Riverside Hotel

You don't go to the Riverside for a fancy bed or a workout room. You go for the history. Mainly you go for Frank Ratliff, your host, historian and artist with the English language. You will never forget the experience.

Important part of Clarksdale and MS History. I'm so glad to see recent grants awarded to the Riverside Hotel and am excited to see how its stories are preserved for generations to come.

The highlight of my life! Owner is the greatest human beings ive ever encountered. Thanks for all those wise words rat. The history engulfs you the second you come thru the doors.

This review will be a work in progress. I just called to see if I would need a reservation. The owner answered and said that indeed I would need one. I asked if he needed my credit card information and he said that it was cash only, all he needed from me was my name and where I was from. He also said he would have me a juke joint map ready for my visit. Nice man more later

I stayed there do to the history of the place, but op top I was met with the greatest and warmest hospitality I ever have met. The hotel was nice and absolutely clean. My favor blues artist is Muddy Waters and I slept in his room. Great experience. Go there, take your time and you will never regret it. I will come back again this summer.

I stayed here for the historic significance. Very basic accommodations and clean. Zee gave me lots of stories and a tour. It is worth staying here if you want to be around history and know the importance this establishment played in that history.

Rat (Frank Ratliff, the owner) is the best, plain and simple. Honest as the day is long. The hotel is plain and simple too. I am giving it four stars because perhaps you'll be wanting room service or valet parking or such truck and that would require the fifth star. But if you are looking for a place full of history and steeped in tradition, a place you can return to ten years later and still call home, this is it. My wife and our son stayed here during the blues festival a few years back. We slept in the room John F. Kennedy, Jr. slept in. We heard about Bessie Smith being brought here when it was the colored hospital. We heard about Frank's mom that ran the place before he did. We experienced a dose of Rat's hospitality and that was precious. If you need matching towels or a big neon sign, there is a Motel 6 out on the highway. If you need a place to rest, this is it.

Historic Blues hotel. Amazing staff. I stayed in the John Lee Hooker room. One of my musical hero's. Boogie Chillen Well, my mama 'low me just to stay out all night long Oh, Lord Well, my mama 'low me just to stay out all night long I didn't care she 'low, I would boogie anyhow