Black-owned bed and breakfasts offer intimate and unique experience
Bed and breakfasts offer a home-away-from-home experience using historic establishments and a luxurious ambiance. With free breakfast and a more intimate setting, it is unlike any stay you would receive at a hotel or motel.
One unique feature of a bed and breakfast is the personal connection with the staff and owner, said Ted and Alease Kelly, owners of the Inn at Folkston, Georgia.
“When you visit a motel, it is generic,” Alease said. “Building a relationship in that short time with someone staying with us is special. Guests feel the comfort of home without having to put in any work.”
Within the past 40 years, the bed and breakfast industry has grown across the country. However, Black people own only a very small percentage of bed and breakfasts.
According to a survey by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, there are about 20,000 licensed bed and breakfast locations in the United States. The African-American Association of Innkeepers International lists only 15 Black-owned bed and breakfast locations.
Although few, Black-owned bed and breakfasts have made a unique mark around the country with décor representing the era in which they were founded and personalized service.
“With so few African-American innkeepers, we are ambassadors to the industry,” Monica Edwards said. Edwards and her husband, Daniel, own Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast. “Because of that, we do a lot of educating in two realms. Quite a few African-Americans, this is their first experience with a bed and breakfast in general. There are also, non-minorities that have never stayed in close proximity with minorities, so we get them to realize that we are normal people as well.”
The bed and breakfast industry has evolved with newer generations and technology. With online services now available, traditional bed and breakfast locations have had to remarket themselves.
“The market has changed with Airbnb and Expedia,” Erik Albert, owner of The Oak Bluffs Inn, Oak Bluff, Massachusetts, said. “The main threat is that they undercut the market price. It forces you to be innovative with new revenue streams. We have to distinguish ourselves from Airbnb.” Albert said bed and breakfast owners are turning a threat into a marketing tool. As a traditional bed and breakfast, there is an option to classify your location on Airbnb and Expedia, websites and mobile applications that help travelers find affordable lodging. This allows owners to promote themselves to new groups of customers that they would not normally reach.
A home away from home
Looking for a unique place to stay for your next trip? Check out these Black-owned bed and breakfast locations around the country.
Akwaaba at Buttonwood
866-466-3855
akwaaba.com
115 Broadway
West Cape May, NJ 08204
Akwaaba Mansion
866-466-3855
akwaaba.com
347 McDonough St.
Brooklyn, NY 11233
Henderson House
614-258-3463
hendersonhousebedandbreakfast.com
1544 Atcheson St.
Columbus, OH 43202
Grace Manor Bed & Breakfast
717-452-0787
gracemanorbandb.com
258 West Market Street
York, PA 17401
Inn of Treasure Memories
508-430-1004
innoftreasuredmemories.com
473 Main St.
Harwich, MA 02645
Inn at Folkston
912-496-6256
innatfolkston.com
3576 Main St.
Folkston, GA 31537
Lady Neptune Inn at Shirley’s Beach House
757-870-0569
ladyneptuneinn.com
507 North First St.
Hampton, VA 23664
Ma Margaret’s House B&B
804-453-9110
mamargaretshouse.com
249 Greenfield Road
Reedvile, VA 22539
Magnolia House B&B Inn
757-722-2888
magnolia.com
232 S. Armistead Ave.
Hampton, VA 23669
Morehead Manor
919-687-4366
moreheadmanor.com
914 Vicker Ave.
Durham, NC 27701
The Oak Bluffs Inn
508-693-7171
oakbluffsinn.com
64 Circuit Ave.
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
Quintessentials B&B Spa
631-477-9400
quintessentialsinc.com
985 Main Road, Box 574
East Marion, NY 11939
Shearer Cottages
508-693-4735
shearercottage.com
4 Morgan Ave
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast
803-937-4271
theematriarch.com
1170 Fischer St
Orangeburg, SC 29115
Ye Olde Manor House
262-742-2450
yeoldemanorhouse.com
N7622 US Highway 12
Elkhorn, WI 53121
B&B
