Shack Up Inn

We stayed a few nights in one of the upstairs cotton gin bin rooms advertised as having a queen size bed. It had a double bed, a few strategically placed mouse traps, stained carpeting, a weird flea/​bug spray odor and no housekeeping. When we made our reservation, we were emailed a
music schedule for the onsite venue.
Well, a few days before our stay, we got another email saying no live music and the onsite restaurant was also closed for the weekend. This place has a good olé boy hunting camp meets Sanford and son aesthetic. The room was clean. Just a bit of a letdown all around. We are going to give them another try some day and hope for a better experience.

Totally unique establishment. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary… this is your place! Décor is a mash up of old and new. Lots to see both throughout the property and inside the shack. Shacks have heat and air, bathroom with shower. No kitchen but our shack had a coffee maker and microwave. Rust restaurant offers food basics. Ground Zero blues club just a short drive away. Will be going back.

Ok we checked in 5 min ago but I Love it already!!!
The grounds are amazing, the interior fantastic and the gentlemen behind the counter charming. Love all about it! Time for some beer on the porch!

Loved the sunflower shack. The place could be gimmicky, but it’s not, and the amenities were fine. Really thoughtful and detailed design.

This place is very awesome yet hard to describe. All of the rooms for rent are «shacks» but have all the amenities that are needed. There’s running water, TV, a refrigerator, Wi-​Fi, a shower and a bed and/​or couch, depending on the size of the shack you get. I went in a group of about 13 people and we rented multiple shacks.
The décor of all the shacks are old school, reminiscent of the olden days. I’m afraid words won’t do it justice. Just know this, if you’re looking for a rustic, out of the way vacation or stay, this is the place to be. There’s a general store to buy knickknacks and doodads and there’s a bar with a music hall where they serve food during meal times, alcohol (especially at night) and live music.
Just understand this is not a Ritz or a Holiday Inn. That is not the feel this place was going for and they nailed it on the head.
I definitely recommend this place.

Didn’t even make it in… got here at 920pm. sign says. cover charge $ 5 at 10pm… now why would they want to charge us cover if its only 920pm?!
Is it because we said we were not having dinner but drinks??? Maybe… BIG MISTAKE ON THERE PART! They would have made waaaayyyy more than 5 bucks cover off us on just drinks if they didn’t pull that crap. Bye Felisha! You’re loss!!!

Let me preface this by saying that I believe our experience was an isolated indecent.
We booked our weekend 3 weeks in advance. Staying in January, you have to expect the whole town to be very slow with not much going on. That was what we were hoping for… A nice quite weekend where reading and hanging out on the porch consumed most of our time.
When we got there Friday night, everything seemed to be great. The shack we stayed in was exactly like other posters described. Small, but comfortable. You can tell the detail within the shack included quite a bit thought, and was not just thrown in there to take up space.
We had a nice evening that night and we were looking forward to sleeping in, as we both work very hard during the weekdays.
Saturday morning was where our nice vacation ended. We woke up at 7AM to a 10 man crew building another shack 20ft away from ours. When I say building another shack… I mean just that, constructing another shack, literally, right next to ours. Hammering and sawing, with construction workers yelling and cursing. I was furious.
We had to wait until the front desk was open…8AM…to express our frustration with the situation. Barry, the co-​owner was very nice about the problem, and offered many apologies, as well as a reduced rate for our stay. The construction was not going to be halted. He also said that the construction would not stop and that we should expect it to start the same time Sunday morning. There was no staying, as the noise was so loud it was unbearable. We tried to give it a shot, but there was no way we could stand it.
I told Barry that anything short of a full refund was absolutely unacceptable. As we were not informed of this when we booked, nor when we checked in the night before. Also, we traveled to stay here, we incurred travel costs. He conceded and offered the full refund. (he really had no choice, it was that bad).
When i walked into the lobby to provide my credit card for the refund, the experience turned sour once again. The «big boned» blonde woman that was behind the counter was obviously angry that we decided to leave. She took my card and didn’t say a word. Very rude about the whole process, almost like i was taking food off of her table. Never once offered an apology, never once asked us to come back on a better weekend. Almost like it was our fault the 10 man crew was out there building another shack. Barry was awesome about trying to resolve the problem, but this woman just ruined his efforts by acting like a 5yr old child. It is unfortunate it ended that way.
Would i suggest that people stay here? Yes, but i would ask questions before you book, as they are growing and there is a lot of activity around the property that can and will ruin your experience if you go the wrong weekend.
If you see big boned Betty (i don’t really know her name, but this seems appropriate). Tell her that her attitude counteracts the efforts of the rest of the staff.

This place is perfect. It’s a unique experience, it’s laid back but the staff is totally on the ball. You couldn’t ask for a better Mississippi Delta experience. They have a great beer selection and the meals we had at the restaurant were very good as well. Ask ahead if they will have a full menu or just the bar menu — full menu is better.

Having always wanted to do a road trip through the Deep South to listen to blues and eat bbq, the shack up in was exactly what I hoped Mississippi would be. It is by far the most unique hotel/b&b I have ever stayed in. Despite being charmingly rustic (wherein lies its character), it is clean and the staff are friendly. I loved the sunset over the cotton fields. And you can’t beat the prices. I sincerely hope to come back some day and will recommend it emphatically to any and all!

I absolutely adore Shack Up. It is truly a unique place to stay. I love that all of the little shacks have individual themes and Décor.
The staff is both friendly and helpful.
The new restaurant, Rust, is fantastic. Live music too.
The property grounds have so many cool things to look at and explore. So relaxing sitting on the screened in back porch, having a drink and cooking out with the other guests. It’s definitely worth the road trip. Make sure to try the fresh Sweet Magnolia ice cream and Delta donuts served in the lobby.

This place is truly one of a kind! My boyfriend and I did a road trip and decided to see this for ourselves… totally worth it! Even though it rained, we still really enjoyed staying there and found shelter in their bar chatting up the bartender and then our cozy, quiet, room. Do come here at least once in your lifetime.

This geographic area will not have any Four Seasons to stay in but this place is perfect for the locale. The restaurant just launched and was awesome! The Shacks are really cool and basic, do not expect all the comforts of an upscale hotel but this place carves out a Mississippi niche like no other place we have been. Great live music on Fri and Sat night (only nights we stayed). The vibe is a can’t miss if you’re in the area!

Didn’t eat here, but loved the atmosphere! Staff was always smiling, helpful and friendly. Great art work for really inexpensive. Great southern country theme based attraction. Spend the night in «slave quarters» (plus AC). Obvious love of Elvis and heritage! LOL!

We stayed last weekend with some friends. we had a great time. The Inn is actually located a little ways out of town on what used to be an actual plantation. It even has a field of cotton out front.
The cabins, which are old sharecroppers houses, are quite spacious and nicely decorated in the Inn’s theme, early rustic. The bed is comfortable and they provide all the basic amenities, fridge, coffee maker, microwave. There is a heater and an air conditioner, something they didn’t originally have. The TV only gets the Blues Channel and there is no phone. The porch out front is nice and spacious, with rockers. Our friends had a slightly larger cabin and you could seat four out on their porch. One of the seats was a bench seat from a car.
There is no housekeeping service, so you’re going to return to the same unmade bed you left in the morning. Towel service is non-​existent and the towels provided are pretty puny. I would suggest bringing your own towels.
The lobby is pretty informal. It has a nice gift shop in it. The bar/​lounge is just off the lobby. They have live music there once a week. The beer selection is real good, and cheap, but they only have beer. No wine or hard drinks, those you have to bring on your own.
All in all, it’s a great experience, real good value for the money, and a lot of fun.

One of the nicest «hotels» i’ve ever stayed at.
We stayed in the sunflower shack, 2 porches, large bedroom, kitchen and living room.
The shack had everything we needed, the owners even offered a free guitar.
Looking forward to returning at some point.

We visited Clarksdale on a cold weekend this past February and plan to return — bleak as the weather was, the people are so warm. The Shack Up Inn is no exception to the town’s fine Southern hospitality. Upon check in we were greeted by a sweet pup and his owners, offered coffee and a guitar to play during our stay, and got a tour of the commissary along with tips for who and what was in town for the weekend.
We stayed in the Robert Clay shack which yes, is better than walking a mile in his shoes, bless his soul. They’ve romanticized the Delta, and you know what? That is a good thing. It will help keep the history alive.

Shack Up Inn = easily one of the most charming lodging experiences I’ve *ever* had! I’ve experienced many different kinds of accommodations, from boutique hotels (typically my favorite) in big cities to posh old school grand hotels in Europe to hostel rooms with no heat and an uncomfortable cot (cheapest place to stay one freezing winter in Amsterdam).
It’s funny because I was expecting so much less. After all, they all but tell you if you’re expecting something nice, go elsewhere. Don’t let that fool you! I’m a girly girl. I don’t *do* camping. «Roughing it» — just isn’t for me. The Shack-​Up complex consists of clusters of shacks, some original structures (I think?) and some that are newly built, as well as an entire block of rooms in an old cotton gin. You feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. In fact, IT SCREAMS LORETTA LYNN! I practically expected to see her on one of the porches strumming her guitar (you actually might see a musician on one of the porches strumming their guitar, as musicians stay here on the regular while they play the Chapel). Come on, that’s the highest compliment I can give a place of this kind!
We stayed in the Sunflower Shack, which is on the other side of the railroad tracks, where the newly built shacks are situated. You wouldn’t know right away that these are new, as they did such a great job of making them seem as authentic as those on the other side of the tracks. They are spaced a bit further apart from each other and all feature both a front porch and back porch that’s screened-​in (key for enjoying a hot summer night al fresco!) When I stepped inside, all I could say was, «WOW!» I mean, every inch of it was so *darling*, from the vintage furniture and accoutrements to the recycled rippled tin walls to the exposed wood to gorgeous bathroom with bowl sink and rain shower. You can tell that the innkeepers really love what they do as the attention to detail is incredible. The bed is extremely comfortable and although they joke about not knowing what thread count the sheets are (really, I guess someone called and asked them that which is hilarious), the sheets are as soft as butter because they’ve been washed a lot which is kind of a trick to making it seem like you have zillion thread count sheets (though I don’t think they do it on purpose). The kitchen has a large block/​bar with stools that’s part of the living room so you feel like you could host quite the little shindig if you were so inclined. I *loved* all the Elvis stuff in the bedroom, especially the Hawaiian Elvis clock with surf boards.
Prepare to choke with disbelief when I reveal the price: 70 bucks a night (possibly more in the busier season like the Juke Joint Festival). I still can’t believe it.
Now, there’s not a whole hell of a lot going on at night in Clarksdale, but if you’re lucky, you’ll happen upon a good blues show at the Inn’s giant Chapel Bar. They have a huge stage and the room is just as cool and in the same charming ramshackle style as the rest of the establishment.
Love. Love. Love. I’ll be back whenever I need a few days to chill out, get some writing done. My favorite thing to do was to sit on the screened-​in porch with a bottle of wine at night, looking out at the occasional car passing on the freeway, listening to the crickets and staring at the moon. Bonus was the rain one night. Perfect little getaway from New Orleans (6 hours) or Memphis (90 min).

I love this place so much. My friend and I stayed in the Chicken Coop one Tuesday night in May and I really wish we could have stayed longer. It’s charming, it’s cheap, it’s relaxed and relaxing.
The décor in the bar is magical and the bartender was super nice. A local at the bar bought us a beer. Like I said, magical.
We were there on a Tuesday night so there was nothing going on in Clarksdale. Truthfully we should have just bought beer and groceries and stayed in the Coop. I would love to go back on a night when the blues clubs are open.
There is one cab company in town: Jolly Cab… I wish I could remember the guy’s name, he was awesome. We were a little skeptical when he asked for a deposit for the ride home, but we gave him the $ 10 and true to his word he came back when we called.
I could see getting a group of people together and staying here for a week as a kind of retreat. In terms of shacks, the Chicken Coop was charming and comfy – definitely recommend it.
My one piece of advice would be to get to the coffee and donuts early as there are occasionally marauding bands of children and old men who get up early and deplete the supplies.
Summary: Shack Up Inn is awesome. You should definitely go.

This was the best $ 90 a night I ever spent! Considering that $ 90/​day will get you a really crappy-​mediocre motel in California– this place is a total gem. I stayed here for 3 nights while vacationing in Mississippi to visit my boyfriend, who is incarcerated only 10 minutes away in Tutwiler. This place is truly unique! My vacation was so short I was afraid I wouldn’t have an authentic experience of the old south, but my stay at the Shack Up Inn completely made up for the fact that I didn’t get to sight-​see anywhere. Just go to their website & check out the pictures!
I love the attention to detail put into decorating their shacks– there were so many neat things to look at inside the shelves and cupboards. I almost felt naughty like I was going through someone else’s stuff lol. I stayed at the Chicken Coop, which was just lovely. I loved the quilted bed, showering in the clawfoot tub, the vintage fridge, and the FULLY stocked kitchenette. My shack had its own screened in front porch with a swing where you could sit and enjoy the beautiful Mississippi sunset. I even had perfect internet connection & cell reception– since I was so close to the lobby. It was very peaceful, & I will be coming back very soon to try another shack!:)

Electric Blue! Funky, eclectic, historic and bluesy. Really helps to understand the blues to stay on a plantation in a shotgun shack. They even let my son borrow a guitar! Sometimes it’s about being there that counts: couple minutes to the Crossroads and Clarksdale Blues scene.
I admire the folks here for recognizing that their old «junk» is actually part of what’s special about this place and for using it to help preserve the legacy of the Delta Blues. Much better than the shiny, greedy casinos that suck the life and money out of the area. Cool, cheap, and unique!