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Deidre Mathis is making history once more in Houston, Texas, as the owner of Wanderstay Boutique Hotel, the city’s first adults-only themed hotel. It is yet another extraordinary accomplishment for Mathis, who created history in 2018 by opening the first Black-owned hostel in the United States.
Wanderstay Boutique Hotel includes ten distinct rooms, all of which are meant for adults. Guests can select from a variety of themes, including the Black and White Art Museum, Safari Escape, Desert Vibes, and Houston Sports Teams. Those looking for a little more adventure might leave the hotel selection to the staff for a nice surprise.
“You can literally stay with us ten different times and have ten different experiences,” Mathis told Travel Noire.
The hotel is a 7,000-square-foot building created from a 30-year-old air conditioning warehouse in Houston’s Midtown district. Mathis chose to establish the new boutique hotel after the success of her hostel, which received over 15,000 guests from 30 different countries in 2018.
She understands the value of having a pleasant, safe, and distinctive location to stay while traveling after seeing 46 countries on all seven continents. That’s why she wanted to provide visitors and staycationers with an unforgettable experience. Aside from the fascinating themes, each room includes comfortable robes, slippers, and a towel warmer for an added sense of luxury.
Furthermore, Mathis, who is only 36 years old, is breaking down boundaries in the hotel industry, where people of color are underrepresented. According to Hotel Management, less than 2% of U.S. hotel owners are Black, and the figure is considerably lower for Black women, at less than 1%.
Mathis is determined to alter this by giving classes to teach others how to open their own hotels, drawing on her seven-year experience. She has also received help from Houston’s own superstar, Beyonce, through her BeyGood Foundation, which provided a small business grant to Mathis’s company.
