurant and Inn at the Mill, which are located just south of Fayetteville. Chef Miles James of James at the Mill and several other investors took on the project through a partnership with the U of A that will allow students in the university's hotel-management program to use the hotel and restaurant as a hands-on laboratory.

In the face of adverse conditions, such as a leaky roof and crumbling floors, the development team worked to save as much of the original building within its historical footprint as possible. The grand staircases and windows remain, while elements such as large, multi-person bathrooms from dormitory days were eliminated. Approximately three dorm rooms were used to create one hotel room.

"We've kept the integrity of the property, but we've updated it," James explained. The project is on time and budget, at a cost of $7.5 million.

The historic building now contains two 100-seat dining rooms, a 50-seat lounge and a 50-seat private dining room as well as 50 guestrooms. The bright and airy restaurant will be upscale but casual, James said. "We want it to be fun and energetic. I want it to be laid back. I don't want it to be stuffy."

The northern Italian fare to be served at Ella's will be simple and affordable and made with fresh ingredients, James said. "The food is based on several trips we took to Italy."

Breakfast will include croissants, Danishes, muffins, fresh fruit, eggs and oatmeal. Patrons will be able to choose from espresso or eight whole bean coffee flavors, ground to order, and brewed and served from a pot on each table. Other menu items, which will change seasonally, will be thin crust, wood-fired pizzas, homemade pastas, salads and other entrees. Pizza ranges in cost from $8 to $12, pastas from $8 to $15 and salads from $5 to $8. "No entrée is over $24," James said, adding that the pizzas "will blow people away. They're cooked right on the hearth. No pan."

Ella's will also have an extensive wine list, featuring about 70 Italian wines and about 50 from wineries in the U.S., as well as a few from France. "Twenty of those wines will be under twenty bucks," James explained.

Desserts will include traditional Italian offerings such as Tiramisu, as well as sorbet and Italian ice cream.

Miles' brother, Lyle James, will be the chef at Ella's Restaurant. Taking over as head of the kitchen at James at the Mill will be Sous Chef Nathan Jendeski. Miles James will oversee both restaurants. "My focus the first year and a half is Ella's, but I'll be at both properties every day," he said.

Ella's will be open seven days a week, for breakfast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will close at 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 9 p.m. on Sunday. A brunch menu will also be offered on Sunday. A limited menu will be available between the lunch and dinner hours. Room service is available as long as the kitchen is open.

"Service [for the restaurant and hotel] will be exemplary," James said.

According to James, six of the hotel's 50 rooms have hot tubs, and patrons can expect to find baked biscotti on their pillow when they retire for the evening on plush Egyptian cotton linens. High-speed internet access will be available in all rooms, which range in price from $80 to $150. And the main floor is equipped for wireless access. Valet parking will also be offered to guests.

According to James, the best views are from the top floor of the four-story hotel. "You can see past Springdale. The smallest room in the house, in my opinion, has the best view. You see both towers of Old Main."

The Inn already has a waiting list for U of A Razorback football game days. James said he also plans to have "tailgate parties" on the property's lawn. Prior to the games, he will offer 20 rental tents for groups that want to enjoy food and beverages catered by Ella's.