Are you an adventurous tourist, a seasoned traveler, or a romantic couple searching for a unique weekend getaway? Whether you're trying to slip away and leave the hustle and bustle behind, or just enjoy some lazy days relaxing on the ocean or frolicking around town, a cozy and quaint Bed and Breakfast (B&B) may be just what the doctor ordered.
From coast to coast, B&B's are hidden gems that serve as temporary home-away-from-home. Often nestled in communities that are rich in culture, metropolitan cities, or near popular tourists' spots, they offer an escape from the traditional hotel. African-American Bed & Breakfasts have been around a while. Many years ago blacks were prohibited from staying in hotels and had to find somewhere to stay when traveling. Blacks ended up staying in people's homes. B&B's are often family-owned and operated and offer guests the sophistication of a luxury hotel enhanced by the owner's personal touch, a full-breakfast service and an afternoon tea or a happy hour.
B&B's are also known for their beautiful ambiance, great hospitality, personally prepared, mouth watering cuisine (mainly breakfast), elegant accommodations, spas and endless pampering. "We serve the best breakfast, and our guests feel like they are staying at a luxury bed and breakfast at an affordable price. Our guests always say the breakfast is the best that they have ever had at a bed-and-breakfast," says Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, owner of Tea Cakes Bed and Breakfast in Atlanta. "Our bed and breakfast is serene. Our guests feel like it is their house. It's very inviting and the guests get a chance to enjoy the entire house. It feels like you are staying at a friend's house or relatives' house. And, our guests get to meet wonderful people from all over the world. It's more than a pretty place to lodge. It's an experience," says Sims-Alvarado.
Bed and Breakfasts are popular all over the U.S. and internationally and there are an estimated 30,000 – plus Bed and Breakfast Inns in the U.S. according to the experts at www.bedandbreakast.com. Visit their site to make reservations online, purchase gift certificates, subscribe to a free newsletter and post questions on message boards hosted by experts.
Cuisine Noir set out to find five of the finest African-American- owned Bed and Breakfasts in the U.S. that not only offer great accommodations, but also provide excellent cuisine and hospitality as well. From the ocean on Martha's Vineyard to a literary escape in the nation's capital, black owned bed-and-breakfasts are great spaces to spend time with your love ones.
Plan a weekend getaway at one of these B&Bs:
Akwaaba Mansion
Brooklyn, New York
www.akwaabaa.com
718-455-5958 and 866-466-3855
Located in Brooklyn's historic Stuyvesant Heights, Akwaaba Manson is a 1860s elegant Italianate villa that has four beautifully themed guest rooms: Jumping the Broom Suite, Regal Retreat, Ashante Suite, and the Black Memorabilia suite. Akwaaba means "welcome" in Ghana's Akan language. Monique Greenwood and husband Glenn Pogue opened this B&B in 1995 and have four other inns: Akwaaba by the Sea & Akwaaba at Buttonwood Manor in West Cape May, New Jersey (across the street from each other), Akwaaba DC in Washington, D.C. and Akwaaba in the Bayou in New Orleans. Rates for the Akwaaba Mansion are $175 Monday-Thursday, and $190 Friday-Sunday.
Tea Cakes Bed & Breakfast @Historic Washington Park
Atlanta, GA
www.atlantaluxuryinn.com
404-932-2245
Tea Cakes Bed & Breakfast @ Historic Washington Park is a beautiful bed and breakfast located in the first African-American subdivision in Atlanta. In fact, Washington Park is on the National Registry for Historic Places. Innkeeper and college History Professor Karcheik Sims-Alvarado is the youngest B&B owner in Georgia. Located one mile from downtown Atlanta, Tea Cakes Bed & Breakfast is the closest B&B to downtown Atlanta. It has three guest bedrooms and is known for serving gourmet breakfast (sweet potato waffles topped with bananas, pecans, whipped cream and maple syrup) prepared by the owner on the very finest china. Tea Cakes' backyard features bamboo trees and an organic garden. Fresh herbs from the garden are used in their gourmet dishes. Rates range from $125-$175 per night.
The Oak Bluffs Inn
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts (Martha's Vineyard)
www.oakbluffsinn.com
800-955-6235 and 508-693-7171
The luxurious Oak Bluffs Inn is no stranger to the rich and famous. This B&B made history when the Obama's made this one of their favorite getaway spots. The Oak Bluff Inn is the perfect place to stay while visiting Martha's Vineyard. The inn features nine guest rooms and one apartment and a large wrap-around porch where guests enjoy their morning or evening drink of choice. The Inn is a five minute walk from the beaches and a hop and a skip away from entertainment, dining, and night life. Rates range from $100 to $600 April 15-June 17; from $225 to $600, June 18-September 11; and $100 to $600 September 12-October 31.
The Inn of Treasured Memories
Harwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
www.innoftreasuredmemories.com
508-430-1004 and 866-703-1004
The Inn of Treasured Memories is a Cape Cod style home located in historic Harwich. It has three guest bedrooms that features queen size Sleep Number Beds, private baths, and a salt water resistance pool with adjustable currents, an elevator, wheelchair accessibility, satellite TV, and parking on premises. Cape Cod's beaches and golf courses are close by. In season per night rates range from $185 to $200 per night, and off season from $130 to $160.
Quintessentials B and B Spa
East Marion, Long Island, New York
www.quintessentials.com
631-477-9400 and 877-259-0939
Former Wall Street banker and native Jamaican Sylvia M. Daley opened Quintessentials on the North Fork of Long Island in 1994. This romantic Caribbean-style get away is a 1830s manor house that has five spacious rooms and suites with fireplaces and private decks, whirlpool baths, and gourmet meals. Quintessentials offers spa packages, water therapy and a Japanese meditation garden. It is located near beaches and 33 Long Island vineyards. Rates range from $265 to $310 per night.
Additional Black-owned Bed and Breakfasts include: Gigi's Resort by the Beach in Fort Lauderdale, FL; The Kennedy Mansion in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast in Durham, NC; Henderson House in Columbus, OH and many others.
To check out additional black-owned B&Bs, visit the African American Association of Innkeepers International at www.africanamericaninns.com.
©Angela P. Moore-Thorpe
First North American Serial Rights
