The Hooker Hotel
A wonderful Clarksdale B & B!
(Note: 3 wonderful places to stay follow: The Hooker Hotel, The Squeeze Box and Delta Digs.)
There’s always something going on in the birthplace of the blues and rock and roll.
Ok, we’re not talking about the union civil war general, Joseph Hooker, and we’re not talking about hookers you may have heard about; we’re talking John Lee Hooker, the bluesman, the rock and roll hall of fame inductee, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner. The Hooker Hotel is in homage to him, and it’s right here in the historic downtown Arts & Culture District of John Lee’s home town (not far from John Lee Hooker Blvd.)! It’s unique, way cool, spacious, and if you look closely in the photo here, sometimes there’s a priest standing out front!
Chicago said it (we didn’t!)
The dining area in the Hooker Hotel in Clarksdale.
Here’s what WREG in Chicago has so say about this unique place here in Clarksdale (see full article here).
In business, advertising is everything and it always helps to have a catchy slogan or sign. WREG reports that a couple of developers in Clarksdale, Miss., created a buzz by opening a new hotel that pays homage to a famous Delta Blues legend, in a very eye-opening way.
Entertainment at The Hooker Hotel.
The sign for Hooker Hotel, on East 2nd Street in downtown Clarksdale, immediately got Pamela Vance’s attention. “It just amazed me. And I came back just to actually came back to see if I was reading the right thing or if something was wrong with my eyes,” said Pamela Vance of nearby Friars Point, MS. No, Pamela, there’s nothing wrong with your vision. The sign clearly reads Hooker Hotel. It’s the newest place in Clarksdale to bed down for a night or two. “Cause the first impression I know, was in the gutter. But that’s just where my mind went,” said Vance.
But before you call the Vice Squad, you should know this unique hotel is named for Delta Blues legend John Lee Hooker. “Probably one of the better old-time Blues guys. Very popular in the ’60s,” John Magnusson, the builder and property manager for Hooker Hotel, said. He added the name has drawn a lot of attention, “I think it took about three minutes, within installation of the sign, that we had several people stopping on the street to take pictures,” he said.
Much More than a Catchy Name
Bedroom 1 at the Hooker Hotel.
The Hooker Hotel is a fabulous 2-bedroom guest suite (private vacation rental apartment) designed, built, and decorated in true Delta style by local Delta artisans and craftsmen (can we just imagine “authentic?”). It is a slice of the real deal in a 745 square foot ground level flat (no stairs, really), and it was constructed in the 1897 style of the historic Clarksdale Telegraph Building that was an essential cornerstone in early Clarksdale communicating with itself, and the rest of the world.
The kitchen in the Hooker Hotel.
The Hooker Hotel apartment features 2 large private bedrooms (with BeautyRest mattresses and Magic Fingers to soothe). It has hardwood floors, a talk-about-it dining booth straight out of a classic diner. There is an elegant leather sofa & oversize chair, an invigorating 4 ft X 5 ft custom river pebble shower, and a new bath and vanity. It has central heating, air conditioning, a big refrigerator, gas oven & stovetop, plus a coffee maker, microwave, dishwasher, Broadband wireless internet, HD flat screen TV with DirecTV and a stereo.
Art and High Thread Counts (Yea!)
Book it here.
Now from the point of relaxing: there’s 400 thread count 100% cotton sheets, hypoallergenic pillows and 100% Cotton bath towels. The hotel apartment also features original artwork by many Mississippi artists, painters, photographers and designers.
Location, location, location
Custom bottle tree art by Stephanie Dwyer (its there, we swear).
When you stay here, you’re across the street from Hambone Art Gallery and Bar (it’s small and fun). You’re also around the corner from restaurants Yazoo Pass, Stone Pony, Grandma’s House of Pancakes, and Levon’s Bar and Grill. In walking distance is Ground Zero Blues Club and Red’s Lounge. The New Roxy and the Delta Blues Museum are within 3 blocks. There is a wine and spirits shop, plus a convenience store within the block. Lambfish Gallery, and CatHead are all within one block of the front door.
The Squeeze Box – great art, a great place to stay…
in the birthplace of the blues and rock and roll!
The Squeeze Box in Clarksdale, Mississippi, featuring squeeze box art and more!
Start an unforgettable journey in the ‘land where blues and rock and roll began’! The Squeeze Box is a perfect place to begin your blues road trip and gain an appreciation for an area that gave birth to the blues, rock and roll and more. It is located in the historic Arts & Culture Districe in downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi.
The Squeeze Box bar.
The Squeeze Box is decorated in authentic ‘Delta Style’ (think artful, colorful and invitingly funky) by local artisans, John Magnusson and Randall Andrews. One can only marvel and appreciate the wonderful history, hospitality and culture these artisans created here… for you! The Squeeze Box is your blues oasis and will make you feel right at home in the Delta!
The 4-room, 1 bedroom, private guest suite has all the amenities you expect and more……its fully equipped. Come in, sit down and relax. Then spend your time listening to live music, meeting people, finding real southern hospitality and food, and exploring the town’s rich historical sites, specialty shops, museums and restaurants.
The Master Suite
The master bedroom at The Squeeze Box, with the X-Ray Viewing Box behind the bed.
The bedroom features a King-Size Sealy Posturepedic Plush Pillow-Top Mattress. It has 400+ thread count cotton linens. Highlighted behind the bedstand, the room features an X-Ray Viewing Box art display that features photographs by artist Amanda Gresham and original artwork by other local artisans.
At bedside you’ll find an IPOD/MP3 stereo system, and for that extra special comfort, The Squeeze Box now features ‘Magic Fingers’ at your bedside too. How quickly you can sail away after a night in the Mississippi Delta?
The Squeeze Bath
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The bathroom is also local artist decorated, and it features galvanized wall coverings and a large ‘blue hue’ corrugated, modern all pressure shower with Kohler faucets. The featured woodwork and sculptures were done by local artist Randall Andrews. You’ll also find 100% cotton towel luxury also provided.
Amenities
The Gold Record dining nook at The Squeeze Box.
The Squeeze Box is large living room, kitchen, master suite, and full bath with shower. It is an air conditioned and properly heated retreat.
The fully equipped kitchen includes a refrigerator, dishwasher, full size microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker. A stereo system pipes music into all rooms, and has a direct link for your IPOD or MP3 player. A separate IPOD/MP3 system is located bedside.
And a Little More
The flat is replete with Mississippi Delta artwork. Musical instruments, music artists and squeeze boxes are a wonderful part of the overall design. There is a large covered sidewalk veranda where you can relax, sip a refreshing cool beverage, and recharge your batteries before a night on the town listening to live music at any of the local clubs and juke joints.
Delta Digs – THE place to lay it down in Clarksdale…
in the historic downtown Arts & Culture District!
Delta Digs entrance and relaxing area.
Delta Digs is a wonderful private vacation apartment with 1 bedroom that is designed, built, and decorated in an inspired authentic Mississippi Delta style by local Clarksdale artisans. The 425 square foot, ground level (no stairs), one bedroom flat is constructed in what was the Clarksdale Telegraph Office, the turn of the century downtown communications hub that tied the birthplace of the blues back then with itself, and the rest of the world.
Book Delta Digs here.
Amenities
Delta Digs’ custom designed master bed.
A custom queen-size bed designed by Delta artist Randall Andrews is the centerpiece relaxing attraction in Delta Digs. It comes with a Sealy PosturePedic mattress, Magic Fingers for your ultimate ease, and the bed has 600 thread count cotton sheets and down pillows.
The private apartment has hardwood floors, a dining booth from a classic Nashville diner. The sitting area has an elegant leather sofa & oversize chair. There is a 4 ft X 5 ft custom shower with Speakman faucets, a new bath and vanity, and 100% cotton bath towels.
Delta Digs dining area.
Delta Digs has central heating and air conditioning. The kitchenette comes with a refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave. There is an HD flat screen TV with DirecTV, and a stereo. The unique space is decorated with authentic original artwork by many Mississippi artists (painters ,photographers, designers).
Location, location, location
Delta Digs kitchenette.
When you stay at Delta Digs, you are directly across the street from Hambone Art Gallery and the Rock & Blues Museum. Around the corner are restaurants Yazoo Pass and Stone Pony, and CatHead Blues Store. On the other side of the block is Grandma’s House of Pancakes, and Levon’s Bar and Grill is ont he next street. Ground Zero Blues Club and Red’s Lounge are within a 5 minute stroll. The New Roxy and the Delta Blues Museum are within 3 blocks. There is a wine and spirits shop, plus a convenience store within the block.
