Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet

      How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with one of these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. The South's Best 2022
  3. The South's Best Stays 2021

The South's Best Stays 2021

Valerie Fraser Luesse, Author and Senior Travel Editor for Southern Living
By Valerie Fraser Luesse March 09, 2021
Skip gallery slides
FB
Highlander Mountain House
Credit: Maggie Braucher

Our favorite stays in the South are spots that feel like home, but they're also packed with all the amenities you could ever dream of. Some are cozy and quiet, others are shiny and new, and a few are all-inclusive mega-stays that invite you to lounge as long as you like. (We like the sound of that.) All of them are as welcoming as can be; in fact, they're the most inviting stays we can imagine, and we're happy to share them with you.

These bookable spots are perfect places from which to jump-start your exploration of their surroundings, whether that's in the mountains, along the coasts, or in Southern cities and small towns. However, these stays are also destinations in and of themselves, so you might be tempted to stay put, kick back, and relax for the duration of your visit. (We totally get it.) Check in any time of year, and stay awhile—the South's Best stays will be glad to have you.

Start Slideshow

1 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

The Bristol Hotel

Bristol Hotel in Virginia
Credit: Courtesy The Bristol Hotel, a Charlestowne Hotels Managed Porperty

Bristol, Virginia

We love a stay that delivers the best of both worlds with historic character and modern style. That's what you'll find at The Bristol, Hotel, which opened in 2018 in the Congressionally designated Birthplace of Country Music. This 65-room boutique property downtown preserves original architectural details but adds a rooftop bar, Lumac (with Appalachian Mountain views), as well as great dining at Vivian's Table. Check out the Sunday brunch menu, which has Peanut Butter Waffles with roasted banana and warm syrup. Have them with a Ghost Pepper Bloody Mary.

bristolhotelva.com, 510 Birthplace of Country Music Way, Bristol, Virginia 24201, 276-696-3535

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Camp Comfort

Camp Comfort Outside
Credit: Courtesy Camp Comfort

Comfort, Texas

This unhosted bed-and-breakfast in the Texas Hill Country has four suites housed in a 1901 bowling alley that was part of an even older German athletic club. New owners came along in 2018, and they're booking not just the bowling alley suites but also some freestanding cabins and an Airstream. The property sits on Cypress Creek, just northwest of San Antonio, so big-city attractions are at the ready. The town of Comfort is cute as a cowboy, with much of it part of a National Historic District.

camp-comfort.com, 877-836-1748, 601 Water Street, Comfort, Texas 78013

2 of 11

3 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection

Austin’s Commodore Perry Estate
Credit: Courtesy of Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection

Austin, Texas

Opened in 2020, this elegant resort is the former Italian Renaissance Revival home and 10-acre estate of wealthy cotton distributor and real estate developer Edgar Howard "Commodore" Perry. Built in 1928, the property became part of the Auberge Resorts Collection in 2017 and now offers an incredible country-in-the-city experience, with gorgeous landscaping and gardens, Lutie's restaurant, and on-site instructors teaching wellness, Pilates, yoga, and meditation. Monthly palm readings are available in the library.

aubergeresorts.com/commodoreperry, 866-976-4312, 4100 Red River St., Austin, Texas 78751

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Emeline

Emeline in Charleston, South Carolina
Credit: PETER FRANK EDWARDS

Charleston, South Carolina

The java shop here, Clerks Coffee Company, is an homage to the most valued store clerks in George W. Williams' wholesale grocery, the ones he granted partnerships to in the 1800s. The grocery has been through many incarnations, none more impressive than the new Emeline hotel, which opened last year. It has the upscale accoutrements you'd expect from a Charleston stay, plus an amazing courtyard with a fireplace. Countryman Mini Cooper house cars and custom Emeline bikes are at your disposal. Enjoy on-site dining at Frannie & The Fox.

hotelemeline.com, 843-577-2644, 181 Church Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401

4 of 11

5 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

The South's Best Stays

5 of 11

6 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Highlander Mountain House

Highlander Mountain House
Credit: Maggie Braucher

Highlands, North Carolina

This cozy clapboard inn was built in 1885. With 18 rooms in the main house and bunkhouse, it practically oozes rustic authenticity and Carolina charm. Enjoy all-day service at The Ruffed Grouse tavern, where the dining room invites you to savor local fare as you sit by a roaring fire.

highlandermountainhouse.com, 828-526-2590, 270 Main Street, Highlands, North Carolina 28741

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Historic Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant

Sanibel Island, Florida: Historic Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant
Credit: Cedric Angeles

Cabbage Key, Florida

On this Gulf island off the South Florida coast, peace and quiet reign. You won't find any traffic jams (or pavement), and you'll need a boat to get there. A stay on Cabbage Key is a worlds-away experience, thanks to its sandy paths, historic stays, and open-air restaurant. We're not sure of the eatery's actual name; we just reference the gazillion dollar bills that are plastered over every available surface and call it what everybody else does: "the bar with all the money on the walls." (Whether it really inspired Jimmy Buffett's song "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is up for debate, but let's just say it did. It makes for a good story.) Explore 100 virtually undisturbed acres, and sleep with the ocean breeze blowing through the open windows of your 1930s cabin. While you're at it, have a cheeseburger—you know—in paradise.

cabbagekey.com, 239-283-2278, 13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, FL 33922

7 of 11

8 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Inn at Carnall Hall

Inn at Carnall Hall, Fayetteville, AR
Credit: Joe Vaughn

Fayetteville, Arkansas

What's now a gracious hotel overlooking Old Main Lawn on the University of Arkansas campus began as a women's dorm in 1905. The inn has been on the National Register of Historic Places since the early 1980s. You can walk from your well-appointed room to the Razorbacks' home turf or to hopping Dickson Street.

innatcarnallhall.com, 479-582-0400, 465 N Arkansas Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701

8 of 11

9 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

The Roost

The Roost in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Credit: Robbie Caponetto

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

No doubt, a shout went up in Ocean Springs when this beautiful 11-suite hotel opened in a historic building on Porter Avenue. One of the prettiest small towns on the Gulf Coast, Ocean Springs long endured a dearth of appealing stays, which made it, by necessity, more of a day trip from nearby Biloxi. But not anymore. Enjoy a grab-and-go market and casual fare at Eat Drink Love, or have a cocktail at The Wilbur, The Roost's speakeasy bar. The hotel is within walking distance of the waterfront as well as a stellar downtown that's loaded with shops, galleries, and local restaurants.

roostoceansprings.com, 228-285-7989, 604 Porter Avenue Ocean Springs, Mississippi, 39564

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

The Salty Mermaid Hotel

Salty Mermaid: New Smyrna Beach FL
Credit: Robbie Caponetto

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Surf's up, Moondoggie, so let's head to The Salty Mermaid. This place is Florida-beach retro at its best, a 1960s motor court renovated precisely right—bright colors, whimsical (but not cheesy) decor, friendly staff, and a spacious lawn with lounge chairs and umbrellas overlooking the only pool you'll need—the Atlantic Ocean. Your spacious room has both a front and back door, so loading and unloading are easy, and you can walk right out to the beach without weaving through a lobby or crowded pool deck. It's an easy stroll to Flagler Avenue, where all the beachfront action is. P.S. You can drive on stretches of the beach here.

saltymermaidnsb.com, 386-847-8909, 301 Buenos Aires Street, New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32169

 

10 of 11

11 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Vandyke Bed + Beverage

Nashville’s Vandyke Bed + Beverage
Credit: Courtesy Vandyke

Nashville, Tennessee

East Nashville's Five Points neighborhood got a shot of übercool (not that it needed one, but still) when this "immersive concept" hotel opened in 2019. Besides eight drink-named rooms and suites (Rum, Champagne, Tequila), the Vandyke has a ground-level restaurant and bar, a patio, and a courtyard, plus a rooftop gathering spot. This is not the place to come for children's programs (no one under 21 is allowed). It's also not cheap—so bring your girlfriends, and split the room costs. You'll be walkable to Nashville's hottest and hippest. Bye-bye, carpool.

vandykenashville.com, 615-730-5023, 105 S 11th Street, Nashville, Tennessee, 37206

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Valerie Fraser Luesse

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 11 The Bristol Hotel
    2 of 11 Camp Comfort
    3 of 11 Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection
    4 of 11 Emeline
    5 of 11 The South's Best Stays
    6 of 11 Highlander Mountain House
    7 of 11 Historic Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant
    8 of 11 Inn at Carnall Hall
    9 of 11 The Roost
    10 of 11 The Salty Mermaid Hotel
    11 of 11 Vandyke Bed + Beverage

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The South's Best Stays 2021
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.