14 incredible Black-owned hotels in the US and beyond

The Oak Bluffs Inn in Martha’s Vineyard has been owned and operated by Rhonda and Erik Albert for over 20 years. The Inn has just 10 rooms, each uniquely decorated with elegant white Frette linens, colorful throw pillows and wall art for a truly beachy feel. Architect Mark Hutker renovated the inn to resemble a lighthouse before the Alberts purchased the former private mansion in 1998.

Room rates include continental breakfast (offered from May through October), along with complimentary snacks and beverages. Other high-end touches include Aveda bath products and the use of cozy fire pits.

The Inn is within walking distance of the beach, shops and restaurants, though guests can also take advantage of bike pumps and racks if they want to get around on two wheels to such local favorites as Fishbones and The Lookout.

Rates at the Oak Bluff Inn start at $300 per night.

Salamander Resort & Spa

Middleburg, Virginia

Salamander Resort & Spa is in Middleburg, Virginia, just a one-hour drive from Washington, D.C. Of the 340 acres that the property rests on, 25 acres are dedicated to equestrian activities such as horseback riding and a 14,000-square-foot stable.

The resort also has a spa where guests can enjoy treatments like sound therapies and couple massages. There are plenty of activities for visitors to enjoy on the property, such as zip lining and nature hikes, along with a dining program that includes a multi-experience cooking studio. Harriman’s Virginia Piedmont Grill is the main restaurant, where diners can savor locally sourced dishes like Atlantic halibut and Hudson Valley foie gras.

Each of the 168 rooms and suites at Salamander Resort & Spa comes with an outdoor patio or balcony and soft amenities like terrycloth bathrobes. The decor pays homage to the seasons and equestrian life with warm colors and hints of blue and green, along with fun touches like stirrup motifs on the linens. Salamander Resort & Spa is also pet-friendly and offers ADA rooms.

Rates at Salamander Resort & Spa start at $475 per night.

Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens bed and breakfast is less than 30 minutes from Greenville, South Carolina. It was originally built and owned by a descendant of President Grover Cleveland and was once a 440-acre farm. Current owners Pontheolla and Paul Abernathy purchased and renovated the property in 2012.

It has since welcomed guests to its four distinctive accommodations, like a vintage 1947 train caboose in the property’s verdant garden. It’s also a popular wedding venue, so you might spot a bride getting ready in the elegant Westmoreland Bridal Suite. Room rates include a full Southern breakfast, so come hungry.

For guests looking to venture off the property, activities and attractions nearby include the Spartanburg County Regional Museum of History and Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve for nature walks. Guests who book direct receive access to the inn’s digital guest companion, which includes additional recommended itineraries and local restaurants to experience during their stay.

Rates at Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens start at $185 per night for double occupancy and require a two-night minimum stay.

Urban Cowboy

Nashville, Tennessee

In East Nashville, Urban Cowboy is a boutique hotel housed in a historic Victorian mansion exclusively for guests ages 21 and older. The hotel is thoughtfully designed with chevron-patterned floors and wall paneling in the public spaces and rooms. Decor choices draw the eye to various focal points and exude an obvious country rockstar theme. Urban Cowboy is a unique redoubt that attracts a laid-back clientele ready to kick back with some delicious cocktails and good music.

Each of the eight suites in the former Victorian mansion that comprises the main part of the property comes with Instagram-worthy features like clawfoot tubs (the one in the Tower Suite is even made of beaten copper), high, gabled ceilings and vibrant decor. Room styles range from over-the-top Victorian to a driftwood-chic-meets-heyday-Burt Reynolds in the Captain Suite.

Out back, Public House Bar & Restaurant serves colorful craft cocktails and piping-hot woodfired pizzas by the folks from Roberta’s, so expect to settle in and make new friends over a hospitable Southern supper.

Room rates at Urban Cowboy Nashville start at $189 per night for double occupancy.

Hilton Cabana Miami Beach

Miami, Florida

Hilton Cabana Miami Beach is on a stretch of the aptly called “Millionaires Row” that runs along Collins Avenue. It’s just north of the famed and high-energy area of South Beach. The hotel has a private beach, as well as two oceanfront pools with plenty of poolside cabanas.

In addition to room service, enjoy fresh seafood and Caribbean dishes at Allison Restaurant. Also, Allison Bar overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and offers classic cocktails with prime views. Beach and pool service is also available, serving seafood, salads, sandwiches and cocktails.

The hotel offers connecting rooms, making it a great option for family travelers visiting Miami. Guest rooms feature ceiling fans, seating areas and desks, with some also having a balcony or ocean view. Soothing shades of yellow, blue or orange bring pops of color to otherwise simply-decorated rooms and suites.

Rates at Hilton Cabana Miami Beach start at $194 or 68,000 points per night.

La Maison in Midtown

Houston, Texas

La Maison in Midtown is a bed and breakfast in Houston near the city’s thriving Theater District. The inn offers the option of either a full Southern or continental breakfast. There are restaurants nearby for guests who want to venture out for other meals. Gloria’s Latin Cuisine, which serves El Salvadorian cuisine, and Chinese restaurant Wanna Bao, are both within walking distance.

The hotel was built in 2010 and contains just seven luxury, contemporary-style guest rooms decorated in elegant jewel tones with dark wooden furnishings. Some feature impressive pieces like four-poster beds, while others have balconies for enjoying the fresh air. Private spa-style bathrooms with plush bathrobes, premium bedding and access to conference rooms for business meetings are other amenities.

Rates at La Maison in Midtown start at $169 per night.

Nopsi Hotel

New Orleans, Louisiana

The Nopsi Hotel was originally built in the 1920s and is the former headquarters of the New Orleans Public Service Incorporated. As such, it’s listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The hotel is in the Warehouse District, just outside of the French Quarter, so it’s convenient for first-time visitor fun, as well as for seeing the city’s other neighborhoods.

Public Service, the hotel’s main restaurant, pays tribute to the hardworking fishermen of the Gulf Coast. Diners can expect seasonal dishes with locally sourced ingredients, such as oysters and causeway shrimp. There is also a rooftop bar by the pool called Above the Grid that is open year-round and serves cocktails and small bites. Henry’s Gin Bar, with its gorgeously lit marble counter, serves one of the city’s iconic cocktails, the Ramos gin fizz.

Guest rooms are classically designed with sophisticated beiges and browns, with threads of color in the form of navy blue seating or patterning on the bedding. An added bonus? Guests are treated to complimentary coffee and tea service every day until 10:00 a.m.

Rates at the Nopsi Hotel start at $188 per night.

Maison Dupuy

New Orleans, Louisiana

Maison Dupuy is a French Quarter hotel just two blocks from Bourbon Street in the heart of New Orleans. The hotel features a renovated courtyard with poolside cabanas and balcony rooms overlooking the happening neighborhood. Maison Dupuy’s location is ideal for those who want to explore more of the city, especially since the streetcar line is just one block from its front door.

Guests can enjoy craft cocktails and live music Thursday through Saturday at the on-property Bistreaux Bar.

The hotel offers concierge services to help you plan any outings, as well as both a business center and a gym to keep in shape and keep up with work while on the road. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, with nicely crafted wooden furnishings and conveniences like complimentary coffee and tea supplies.

Rooms at Maison Dupuy start at $116 per night.

The Hamilton Howell House

Atlanta, Georgia

Built by the renowned African American architect Alexander Hamilton, Jr. in 1893, The Hamilton Howell House in Atlanta, Georgia, was originally the Hamilton family home.

The Howell family purchased it in 1984 and have lovingly restored it over the last 30 years. Now a bed and breakfast, it’s homier than your average hotel. The property features a full kitchen that guests can use to cook their own meals.

It’s near The King Center and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Visitor Center, which makes it an excellent option for visitors who want to explore Atlanta’s Black heritage.

The five rooms, which feel more like guest rooms in a family friend’s house (albeit one with excellent taste), are named after African American icons, including W.E.B Dubois and Aretha Franklin.

Rates at The Hamilton Howell House start at $195 per night.

Spice Island Beach Resort

Grand Anse Beach, Grenada

On Grand Anse Beach in Grenada, Spice Island Beach Resort is a luxury all-inclusive resort owned and operated by the Royston family since 1969. Grenada, which is in the West Indies, is known as the “spice island” because its top exports are spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

While here, guests can enjoy water sports like paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkeling, plus tennis, biking and more. Or, just relax by the beach and its sun-kissed waters.

Among the dining outlets, Oliver’s Restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner and serves Caribbean Creole fare. Sea and Surf Terrace and Bar is open for lunch and serves international dishes, as well as a Sunday buffet.

Guests can pamper themselves at award-winning Janissa Spa with treatments such as a sea salt body scrub or reflexology massage or relax with various yoga classes taught on the property.

There are just 64 guest suites, each featuring a balcony or patio, Nespresso machines and Molton Brown bath amenities. Each room is designed with the view and scenery in mind, with expansive windows to bring in natural light, calming white and cream colors, four-poster beds and splashes of vibrant colors suited to the Caribbean setting.

Rates at Spice Island Beach Resort start at $1,260 per night based on double occupancy.

La Créole Beach Hotel and Spa is on the small Caribbean island (and French territory) of Guadeloupe. The island is a longtime favorite of adventure seekers looking to spend time in the great outdoors and take their chances with attractions like the mildly active volcano of La Soufrière. For those who prefer to spend their time outdoors on the beach, take your pick of strands with gold, white or black sands.

La Créole Beach Hotel and Spa is set in a tropical park and features a jazz club, as well as several restaurants and bars. Guests can find local cuisine at Le Zwag and more international fare at Le Route Des Epices. Spa enthusiasts can book unique treatments at La Créole Spa, like balneotherapy, a bath of mineral spring water with essential oils and soft lighting traditionally used to ease chronic illness.

Travelers of all ages are welcome, and there’s even a kids club for children between the ages of 4 and 12. There are also tennis tables and a place to enjoy water sports like jet skiing and stand-up paddle boarding.

Guest room decor is uncomplicated, with clean white linens and colorful details in the form of pillows and seating. Each room has an individual air conditioning unit and large French windows for gorgeous garden and sea views, plus Caribbean breezes for cooling off.

Rates at La Créole Beach Hotel and Spa start at $168.