We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. While we don't cover every company or financial product on
the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective
editorial perspectives.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us for advertisements that
appear on our site. This compensation helps us provide tools and services -
like free credit score access and monitoring. With the exception of
mortgage, home equity and other home-lending products or services, partner
compensation is one of several factors that may affect which products we
highlight and where they appear on our site. Other factors include your
credit profile, product availability and proprietary website methodologies.
However, these factors do not influence our editors' opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot
pay us to guarantee favorable reviews. Here is a list of our partners.
7 Black-Owned Hotels in the U.S.
From the boutique to the big-name, you can support Black hotel owners by staying at one of these properties.
Ramsey is a freelance travel journalist covering business travel, loyalty programs and luxury travel. His work has appeared in Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Reader's Digest, AFAR, BBC Worldwide, USA Today, Frommers.com, Fodors.com, Business Traveler, Fortune, Airways, TravelAge West, MSN.com, Bustle.com and AAA magazines. As someone who flies more than 450,000 miles per year and has been to 173 countries, he is well-versed in the intricacies of credit cards and how to maximize the associated perks and services.
Giselle M. Cancio is a former editor for the travel rewards team at NerdWallet. She has traveled to over 30 states and 20 countries, redeeming points and miles for almost a decade. She has over eight years of experience in journalism and content development across many topics.
She has juggled many roles in her career: writer, editor, social media manager, producer, on-camera host, videographer and photographer. She has been published in several media outlets and was selected to report from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
She frequents national parks and is on her way to checking all 30 Major League Baseball parks off her list. When she's not on a plane or planning her next trip, she's crafting, reading, playing board games, watching sports or trying new recipes.
She is based in Miami.
Published
How is this page expert verified?
NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and
relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving
writers and editors to ensure the information is as clear and
complete as possible.
This page includes information about these cards, currently unavailable on
NerdWallet. The information has been collected by NerdWallet and has not
been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
There are many Black-owned resorts and hotels across the country — and plenty that are particular favorites for travelers — but they’re still not as widespread as one might like.
The National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers says that only 2% of U.S. hotels are Black-owned. Of those, less than 1% are owned by Black women.
While many Black-owned hotels are boutique properties or cozy bed and breakfasts, some are part of larger loyalty programs where you can earn and redeem points. Even if the hotel is not part of a loyalty program, you can use a credit card that offers bonus points on travel spending if you want to be rewarded while staying at an independent property.
Here’s where you can find some of the best Black-owned hotels in the United States.
1. Salamander Middleburg Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia
(Image courtesy of Salamander Middleburg Resort & Spa)
As the only five-star resort wholly owned by a Black American woman, this property is unique.
Sheila Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and a co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). This resort is nestled in the Virginia countryside with spa services and plentiful outdoor activities like lawn games, tennis courts and an equestrian center.
Part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts portfolio, its Preferred Hotels Rewards program allows guests to earn and redeem points during their stay. The number of points required for a stay at Preferred properties varies by night and is tied to the cash rate, but rooms start at as few as 15,000 points.
If you have Choice Privileges points, you can also redeem between 25,000 and 55,000 points for a stay at Preferred properties.
This hotel, owned by Eddie and Sylvia Brown, is part of the Relais & Chateaux group and has 17 rooms, a spa and a library.
The onsite restaurant features French cuisine with a regional Maryland twist. There is afternoon tea served each day, at a location of your preference in this historic Mount Vernon mansion.
Best of all, the rates here include many perks like breakfast, an in-room minibar, evening cocktails, midnight snacks, valet parking, and private car service.
Under the helm of Jersey Banks, the Urban Cowboy brand has been on a growth trajectory thanks to Banks' business prowess. The brand’s motto is “arrive as strangers, leave as friends,” and this attitude is evident in its hotels, now in three locations.
Banks worked as the concierge at her Brooklyn hotel before expanding to other properties in Nashville and the Catskills in New York state. The Nashville hotel is in an old Queen Ann Victorian mansion, with eight guest rooms and two bars — one of which features live music nightly.
This property is owned by RLJ Lodging Trust, a hotel investment group co-founded by BET co-founder Robert Johnson. It sits on the famous strand of Miami Beach where Art Deco design accompanies plentiful shopping, dining and nightlife attractions. The hotel offers direct access to its own private beach, two outdoor pools and complimentary bike rentals.
Hilton Honors fans will find this hotel to be a great option for earning or redeeming their points — although the program’s dynamic pricing model makes it hard to know how many points you’ll need for a redemption night.
Also owned by RLJ Lodging Trust — and the first Hyatt Centric to open in Georgia — this hotel is close to local sights like the Georgia Aquarium, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Fox Theater. With 194 rooms and suites, an onsite bar and restaurant, and a pool and fitness center, this pet-friendly hotel is a great option for all travelers.
If the southern-style breakfasts and seven beautifully decorated rooms aren’t enough, the residential living areas will make you feel right at home at this bed and breakfast.
Owned by two friends without prior hospitality experience, the duo spent a decade learning the ropes while overseeing construction of the inn. It opened for business in 2010 in the Midtown area and serves as an “escape in the city” for its guests. All rates include breakfast and Wi-Fi, plus access to a conference room.
7. Narragansett House in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
(Photo courtesy of Narragansett House)
This Victorian property on Martha’s Vineyard is owned by Inkwell Haven, who transformed the mansion — along with two others — into a bed and breakfast for island visitors. Many guests will appreciate that it is within walking distance of area shops and restaurants.
During their stay, visitors can bike around the island, enjoy yoga on the beach or rent boats. Narragansett House is also available for full buyouts if small groups are interested in having the hotel to themselves.
If you’re looking for a hotel or all-inclusive, Black-owned and operated resort, these seven hotels across the U.S. are a great place to start.
In some cases, the hotels are owned by larger hospitality companies, which are also Black-owned. Many of these are part of larger hotel brand names familiar to frequent travelers, with the added bonus of being able to earn or redeem points for a stay.
NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary,
trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed
studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with
industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness
and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high
standards for journalism by reading our
editorial guidelines.