Black hotel ownership may account for less than 3% of the industry, but its impact reaches far beyond the numbers. Across the country, Black hoteliers are doing more than offering a comfortable place to sleep. They are preserving stories, honoring traditions, and redefining what hospitality means. In communities where the past holds pain and perseverance, their work represents both remembrance and renewal.
Black hotel owners are redefining hospitality by turning inns, boutique hotels, and guesthouses into living archives of heritage. The spirit of resilience and belonging resides in this new generation of hosts who are preserving heritage through hospitality.
The Redline Venice – Los Angeles
Kamau Coleman and Michael Clinton founded the Redline Hotel Group to transform the geography of exclusion into destinations of belonging. Guests will find the group’s properties on a cultural landmark that honors the art, music, food, and stories born from resilience.
There’s no better way to witness this transformation up close than by booking a stay at The Redline Venice. This once-forgotten space is now what the founders call a “museum guesthouse” in the Venice and Santa Monica area. The boutique property mirrors that of a home, curated like a gallery, and most importantly, it is rooted in untold community histories.
After collaborating with local artists and historians, guests will find that suites highlight a different part of the area’s Black history. The property, of course, was named after the discriminatory practice of redlining. But with their vision and partnerships, Coleman and Clinton say they are drawing a new red line.
Hubbard Mansion Bed and Breakfast – New Orleans
When Don Hubbard built a house for his wife, Rose, in New Orleans over 25 years ago, they became the second Black family to own property on New Orleans’ iconic St. Charles Avenue.
Rose has since died, but this family-owned B&B is the only Black-owned Bed and Breakfast on St. Charles Avenue. Inside the home are pictures of Mr. Hubbard’s family, including his great-grandfather, his parents, and his late wife, Rose.
The mansion opened in 2000, modeled after the façade of a Natchez, Mississippi, mansion on the Natchez Bluffs at the southern end of the Old Spanish Promenade Grounds, overlooking the Mississippi River. The family-run B&B is in a restored 19th-century Greek Revival mansion. It captures the original grandeur of old New Orleans with period antiques, precious heirlooms in each of the rooms, and French-inspired designs.
The Magnolia House and Gardens – Greensboro, North Carolina
Booking a stay at the Historic Magnolia House will immerse you in living history. The home, listed on six editions of Victor Hugo Green’s The Negro Motorist Green Book, housed African American writers, actors, athletes, and musicians as they traveled south to perform during the Jim Crow era.
The Historic Magnolia House currently holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Of the more than 250 Green Book sites, the Magnolia House is one of the very few that continue to operate within their historic context.
The walls display memories that you can’t even find in museums — of James Brown playing in the street with neighborhood children and Joe Tex signing autographs on the front porch. Other visual moments include Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, James Baldwin, Sam Cooke, and Jackie Robinson.
The Magnolia House was the first hotel of prominence in Greensboro for people of color during segregation. The Gist Family, who bought the motel in 1949, had close relationships with Miles Davis and were responsible for donating the famous Davis Trumpet to the University of North Carolina School of Music.
Six Acres Bed and Breakfast – Cincinnati, Ohio
Built in the 1850s by abolitionist Zebulon Strong, Six Acres Bed and Breakfast was a stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s well-documented in its history as being a safe house for people escaping slavery to rest before continuing their journey further north and into Canada. The current owner, Kristen Kitchen, restored the property in the early 2000s and continues to offer a historically rich experience for guests.
Located on six lovely acres in College Hill, just fifteen minutes from Downtown Cincinnati, Six Acres B&B offers a peaceful and serene stay on beautiful, landscaped grounds. Guests will be close to must-see attractions, including the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
Sanctuary Mandela – Johannesburg, South Africa
Paying homage to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s “Madiba” depth of character and contemplative spirit, Sanctuary Mandela is surrounded by lush gardens and retreat spaces filled with perfectly curated exhibits that pay tribute to the human rights activist, former president, and global icon. The boutique hotel was once Mandela’s home, and every corner provides the perfect combination of tranquility, heritage, and mindfulness.
Staff promise a transformative experience of healing and reflection during their stay. They encourage reflection through design elements, photographs personal to the house, and the art from the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s archive, which includes paintings of Madiba himself.
Sanctuary Mandela isn’t just built on the site of Nelson Mandela’s former Houghton residence. It also features elements from the original home, which means it is infused with history.
According to staff, Mandela and his family members lived at the Houghton residence between 1992 and 1998. The home became the headquarters of the Nelson Mandela Foundation until 2002. He was based there while negotiating the multi-party talks that led to South Africa’s democratic rebirth, South Africa’s famous 1995 Rugby World Cup win, the first elections, and his presidency.
Shearer Cottage – Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
During the era of segregation, Martha’s Vineyard was always a popular beachfront community for Black tourists. Charles Shearer, the son of an enslaved person, turned a beach cottage into the first Inn where African Americans could lodge. More than 100 years later, Shearer Cottage remains family-owned and operated with pride since its inception in 1903.
In a quiet, woodsy area in the Highlands of East Chop in Oak Bluffs, immerse yourself in this laid-back accommodation close to beautiful parks, beaches, and a lively downtown. The distinctive accommodations and modern amenities, combined with a remote yet accessible location, offer guests an authentic and luxurious Martha’s Vineyard experience.
Please note the property is currently undergoing renovations.
