The Best Places to Stay in Every Southern State
Southern Living May 2021 Cover
Jekyll Island Club Resort in Georgia
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards
Check into a fantastic resort, an elegant hotel, or an intimate little hideaway with authentic character, and your vacation is all but made. There's no question that lodging matters—a lot. But Southerners don't have a cookie-cutter definition of a dream location. Maybe yours is a romantic, historic inn with hidden courtyards, loads of charm, and a gourmet breakfast for two—or a tropical resort that offers as much pool space as floorspace, along with fruity drinks you can sip under an umbrella. Of course, there will always be a place for sophisticated city hotels with lavish lobbies, skyline views from rooftop bars, and upscale restaurants where dinner really is an event. When we asked our readers to name their favorites across the region, they chose all of the above. And why not? The South has some of the best places you'll find anywhere. We are, after all, famous for our hospitality, and these spots take it to a whole new level. So treat yourself, and book a room. You can trust us with your wake-up call.* Southern Living Hotel Collection Member
Alabama
Grand Bohemian Hotel in Birmingham, AL
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
- The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa
- Mobile
- marriott.com
- Elyton Hotel
- Birmingham
- elytonhotel.com
- Grand Bohemian Hotel (pictured above)
- Birmingham
- grandbohemianmountainbrook.com
- Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa
- Point Clear
- grand1847.com
1 of 17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Arkansas
21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, AR
Credit: Courtesy of 21c Museum Hotels
- 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa
- Eureka Springs
- crescent-hotel.com
- 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville (pictured above)
- Bentonville
- 21cmuseumhotels.com
- Capital Hotel*
- Little Rock
- capitalhotel.com
2 of 17
Florida
The Don CeSar St. Pete Beach, Florida
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
- The Breakers
- Palm Beach
- thebreakers.com
- Casa Monica Resort & Spa
- St. Augustine
- casamonica.com
- The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens
- St. Augustine
- thecollectorinn.com
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Orlando
- disneyworld.com
- The Don CeSar (pictured above)
- St. Pete Beach
- doncesar.com
- The Gasparilla Inn & Club
- Boca Grande
- the-gasparilla-inn.com
- The Henderson
- Destin
- hendersonbeachresort.com
- Henderson Park Inn
- Destin
- hendersonparkinn.com
- Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort
- Fernandina Beach
- omnihotels.com
- Sandpearl Resort
- Clearwater Beach
- sandpearl.com
- The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club
- St. Petersburg
- marriott.com
- WaterColor Inn
- Santa Rosa Beach
- watercolorresort.com
3 of 17
Advertisement
Georgia
Jekyll Island Club Resort in Georgia
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards
- Château Élan Winery & Resort
- Braselton
- chateauelan.com
- The Cloister
- Sea Island
- seaisland.com
- Foley House Inn
- Savannah
- foleyinn.com
- Jekyll Island Club Resort (pictured above)
- Jekyll Island
- jekyllclub.com
- The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort*
- St. Simons Island
- kingandprince.com
- The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island
- St. Simons Island
- littlestsimonsisland.com
- Mansion on Forsyth Park
- Savannah
- mansiononforsythpark.com
- Stonehurst Place*
- Atlanta
- stonehurstplace.com
- The St. Regis Atlanta
- Atlanta
- stregisatlanta.com
4 of 17
Kentucky
The 1875 Hotel in Paducah, KY
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
- The 1857 Hotel (pictured above)
- Paducah
- the1857hotels.com
- 21c Museum Hotel Louisville
- Louisville
- 21cmuseumhotels.com
- Beaumont Inn
- Harrodsburg
- beaumontinn.com
- The Brown Hotel
- Louisville
- brownhotel.com
- Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant of Berea College
- Berea
- boonetavernhotel.com
- The Seelbach Hilton Louisville
- Louisville
- seelbachhilton.com
5 of 17
Louisiana
Ace Hotel in New Orleans, LA
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
- Ace Hotel New Orleans (pictured above)
- New Orleans
- acehotel.com
- Hotel Monteleone
- New Orleans
- hotelmonteleone.com
- L’Auberge Casino Resort
- Lake Charles
- llakecharles.com
- The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery
- New Orleans
- old77hotel.com
- Pontchartrain Hotel
- New Orleans
- thepontchartrainhotel.com
- The Roosevelt New Orleans
- New Orleans
- therooseveltneworleans.com
- Windsor Court Hotel*
- New Orleans
- windsorcourthotel.com
6 of 17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Maryland
Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, MD
Credit: Deborah Jaffe
- The Inn at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club*
- Stevensville
- baybeachclub.com
- Inn at Perry Cabin (pictured above)
- St. Michaels
- theinnatperrycabin.com
- Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore Inner Harbor
- Baltimore
- monaco-baltimore.com
- MGM National Harbor
- Oxon Hill
- mgmnationalharbor.com
7 of 17
Mississippi
Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens in Natchez, MS
Credit: Allison Miksch
- The Alluvian Hotel
- Greenwood
- thealluvian.com
- Beau Rivage Resort & Casino
- Biloxi
- beaurivage.com
- Chancellor’s House
- Oxford
- chancellorshouse.com
- Dunleith Historic Inn
- Natchez
- dunleith.com
- Graduate Oxford
- Oxford
- graduatehotels.com
- Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens* (pictured above)
- Natchez
- monmouthhistoricinn.com
- White House Hotel
- Biloxi
- whitehousebiloxi.com
8 of 17
Missouri
Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, MO
Credit: Nancy Nolan
Big Cedar Lodge (pictured above)
Ridgedale
bigcedar.com
- The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis
- St. Louis
- sonesta.com
- Magnolia St. Louis
- St. Louis
- magnoliahotels.com
- The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis
- St. Louis
- ritzcarlton.com
9 of 17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
North Carolina
Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill in Mills River, NC
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
- Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill* (pictured above)
- Mills River
- tiffany-hill.com
- The Inn on Biltmore Estate
- Asheville
- biltmore.com
- Old Edwards Inn and Spa
- Highlands
- oldedwardsinn.com
- The Omni Grove Park Inn
- Asheville
- omnihotels.com
- Sanderling Resort*
- Duck
- sanderling-resort.com
10 of 17
Oklahoma
The Mayo Hotel in Tulsa, OK
Credit: Art Meripol
- 21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City
- Oklahoma City
- 21cmuseumhotels.com
- Ambassador Hotel Oklahoma City
- Oklahoma City
- ambassadorokc.com
- Colcord Hotel
- Oklahoma City
- colcordhotel.com
- The Mayo Hotel (pictured above)
- Tulsa
- themayohotel.com
- The Skirvin Hilton
- Oklahoma City
- skirvinhilton.com
11 of 17
South Carolina
Sea Pines Beach Club in Hilton Head Island, SC
Credit: Rob Tipton
- Belmond Charleston Place
- Charleston
- belmond.com
- Montage Palmetto Bluff
- Bluffton
- montagehotels.com
- Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes
- Myrtle Beach
- marriott.com
- The Sanctuary Hotel
- Kiawah Island
- kiawahresort.com
- The Sea Pines Resort* (pictured above)
- Hilton Head Island
- seapines.com
- Wild Dunes Resort
- Isle of Palms
- destinationhotels.com
- The Willcox*
- Aiken
- thewillcox.com
12 of 17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Tennessee
Union Station Hotel in Nashville, TN
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
- Blackberry Farm*
- Walland
- blackberryfarm.com
- Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel
- Chattanooga
- choochoo.com
- Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa
- Pigeon Forge
- dollywood.com
- Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
- Nashville
- marriott.com
- The Hermitage Hotel*
- Nashville
- thehermitagehotel.com
- The Peabody Memphis
- Memphis
- peabodymemphis.com
- Union Station Hotel (pictured above)
- Nashville
- unionstationhotelnashville.com
13 of 17
Texas
Hotel Emma in San Antonio, TX
Credit: Wynn Myers
- The Adolphus Hotel
- Dallas
- adolphus.com
- The Driskill
- Austin
- driskillhotel.com
- Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
- Grapevine
- marriott.com
- Hotel Emma (pictured above)
- San Antonio
- thehotelemma.com
- Omni La Mansión del Rio
- San Antonio
- omnihotels.com
- Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
- Dallas
- rosewoodhotels.com
14 of 17
Virginia
The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
- The Cavalier
- Virginia Beach
- cavalierhotel.com
- The Inn at Little Washington
- Washington
- theinnatlittlewashington.com
- The Jefferson Hotel (pictured above)
- Richmond
- jeffersonhotel.com
- The Martha Washington Inn & Spa
- Abingdon
- themartha.com
- The Omni Homestead Resort
- Hot Springs
- omnihotels.com
- Salamander Resort & Spa
- Middleburg
- salamanderresort.com
- Williamsburg Inn
- Williamsburg
- colonialwilliamsburghotels.com
15 of 17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Washington, D.C.
Kimpton Glover Park Hotel in Washington, DC
Credit: Courtesy of Kimpton Glover Park Hotel
- The Hay-Adams
- Downtown
- hayadams.com
- The Jefferson
- Downtown
- jeffersondc.com
- Kimpton Donovan Hotel
- Downtown
- donovanhotel.com
- Kimpton Glover Park Hotel (pictured above)
- Upper Georgetown
- gloverparkhotel.com
- Rosewood Washington, D.C.
- Georgetown
- rosewoodhotels.com
- The Watergate Hotel
- Foggy Bottom
- thewatergatehotel.com
16 of 17
West Virginia
The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV
Credit: Bill and Albanese
- Bavarian Inn
- Shepherdstown
- bavarianinnwv.com
- Café Cimino Country Inn
- Sutton
- cafeciminocountryinn.com
- The Greenbrier (pictured above)
- White Sulphur Springs
- greenbrier.com
- Historic General Lewis Inn
- Lewisburg
- generallewisinn.com