StayNoir's owner, Dr. Kendra Hearn, was introduced to travel at 8 months old when she took her first flight to spend the first of dozens of summers with her family in Baltimore from where her parents hailed. Whether it was car trips with her grandparents or toting along with her mother on business trips, she loved experiencing new places, people, and cultures.
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She carried this passion into adulthood, and when planning her own trips she used the exceptional skills she has developed in her career as an educator, education administrator, and professor to design travel experiences of discovery of the culture, the history, and the people of the places she has visited.
As a Detroit native from modest, working class roots, frequent travel was something that didn't always fit easily into her life until adulthood. Even then, as a parent and busy professional, she had to learn ways to make time for travel and make it affordable without sacrificing elevated travel experiences that match her discerning taste. StayNoir was born out of a desire to share what she has learned about seeing the world and provide resources for others to have their own remarkable journeys.
Since the days of the "Green Book" Black travelers have pooled together information and resources to traverse the United States' interstate highways and backroads to avoid sundown towns, find hotels and restaurants that would receive them, and avoid the dangers of "traveling while Black". Though we are now more able to traverse the U.S. and world with more abandon, there are still obstacles that can make travel daunting for Black folks. The 21st century Black traveler still often wonders if their destination will welcome and treat them kindly or if they will see reflections of themselves in the people they meet and things they do while there. Also, let's face it, travel is expensive, so Black people want what everyone else does - remarkable accommodations and memorable experiences that won't "break the bank". StayNoir exists to provide just that.
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