CLARKSDALE, Miss. — In business, advertising is everything and it always helps to have a catchy slogan or sign.
WREG reports that a couple of Clarksdale, Mississippi, developers created a buzz by opening a new hotel that pays homage to a famous Delta Blues legend, in a very eye-opening way.
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 Friars Point.
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 since it went up two weeks ago.
“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.
There is only one unit in this unique hotel, with a sitting area, kitchen, bathroom and two full bedrooms.
It’s decorated with all kinds of music memorabilia, to give national and international tourists a real taste of the Delta.
“They’re 90 percent Blues enthusiasts. So they’re looking for something different, something funky,” said Magnusson.
He and his partner started renovating a building on East Second Street a couple of years ago.
They turned office space into three separate suites: Delta Digs, The Squeeze Box and Hooker Hotel.
Each of the mini-hotel rooms are furnished differently, but all highlight Clarksdale’s role in the Blues.
Magnusson said the names may be eye-opening, but are purely innocent.
“People will think what they will. If you don’t know about the Blues, that’s your problem,” he said.
He said all three of the mini-hotels stay booked solid.
That’s good news for businesses in downtown Clarksdale that rely on tourist dollars.
One of them is Hambone Art and Music across from Hooker Hotel.
Owner Stan Street said he’s already seen an increase in customers in town to soak up music and culture.
“I have a bar in my place. So they can come and have a beer and look at the artwork and maybe buy some. And have a good time listening to the music,” he said.
