OXFORD, Miss. – The Inn at Ole Miss has been approved for qualified resort status by the Mississippi Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control. The state granted resort status July 25 to the hotel and conference center on the University of Mississippi’s Oxford campus.

The shift in status was essential, given demand by customers and guests to have the option to serve all types of alcohol at special events held at The Inn, said Kirk Purdom, executive director of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

Though The Inn was previously able to serve wine and liquor using third-party vendors, beer was not an option because the hotel, along with most of the university, is in the county, where beer sales are prohibited.

“This is a designation that is focused on enhancing the stay of our guests and alumni,” Purdom said. “It will specifically allow us to renovate our existing McCormick Cafe area, which we are in the early planning stage of, for guests of The Inn.

“We’ll also have the ability to serve beer in addition to wine and liquor at wedding receptions and other events held on the premises – an amenity that we believe will entice more families and groups to choose The Inn as they look to be able to eat, meet and sleep under one roof.”

A modern facility for use by alumni and friends of the university, The Inn at Ole Miss has undergone numerous renovations since its October 1951 opening as the Alumni House. To meet the demand for luxury accommodations in Oxford, a $21 million expansion was completed in 2008, boasting an eight-story all-suite facility complete with a new dining area, gift shop and more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Inn has 146 guest rooms and 133,199 square feet of hotel and event space.

“We are so excited to be granted qualified resort status by the state of Mississippi’s Department of Revenue,” said Gaye Bukur, the facility’s general manager. “This will allow us to better serve our groups and events, and any existing groups that are already booked at The Inn can now add beer to their bar service.

“We have always been proud that we are able to accommodate large groups in a variety of meeting rooms and guest rooms. Since taking over the food and beverage operation, we have been able to offer an approved list of caterers to choose from, and having resort status is what we needed to be able to give our guests a complete food and beverage option.”

For more information on booking an event at The Inn at Ole Miss, contact MaryGrace Vasilyev, sales manager, at 662-236-4834 or vasilyev@olemiss.edu.