Bessie Boutique 1BR Honoring a LaVilla Icon Pool

Summary:

History whispers and elegance awaits at the Raven! Book this lovingly restored early 20th century masterpiece for a night or a year! Dip in our on site 9 month (open March through November) HEATED pool and relax in the adjacent courtyard with a built in gas-powered grill.



The Space:

Welcome to Bessie — a thoughtfully designed one-bedroom apartment honoring the legacy and spirit of the historic figure highlighted throughout the décor. Warm textures, exposed brick, and preserved architectural elements create an atmosphere that feels both modern and deeply connected to LaVilla’s rich past.

The spacious bedroom features a luxurious California king bed, dressed in soft linens and styled with calming, layered design details that make the space feel serene and inviting — the perfect place to unwind after a day in Jacksonville.

The cozy living area offers comfortable seating and a smart TV, creating a relaxing environment for slow mornings, movie nights, or peaceful evenings in.



The well-appointed kitchenette is designed for convenience and functionality, featuring a refrigerator, sink, cooktop, dishwasher, and ample counter space. It comes fully stocked with flatware, glasses, mugs, silverware, cooking utensils, and pots/pans, making simple meal prep effortless without the need for a full oven.

An in-unit apartment-style washer and dryer provides added comfort for extended stays, offering all the practicality of home within this beautifully curated apartment.



The bathroom includes a beautifully updated modern shower, designed with clean lines and contemporary finishes to elevate your daily routine.



Every detail in Bessie has been intentionally chosen to tell a story — from the curated artwork to the exposed brick and preserved architectural features that honor the building’s century-old history. This unit offers a soulful, stylish stay that blends historic character with modern comfort in a truly unique way.

Want an expanded stay? Reserve Sanctuary and Bessie together to enjoy a seamless 2-bedroom, 2-bath layout within this iconic historic landmark.



Guest Access:

Guests have access to their apartments, all interior common areas, and the pool area from sunrise to sunset. We feature internet-connected smart locks at every common door and for the gates in the courtyard / pool area for added security. We have a team member on site during high occupancy periods and have a team-member stop by every night to ensure the property is secure.



The Neighborhood:

This beautiful property is located in the up and coming LaVilla neighborhood within downtown Jacksonville. At the turn of the 20th century this area was a thriving mecca for African American jazz musicians, on par with New Orleans and Harlem. Famous 20th century musicians such as Ray Charles (who lived less than a quarter of a mile southwest of the property on Church St), Ma Rainey, the “mother of the blues,” often performed in LaVilla, as did “Jelly Roll” Morton, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others! The city of Jacksonville is building out a "LaVilla Heritage Trail" with signs all over the area (including on the southwest corner of our off street parking lot) bringing to life the area's storied history.



Nearby neighborhoods include historic Springfield (a few blocks to the north), Brooklyn (a mile to the southwest), historic San Marco (2-3 miles to the south - over the Main St bridge), and historic Riverside/5 Points (less than 2 miles to the southwest). All of these areas teem with local restaurants, boutiques, and bars. The core area of downtown Jacksonville and the stadium district are 1-2 miles to the east and walkable during stadium events to include Jacksonville Jaguars games, the Gator Bowl, the Florida-Georgia football game as well as concerts at Daily's Place.



The Prime Osborn convention center is a mile to the southwest of the property.



Getting Around:

While you can walk around downtown Jacksonville on foot, it is best to have a car or use a ride-sharing app (such as Uber or Lyft) to go from the less densely populated portion of downtown - LaVilla - to the other parts of downtown.



Other Things to Note:

We require every guest who books a listing with us ("the booker") to fill out a check-in form which includes reading and signing our rental agreement. As part of our check-in process we require all guests to provide us information about them / their stay with us. This includes uploading a valid, unexpired government issued identification card and a "selfie" (picture showing one's face typically taken using one's phone camera).



This process is similar to checking into a hotel and we hope you understand that this is necessary since we typically do not have staff on site to validate a guest's identity. If you aren't comfortable with this then we recommend you book a property with another host since completing the check-in form (which includes uploading a non-expired ID, selfie, and reading/signing our rental agreement) is required before we can send you check-in information.



Please contact us before booking if you would like to review our rental agreement.



We charge for additional guests above a fixed amount. This amount and additional charge varies by unit type, size, and configuration. If you input the correct guest count when you make your reservation the amount the booking site indicated as the total cost will not change (due to guest count). We ask for confirmation of guest count after you complete your booking. If you need to increase your guest count after booking confirmation due to a booking error, this could result in a price increase. Finally, we verify guest count via external cameras located on our properties. In the event that we notice a guest count at the property that is higher than reported, we reserve the right to ask for additional guest fees that would be double the amount we would have charged prior to check-in.



Please refer to the following guidelines regarding fees for extra guests:



Studio & 1 BR units - $25 per guest/night after 2 guests (i.e. 3 guests would be $25/night extra and 4 guests would be $50/night extra)

2 BR units - $30 per guest/night after 4 guests (i.e. 5 guests would be $30/night extra and 6 guests would be $60/night extra)



Our property is pet-friendly so if you are highly allergic to dogs or cats this home may not be a good fit for you. Our cleaning service is very good but you may notice an occasional dog/cat hair here and there.



We do charge a pet fee of $50/night/pet that you bring with you. This reduces to $250/week per pet and $500/month per pet for longer term guests. This fee is not included in the accommodation fare rate. We will send a request for the additional funds once the number of pets is confirmed after booking.



If you are local to Jax and book for less than 5 days we reserve the right to ask you to cancel your reservation. We rarely make an exception to this policy, but may elect to do so at our sole discretion.



The following additional charges apply to late check outs/early arrivals, assuming I can offer this at all (I often can’t so please never assume this will be allowed):



1 hr or less early arrival or late departure: $25

1-2 hr early arrival/late departure: $50

2-3 hr early arrival/late departure: $75

3+ hr early arrival/late departure: $100 or the cost of an additional night’s stay, whichever is more



***Smoking is strictly forbidden anywhere on the property - both the interior and the exterior spaces***



***If we find cigar/cigarette butts of any kind on the property or evidence of smoking (ash, cigarette butts, empty cigarette packs, etc. left in common areas) we will assess a $500 cleaning fee in addition to the regular cleaning fee***



For guests requiring a pack n play, high chair, or any other non-standard item, please submit your request at least 7 days before check-in to ensure availability. If the request is made less than 7 days prior to check-in, we will make every effort to accommodate it, but cannot guarantee availability.



Interaction with Guests:

We have a team member on site during high occupancy period and our office is a few blocks to the north in Springfield. If you need something during the week (9am - 4pm; Mon-Fri) we can typically have someone assist you in an hour or two. Most weekends we will have someone on site during out standard check-in/check-out periods to assist, if needed.



We do have a team members who stops by the property overnight to ensure that the common areas are secure.