The South’s Best Hotels 2017

By Valerie Fraser Luesse

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

Skip gallery slides

Credit: Courtesy of The Roosevelt

A hotel can make or break your vacation. Discover a great one, and you'll never want to leave. A bad one? Might as well stay home. When we asked readers to vote for the best, they went straight for the classics—elegant properties with a long-standing tradition of old-school Southern hospitality. You can probably guess everybody's #1 choice for Best Hotel. (Hint: Think Vanderbilt.) But can you pick the others in the top 10?RELATED: The Best Hotel in Every Southern State

Start Slideshow

1 of 10

1. The Inn on Biltmore Estate

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

Asheville, North Carolina: BOOK IT

The rich upholstery, inviting verandas, and genteel hospitality will make you feel as if you just arrived for a Downton-style weekend house party.

2 of 10

2. The Peabody Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee: BOOK IT

From the immaculately dressed bellmen and plush lobby to twice-daily duck parades, what's not to love about this historic gem?

3 of 10

3. Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Credit: Ken Rubin

Jekyll Island, Georgia: BOOK IT

Once part of a private club that boomed into the 1930s, this restored historic property is a popular wedding venue.

4 of 10

4. The Jefferson Hotel

Credit: Scott Suchman

Richmond, Virginia: BOOK IT

It's worth coming here just to see the lobby of this architectural wonder, which first opened in 1895.

5 of 10

5. Hotel Monteleone

Credit: Courtesy of Hotel Monteleone

New Orleans, Louisiana: BOOK IT

Stop by its famous Carousel Bar and imagine yourself chatting up Truman Capote, who claimed that he was born at the hotel. (Not true but who cares?

6 of 10

6. Mansion on Forsyth Park

Credit: Courtesy of The Mansion on Forsyth Park

Savannah, Georgia: BOOK IT

A luxuriously renovated historic property, the Mansion overlooks one of the most photographed spots in Savannah.

7 of 10

7. Watercolor Inn & Resort

Credit: Gary Clark

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida: BOOK IT

A fantastic luxury stay on North Florida's fabled Scenic Highway 30A, Watercolor Inn & Resort offers gorgeous Gulf views and also borders a 220-acre dune lake.

8 of 10

8. The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa

Mobile, Alabama: BOOK IT

Enjoy spacious rooms, fine dining, a day spa, and an outdoor pool at an elegantly restored historic hotel near the port.

9 of 10

9. The Hermitage Hotel

Nashville, Tennessee: BOOK IT

Originally opened in 1910, The Hermitage was restored as a boutique hotel in 2002-2003. You have to see the lobby. Seriously.

10 of 10

10. The Roosevelt New Orleans

Credit: Courtesy of The Roosevelt

New Orleans, Louisiana: BOOK IT

If you want to see over-the-top Christmas in NOLA, this is the place. Enjoy chef John Besh's Domenica restaurant onsite, and have classic cocktails at The Sazerac Bar.

Replay gallery

Up Next

By Valerie Fraser Luesse

The Most Popular Hairstyles of 2021

How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

The Right Way to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

The South’s Best Hotels 2017