This spot has been setting the standard for elegance for more than 80 years. Celebrities and royalty have slept at The Brown, it has been in the movies, and songs have been written about it. This kind of place isn't easily forgotten--or reproduced.

You'll feel welcome the minute you step foot in the opulent lobby and a top-hatted-and-uniformed bell person whisks you off to your room, one of 293 in the hotel. Once there, you'll find lots of space (a surprising feature for a historic hotel), marble-floored bathrooms, and goose-down comforters on the beds.

Rates: Standard rate $159-$265. Ask for the "Southern Living Special" to receive a $99 rate on select days during summer and winter, based on availability.
335 West Broadway; www.brownhotel.com or (502) 583-1234.

Haywood Park Hotel, Asheville, North Carolina
Convenience and style reign at this boutique hotel. Located in a former department store, this gem with 33 rooms and suites offers the best in downtown lodging, even more so after its renovation. You’ll find a marble bathroom and a sitting area in every room, which is spacious enough to feel like two in one. Little touches, such as chocolate truffles on your bedside table at evening turndown, original artwork in the lobby, and a fabulous restaurant, make this place really stand out.

Rates: $220-$450. The $99 rate is available Sunday through Thursday through April. You must mention this article to receive the rate. (The offer is good for one night only.)
1 Battery Park; www.haywoodpark.com or 1-800-228-2522.

above, left: The spacious and airy accommodations at Hotel Phillips feel more like suites than traditional rooms.