According to Travel Noire, rooms at the Wanderstay Boutique Hotel include the Black and White Art Museum, Desert Vibes, and Houston Sports Teams. More easygoing travelers can simply book a room and let the hotel’s staff choose their experience.
“You can literally stay with us ten different times and have ten different experiences,” Mathis said. “We have a Music Lovers Room, a Winter Wonderland Room, and a Safari Room.”
For the 36-year-old hotelier, it’s all about providing a safe, fun, welcoming, and unforgettable experience.
Mathis, who herself has traveled to more than 46 countries and seven continents, is part of a very rare community of hotel owners of color. According to Travel Noire, less than 2% of hotel owners in the U.S. are Black, and the numbers are even lower for women.
“The greatest barrier for aspiring Black hotel owners is the financial hurdle of opening a hotel,” Mathis said. “It’s capital intensive. You either have to come from money, have an investor, or get a bank loan to make this happen.”
With a blessing from megastar and Houston native Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation, Mathis has been able to push the boundaries of what it means to be Black in the hotel business; her next goal is to teach others how to do the same. “I’m going to start a course to teach people how to open their own hotels with all the knowledge I gained over the past seven years,” she said. “My hope and goals are that it’s life-changing for people who want to get in this industry.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
