Our Why
About
Dunns-Josephine Hotel Where Comfort Meets History and Charm
We are a unique brand of boutique hotels focused on sharing the rich multi-cultural history and surrounding communities. Our goal is to bring you an experience that will not only tap into your soul but by bringing history to life but tap into your senses through our incredible design style and tantalizing food choices.
The Dunns-Josephine Hotel, a relic of Greater Miami & Miami Beach’s past, finds its way to the 21st century, bringing the dynamic story of Historic Overtown to the forefront.
The hotel is located in the heart of Historic Overtown once a prosperous Black neighborhood during segregation. The likes of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Josephine Baker stayed here. Now, owner Kristin Kitchen’s Dunns-Josephine Hotel opens its doors for guests to enjoy a stay dedicated to the local community.
Luxurious Bedding
Private Bathrooms
High-Speed Wi-Fi
Continental Breakfast
Coffee Maker
Refrigerator
Meet-
Our Leader
As Founder of the Sojourn Heritage Brand, Kristin Kitchen is also the current owner of Six Acres Bed and Breakfast, a historic site that was once part of the Underground Railroad located in Cincinnati Ohio. After nearly twenty years in the hospitality industry focusing on the bed and breakfast segment she began to ask these questions: Was it possible to create a brand of bed and breakfast boutique hotels that combined the amenities of a 1st class hotel and the intimacies of a Bed and Breakfast? Could we expand the experience at the “Breakfast Table” into an actual brand that encouraged people from various races, genders, and cultures to come together and share their lives with one another? Could we, through deliberative dialogue create transformational experiences for our guest that could perhaps last a lifetime?
Kristin Kitchen, Founder and CEO of Sojourn Heritage Accommodations is embarking on a new way of doing business in the Heritage Tourism Industry. For the last 15 years, Kristin has been the owner and operator of the Six Acres Bed & Breakfast in Cincinnati, Ohio. Restoring this historic 6000-sq. ft. home that was once part of the Underground Railroad and turning it in to a successful business inspired Kristin to launch a new brand of boutique hotels that combine the intimacies of a bed and breakfast with the amenities of a 1st class hotel.
Kristin Kitchen, Founder and CEO of Sojourn Heritage Accommodations is embarking on a new way of doing business in the Heritage Tourism Industry. For the last 15 years, Kristin has been the owner and operator of the Six Acres Bed & Breakfast in Cincinnati, Ohio. Restoring this historic 6000-sq. ft. home that was once part of the Underground Railroad and turning it in to a successful business inspired Kristin to launch a new brand of boutique hotels that combine the intimacies of a bed and breakfast with the amenities of a 1st class hotel.
With a background in real- estate development, having owned and managed over 20 residential and commercial properties, Kristin has taken that knowledge along with her passion for entrepreneurship to the next level. By integrating a model that not only transforms blighted or underutilized historic structures in Urban communities into viable hotel lodging spaces but in doing so, helps to restore the community by creating or enhancing existing business from within the community to operate as vendors for the hotel. “We create jobs and entrepreneurs with in each community because our mission is to make our communities better and to empower the people that live there.”
“When we thrive, our community thrives.”
In 2014, she launched the Sojourn Heritage Hotel Brand, a new brand of hotels focused on African American History and Culture in urban areas, to share the history while uplifting the community.
The Sojourn Heritage Accommodations Hotel Group introduces the DUNNS JOSEPHINE HOTEL to the South Florida travel destination community. The DUNNS JOSEPHINE is an amazing boutique hotel, located in the blossoming, cultural garden and entertainment mecca known as Historic Overtown. The hotel had its soft launch December 2019. The DUNNS JOSEPHINE HOTEL is an ode to both the Miami and Harlem Renaissance periods of glitz and old-world glamour from days gone by. Staying true to theme, the DUNNS JOSEPHINE HOTEL boasts (15) guest rooms dedicated and decorated to the likes of Miami and Harlem Renaissance legends such as Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Cab Calloway, Marcus Garvey, and the iconic Duke Ellington and Billie Holliday.
As a historian and successful business woman Kristin has given lectures at various colleges and universities across the country and continues to do so. Kristin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Masters in African American Studies.
Kristin lives in Miami Florida with her adorable daughter Zahri Jean.
Kristin Kitchen
Founder & Visionary
What Sets Apart
At Dunns-Josephine Hotel, we are passionate about revealing the hidden treasures of Miami and uncovering the rich history that often gets lost in the shuffle of traditional education.
Things To Do
The hotel is located on a quiet street, with local offerings a stone’s throw away. Directly to the north lies the Overtown Performing Arts Center (OPAC), which hosts private events throughout the year. Nearby, the Lyric Theater is a community gem that has hosted legendary performers throughout the years. Just south of the hotel is A Space Called Tribe, a business center where visitors can rent a desk space for the day and use all the amenities, from the conference room to complimentary tea and snacks in the TRIBE lounge.
Looking for a bite? Groovin’ Bean is just a few minutes away and serves up fresh coffee and hot and cold breakfast options. Early risers can enjoy comfort food at Jackson Soul Food. Lunch lovers can walk over to House of Wings for flavorful wings or head over to Lil Greenhouse Grill for healthy and hearty soul food.
Art & Culture
The deep blue walls and shiny floors swirled in mauve and resin set a tranquil tone for your vacation. The hotel boasts a second-floor art gallery with original works from local and national visual artists.
Georgia native Geder Walker built the Lyric Theater in Historic Overtown in 1913. It was once called “the most beautiful and costly playhouse owned by colored people in all the Southland” by Miami Metropolis. Through the years, countless legendary performers graced the stage, including Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker and Billie Holiday.
After Walker’s death in 1919, his wife Henrietta continued to operate the theater until 1959 when it became a church. In its various iterations it was used as a movie theater, performance hall and community auditorium. As a result of the turbulence of the 1960s, the Lyric was shuttered for decades until 1988 when the Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida purchased it and began the restoration process. It’s now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
