The South's Best Hotels 2017

By Valerie Fraser Luesse

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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

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The South's Best Hotels 2017