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3 Historic Bed & Breakfasts for your next Port City vacay
One of the best things about staying in Mobile is all the history the Port City has to offer. With its eight distinct historic districts and several unofficial historic districts (meaning they aren’t on any register, but are still pretty historic. Africatown is a great example!), there’s always some sort of history to immerse yourself in while in the Port City. One of the best ways, at least in our opinion, to grasp Mobile’s history is to stay within it. In that spirit, we’ve highlighted three awesome Bed & Breakfasts with that historic flair for your next stay in the Port City!
1. The Kate Shepard House Bed & Breakfast
- Where: 1152 Monterey Place Mobile, AL
- Rates: Start at $175/night
- Contact: 251-479-7048 | Website | Facebook
Nestled inside an opulent Queen Victoria style home is a quaint and adorable bed & breakfast, complete with two extravagant suites. This B&B was commissioned in the late 1890s by Mr. and Mrs. Charles (and Kate) Shepard out of an architectural catalogue produced by architect George Franklin Barber. According to rumor, it took 13 train cars to ship all the materials for this home from Tennessee to Mobile for the build!
There are two different rooms you can rent in the Kate Shepard House, the Barber Room and Isabel’s Room. The Barber Room, named after George Franklin Barber, is a very romantic stay complete with a large oak queen bed and a gorgeous mantle in the bedroom itself. Isabel’s room is the actual room where Isabel, Kate Shepard’s sister, inhabited in her time at the house. Here, you’ll find a vintage iron bed and private bathroom. Rates for both rooms start at $175/night and include access to the entire house, including the Shepard Library, which houses many historic papers and documents having to do with either the house itself or the area.
You’ll feel like royalty yourself in The Kate Shepard House, with its homemade breakfast each morning, which includes the famous Pecan Praline French Toast, featured on “Alabama’s 100 Dishes You Must Eat Before You Die” list! Don’t forget the complimentary drinks and snacks available to you 24/7, like coffee or even a nice Sherry to finish off your night.
Lastly, the Kate Shepard House is pet friendly! In fact, the resident chow-chow, Beaux Bear, is more than excited to show your four-legged-loved-ones all around the property.
2. Fort Condè Inn
- Where: 165 St. Emanuel Street Mobile, AL
- Rates: Starting around $149/night, up to $400/night for Cottages or Townhomes
Built in the 1830s as a ten-room bed & breakfast, the Fort Condè Inn has blossomed in its development, becoming the centerpiece of the Fort Condè Village—a gorgeous and gaslit section of Mobile that was meticulously restored to its original character for this boutique hotel experience.
You can really choose your experience at the Fort Condè Inn. Between the original B&B rooms, located in the Inn itself, or a myriad of townhomes and cottages, you and your family are sure to find accommodations at the Fort Condè Inn.
Guests now enjoy the character of these historic landmarks without sacrificing the luxury and privacy of a modern, four-star boutique hotel. The day begins with breakfast, inspired by Mobile Bay’s confluence of cultures and cuisines, served either in the bistro or in the shaded courtyards or even in guests’ private rooms. The day ends with chandeliers aglow in the oversized parlors, libations in hand, gas lanterns lighting the verandah.
From the Fort Condè website.
Even if you’re staying in one of the cottages, you can still enjoy all the history that the great rooms and parlors of Fort Condè have to offer—it’s almost an all on-site vacation, you don’t have to leave unless you want to! If you do want to explore the city, however, you’ll love how the Fort Conde Inn is nestled in the heart of Downtown, within walking distance of the Explorium and Soul Kitchen (a music venue).
What we love about the Fort Conde Inn is exactly how customizable your experience can be there—we hope you’ll love it too.
3. The Mardi Gras House
- Where: 504 Church St, Mobile, AL
- Rates: Start at $75/night
As us Mobilians love to gloat, we are the one true home of Mardi Gras, and this is the B&B to stay in if you want to surround yourself with all our Mardi Gras history. This painted lady, Victorian-style home was built in 1899, commissioned by Croatian and Irish immigrant, Frank Petrinovich. The architect of this home, James Hutchisson, was part of a generational line from Mobile that designed most of the buildings we hold near and dear, like the Mobile Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, just a few blocks away.
The best thing about the Mardi Gras House, at least to us, is just how dang cute it is! Multiple reviews mention it looking like the house in Pippi Longstocking, and who wouldn’t want to stay in Pippi’s house? Every room is immaculately decorated with a mixture of historic items and local artists’ work.
Of course, you can’t beat the location! You’re within walking distance of some great downtown digs, like the Carnival Museum and the cruise launch.
This precious house has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, so it’s perfect for a larger family looking to all stay together on your next Mobile vacay.
B&Bs are really an awesome way to immerse yourself in history while staying in a city, and depending on the size of your group and budget, can be a great and cost-efficient way to see the sites of Mobile. No matter which B&B you choose, we know you’ll have a great stay.
Which B&Bs in Mobile would you like to see covered next time? Let us know @thebamabuzz!
