Sometimes a chain hotel will do just fine. But when I'm setting out to discover a new place, I look for lodging with a bit more personality, a room that truly reflects the character of the area I'm visiting.

The Inn at the Mill in the community of Johnson, Arkansas, fills the bill perfectly. Built on a historic property, the hotel features cutting edge architectural design. Visitors get the warmth and personal ser-vice of a bed-and-breakfast combined with the predictability of a chain hotel. Best of all, the inn also houses one of the top restaurants in the entire state of Arkansas.

Back when architect James Lambeth started this venture in 1991, the Johnson mill, built in 1836, had been closed for 20 years. The first thing James did was restore the mill to working order. He also added two suites above the mill and built a connecting wing of 30 rooms. Three years later, he added 16 more rooms, for a total of 48.

The rooms are a mixture of plain-Jane spaces and specialty ones that are decorated in a particular artist's or architect's style. The room dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright is lined with cypress and features original works salvaged from a Chicago beer garden. Others are dedicated to Frederic Remington, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Claude Monet, and Walt Disney, plus one for James Lambeth himself.

James at the Mill, the inn's restaurant, was added in 1995. Chef Miles James was instantly successful with his Ozark Plateau Cuisine. One of my favorite entrées is the rib eye served with cumin-seasoned onion rings.

Though James Lambeth passed away recently, his legacy lives on. "Everything to the most minute detail was his decision," general manager John Delap says. "Jim was an architect, but he was much more of an artist than an architect."

This article is from the June 2003 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.