- Written By 10Melanin Team
10 Black-Owned Places To Stay In The USA
As travel restrictions begin to ease, most of us are yearning for a vacation or, at the very least, a staycation. So, for your next vacation, consider staying at one of these incredible Black-owned hotels. Whatever your budget, we've put together a mixture of hostels, B+B's and hotels to suit all price ranges. Given the current state of affairs in the United States, you can rest assured that you will feel at ease and welcomed at these locations. The US is rich in Black heritage and culture, with over 13% of the population being of African descent. These hotels will serve as an excellent base for exploring your chosen area, whether you want to see art, eat delicious food, or take in some of the local attractions.
10. ST Eat + Stay
Sincerely Tommy
Originally set to open in 2019, S,T Eat + Stay is the second location of Sincerely, Tommy, a Brooklyn boutique and design store. Located above their plant based restaurant Che, is a stylish boutique hostel waiting to welcome its first customers. Kai Avent-deLeon is the owner and founder of Sincerely, Tommy, and has managed to create a store that has a sense of community and neighbourhood as its core. The building is owned by Kai's grandmother, so there's a strong sense of family at S, T Eat + Stay. Items from her mother's and grandmother's homes are now scattered throughout the space, adding to the unique homey atmosphere. Be sure to to sign up to their newsletter to be alerted to updates on their new opening date.
9. Wanderstay
The Hostel Group
In 2018, Deidre Mathis opened the first Black-owned hostel in the USA, Wanderstay in Houston, Texas. After finishing her studies at FAMU, Mathias went travelling around Asia, and it was during this time that she fell in love with the sense of community within the hostels she was staying at. Upon returning to the US, and moving to the city in 2014, she wrote and published a book called "Wanderlust: For the Young, Broke Professional". Inspired by both her huge life changing experiences, she realised she could offer travellers some southern hospitality at an affordable price.
8. Yellow Block B+B
Yellow Block
The Yellow Block BnB is a rental specialising in giving large groups an authentic Brooklyn experience. The B+B is located in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn's beating heart, and is only steps away from the famous Biggie Smalls mural. The New York Times recently named Bedford Stuyvesant as one of New York City's fastest growing and most progressive neighbourhoods. Gordy, the owner, lives in the area so knows it very well, he also appeared on the Netflix tv show Stay Here, representing his accommodation proudly.
7. The Ivy
Hotels Combined
The Ivy is a Black-owned luxury hotel located in Baltimore, MD and was founded by Eddie and Sylvia Brown in 2015. The 5-star hotel is housed in a historic Mount Vernon mansion, offering 18 lovely guest rooms and suites, as well as charming public spaces, a small luxury spa, and a fine dining restaurant. The Browns also founded their foundation, which has donated more than $40 million to help local communities provide education opportunities and access to healthcare and the arts. So, it's nice to know that if you stay here, you're supporting owners who are committed to giving back.
6. Salamander Hotels + Resorts
Booking
Founded by entrepreneur Sheila C. Johnson in 2005, the Salamander company has a portfolio of luxury hotels across 4 locations in the US. Depending on what location you choose, there are a range of activities to suit everyone, for the adventurous this includes zip-lining, hiking, and horseback riding. If you're looking for something a bit more chilled you can head to the spa or arrange a wine tasting tour and private dining. Not only is Johnson a key figure in the hospitality industry, she is also the co-founder of BET and the first African-American woman to attain a net worth of 1 billion dollars.
5. The Copper Door B+B
The Copper Door B&B was founded in the heart of Miami's historic Overtown neighbourhood. Owners Jamila Ross and Akino West are passionate about ensuring customers have a memorable visit when staying at their special lodging experience. The brand focuses on providing visitors with an intimate experience, this includes chef-driven services and local products.
4. The Urban Cowboy
Urban Cowboy
Jersey Banks and Lyon Porter opened their first hotel, The Urban Cowboy, Brooklyn in 2014. They designed their dream home and opened it to the public as a welcome respite from Manhattan's maddening pace. As word quickly spread about this magical place The Cowboy began to welcome travellers and artists from around the world. It was these same customers that urged the couple to visit Nashville, and within a few hours of landing they found the location for their next hotel. Now they split their time between the 2 locations and are currently working on a few other properties for you to visit in the near future.
3. The Moor
Travel Noire
Damon Lawrence and Marcus Carey, both Howard University graduates, founded Homage Hospitality Group in 2016. After years of planning, the pair has finally opened The Moor, their first boutique hotel in New Orleans, which features an African and Moroccan vibe within a Spanish-colonial home built in 1921. The Moor is a thoughtfully designed space that pays homage to the Black pioneers, and pivotal moments that has shaped Black culture. The hotel as a whole reflects the heritage of New Orleans, a global city which is a melting pot of different cultures.
2. The Goodtime Hotel
Sleeper
Pharrell Williams has opened his first hotel - The Goodtime Hotel, in partnership with David Grutman of Groot Hospitality. The lifestyle hotel, is situated on Miami Beach's Washington Avenue and 6th Street and features an Art Deco aesthetic with a contemporary twist. The Goodtime Hotel aspires to instil a sense of rejuvenation as well as the rare, thrill that comes with discovering something extraordinary. It's the rush of adrenaline that comes with meeting a whole new environment and mentality. For those who visit, they will defiantly be in for a 'good time'.
1. Akwaaba Inns
Akwaaba Inns
Glenn Pogue and Monique Greenwood own and operate Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, an upscale lodging collection. When the pair stayed at their first bed and breakfast in the early 1990s, they fell in love with them. They loved the hominess and warmth of the B&B experience as guests, and Monique soon realised that innkeeping merged all of her personal interests – architecture and interior design, entertaining and meeting new people into one job. You can stay at any of the 5 locations across the USA, including; Brooklyn NY, Washington DC, Philadelphia PA, The Poconos PA and Cape May NJ, but be sure to keep checking back for more locations at this ever expanding hotel empire.
