Riverside Hotel, Clarksdale

We stayed here last year and loved it ! Rat was great, so funny and very helpful with info about the area. Don't let the outside scare you off, just go on in and enjoy the experence ! You can stay in a big chain anytime, step out of the norm and enjoy the funky Riverside. Don't rush your stay, Rat has stories to tell ! Can't wait to go back !

Stayed at the Riverside in the fall of 2008. Rat and his lovely wife were wonderful hosts, and this place is one of a kind and as authentic as you can get. You will not be disappointed!

My big legged woman and I spent a night at The Riverside recently. I will never look at hotels in the same way ever again! Staying at The Riverside and spending time with Frank, the proprietor with a pedigree, Blues history comes alive; Rock 'n' Roll history, also! You cannot help but be moved as you walk down the hall, passing the rooms where the Legends of the Blues breathed, slept and played. We stayed in the John Lee Hooker room, #6, and was overwhelmed with a sense of well being you will not get at The Holiday Inn or other chains whose links are connected to nothing. The window air conditioner unit might make you forget you are in the delta, but the room, filled with original 40s furnishings, will not let you forget where in the delta you are! I sat in the very same chair John Lee would have sat in as he worked that big thumb across the strings, moaning a blues about a big legged woman...! The mattress felt like I was sleeping on soft cotton bales, big and firm, but plenty of room left to motivate 'round the room! All rooms seem to come with trinkets, brochures, books and personal items left by previous guests that you are encouraged to pick up and enjoy, but please leave them in the room! You will be pleased to discover the bathrooms down the hall are clean and spacious! Your room will contain more than enough towels. Just do not forget to carry one with you, something it will only take one time of you forgetting for you to not forget again! Soaps and shampoos are provided, if you forgot your own. I suggest you bring flip flops. I can imagine the hallway floor being mighty cold in the winter and if you have forgotten your towel, you will need to be able to sprint!

Just got back from the Sunflower River Blues Festival in Clarksdale. By chance, we stayed at the Riverside. It was a wonderful experience, and I will definitely stay there again in the future. As "Rat" explains, it looks run down on the outside but is nice on the inside. He keeps it clean and we had everything we needed while we were there. We stayed in one of the cabins and shared it with another couple. It was perfect. The beds were comfortable, the shower worked great, we had no problems at all. We were able to walk everywhere we went! Rat is an interesting man and takes every opportunity to chat with his guests. He takes great pride in this place and that is obvious from the moment you meet him. I would highly recommend this hotel!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the proprietor "Rat" and his funky hotel. This is where blues history was made and is now preserved in this establishment. The walls whisper of famous blues artists and their unforgotten music.