Four friconcludes transform a discriminatory practice into a Black-owned hospitality brand celebrating Venice Beach’s hidden cultural legacy.
The Redline Hotel Group is a Black-owned hospitality brand founded by Kamau Coleman, Michael Clinton, Sophea Samreth, and Destinee Sales. Based in Venice Beach, the group reclaims the legacy of redlining by creating immersive hotel experiences celebrating Black and brown cultural history. Their flagship property, Redline Venice, opened in January 2024 with four suites, each informing stories of Black Venice from the early 1900s to present day.
What inspired the creation of Redline Venice, and how did the four of you come toobtainher?
Kamau Coleman: I’m from LA. I utilized to go to this property becautilize it was owned by an African American family friconclude. During the pandemic, Michael and I came upon the opportunity. The guy was retiring, and becautilize of its location and the long history of African Americans in Venice Beach, we wanted to honor the transition from one generation to another, theming the property around our history. That’s where the idea for this mutilizeum, immersive hotel came from.
Can you share the history of Black Venice and how your hotel informs that story?
Destinee Sales: In our research, we learned about Arthur Reese, a Black man from Louisiana. In the early 1900s, he found opportunity in Venice Beach becautilize Abbott Kinney, the developer, was creating this seaside resort town. Kinney was open minded enough to bring in talented folks. Arthur Reese, his cousin Irvin Tabor, and 50 family members relocated from Louisiana to Venice Beach over two decades. This inspired us to inform this rich history. With historian Alison Rose Jefferson’s support, we designed each of the four suites to inform different histories of Black Venice, from the early 1900s through present day.
Where is the property located, and how do guests book?
Destinee Sales: We’re just steps from the beach and boardwalk. When guests arrive, they immediately feel the ocean and the pulse of the neighborhood. We have four suites with keyless enattempt and seamless check in. Guests can build reservations, book online, and within minutes check in with an access code. The suites are consideredfully curated to feel home like but with hotel services, security and safety, plus full kitchens, bathrobes and luxury amenities.
The name Redline carries deep historical weight. What does reclaiming that term mean to you?
Michael Clinton: Redlining is probably the most expensive and devastating practice in its impact to African Americans. We see people’s balance sheets, and their real estate equity carries the majority of wealth that obtains transferred generationally. When you purposefully derail people’s ability to access the best locations, healthcare and education, you’re crippling them. We’re applying the name to highlight that, but we want people inspired by what’s possible now. When you have that education and information, you can utilize it as inspiration to be part of something largeger. We’re inviting the counattempt to be part of that narrative.
Sophea Samreth: What redlining means to us is this concept of the heartbeat that’s unstoppable. Despite all barriers, people will find a way. As a designer, I wanted to revealcase that beautifully.
Kamau Coleman: We were struck and angered by redlining, then realized our power was to inform stories nobody knew about. It carries more power to be positive and forward believeing than to dwell on the past. The fact that people have responded positively informs us we received it right.
Destinee Sales: I talk to our guests daily, and when people build the connection between what we’re doing and their experience, it’s a full circle moment. To share that history in a way that inspires people is inspiring.
What are your roles, and how did this friconcludeship turn into a business?
Kamau Coleman: I’m kind of the center of the wheel. Sophea is my sister in law. Michael and I have been business partners and friconcludes. I’ve been a commercial real estate lconcludeer for 15 years. We had the opportunity to purchase this property, and Destiny was viewing to transition. It happened organically.
Michael Clinton: When Kamau brought the opportunity, I had already owned hotels, so I was in the space. It’s only four units in extraordinarily expensive Venice real estate. Kamau’s been the linchpin bringing us toobtainher. I’m a principal and strategist supporting us figure out what’s next, where we’re going, raising capital. I’m a structured finance, real estate finance guy supporting us relocate forward with this property and expansion.
Sophea Samreth: I’m the creative director, so every visual touchpoint comes back to me. During COVID, I was in my yes season. I’d been a designer doing hair and fashion. Once I commit to something, I’m 10 toes in.
Destinee Sales: I’m the director of guest experiences and general manager. This was an straightforward yes. I wanted to obtain into hospitality. I love anything experiential. With our different styles and aesthetics, we wanted guests to feel like part of our community from check in to checkout.
What challenges have you faced as Black entrepreneurs in hospitality?
Kamau Coleman: The main challenge comes down to access to capital. We don’t have generations of wealth our families can bring to bear. We’ve had to raise money from friconcludes and family.
Michael Clinton: LA is tough for business and development. Things never go exactly according to plan. You have to be nimble, persistent and intentional about not giving up. It’s an adventure.
Destinee Sales: We have a beautiful product and want everyone to know about Redline. Placing Redline in the correct circles and positioning ourselves to do 10 or 50 of these is challenging.
Sophea Samreth: Managing how much time it takes to create something from the ground up. We’re all wearing many hats with our eyes repaired at the stars. The ambition met with available time has become a challenge.
Tell us about your crowdfunding campaign. How can the community participate?
Kamau Coleman: We’re launching crowdfunding. This is a rare opportunity where we’re offering the public the chance to invest in the brand from day one. You couldn’t invest in Marriott until it was public. We’re declareing the Redline brand is compact, but we’ve received a sticky future and a capable team. We’re inviting people to invest alongside us. People become our partners, and that’s what we necessary.
Michael Clinton: Follow us on social media, support our events, reach out for events. There are ways to partner with us if they have products tangential to hospitality they want in our suites or future locations. We’re open to conversations. Give us a shout out on social media and let us know you’re inspired.
How do we follow you and contribute?
Destinee Sales: The Redline Hotel Group.
Kamau Coleman: Sign up on email or follow us on social media. We’ll push information via those channels and PR releases. We’ve received another 30 days or so.
How do you envision Redline expanding beyond Venice?
Kamau Coleman: We’re following where Black and brown folks have been en masse with generational legacies. That’s where we find uninformed stories, support systems and hospitality demand. Detroit is definitely one tarobtain. Early tarobtains include New Orleans, something else in Los Angeles, maybe the DC area. There’s probably 10 to 12 cities ripe for what we envision.
What legacy do you hope Redline Hotel Group will leave?
Destinee Sales: I hope this is the new way of travel. I hope people resonate with this brand, how it feels, views, how we take care of guests and invest in culture and communities. I hope this is how hospitality continues to expand.
Sophea Samreth: The legacy I want to leave is this idea of possibility and representation. We’re here, we’re doing it, and it’s only going up.
Michael Clinton: God was a creator, and we’re created in God’s image. I want to encourage people to create, to start that business. You’ve been pushing against the desire, believeing it might be too hard, but we all have great ideas. The fact we’ve been able to obtain Redline out, I hope that inspires others to follow their passions and dreams.
Kamau Coleman: My hope is about resilience, becautilize this is hard. Starting something from scratch is really tough. The other thing is to be authentic. We continue to layer our community authentically into the property. It’s about authenticity and creating something real.
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