If you’re the type who stops channel surfing anytime you catch “Sweet Home Alabama” on TV, you’re sure to be drawn in by these hospitable hotels that practically ooze Southern charm. From design to amenities to front porches that beckon you to sit down and sip sweet tea, these favorites of journalist Kelsey Ogletree’s are sure to make you fall in love with the South — bless your heart.
Heights House Hotel (Raleigh, NC)
Good things come in small packages — as evidenced by Heights House Hotel, a new nine-room luxury boutique property in Raleigh’s historic Boylan Heights neighborhood. The building itself is a national historic landmark, so each of the mansion’s four common rooms — including a parlor and drawing room — were carefully restored. Guests enjoy complimentary wine and cheese in the library each evening, turndown service with local Escazu Chocolates and breakfast on the front porch terrace. The parlor will soon open to non-hotel guests, meaning you can mingle with locals while imbibing a refreshing basil gimlet.
Charleston is the quintessential Southern city, and no hotel in town embodies that ethos quite like Zero George. Named after its street address, the hotel has 16 luxuriously appointed guest rooms and studios across three restored historic residences and two brick carriage houses surrounding a garden courtyard. Famous local Callie’s Biscuits, a day-starting essential, are part of the included breakfast. If that doesn’t satisfy your craving, though, you can call the hotel’s Biscuit Butler (a real staff position!) to order a morning doorstep delivery of biscuits, local jam and newspaper of your choosing.
The Hermitage Hotel (Nashville, TN)
Known as the first million-dollar hotel in the city, The Hermitage Hotel opened in 1910 and remains one of Nashville’s crowning jewels more than a century later. A painted glass skylight serves as the pièce de resistance in the lobby, accented by ornate chandeliers and a giant mirror. Less than 2 miles from Music Row, The Hermitage has hosted greats from Hank Williams to Patsy Cline. Don’t miss afternoon tea service — the perfect opportunity to don your best Reese Witherspoon-inspired dress and eat mini sandwiches stuffed with pimento cheese.
Perry Lane Hotel (Savannah, GA)
You’ll be taking design notes (and lots of photos) from the moment you step into the lobby of this dual-tower hotel, located along a cobblestone street within walking distance of anything you could want to see downtown in the Hostess City. Perry Lane is indeed the host with the most, with elegant guest rooms (stocked with Byrd’s Famous Cookies), a stunning art collection (SCAD is mere steps away) and one of the best rooftops in the city. Visit the Wayward bar at 5 p.m. daily to learn to make and sip complimentary classic cocktails.
Southern Hotel (Covington, LA)
The lobby of this beloved hotel, outfitted with a double fireplace and a grand piano, is affectionately referred to as Covington’s living room. It’s a fitting name for the historic property, which first debuted in 1907, an hour across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, and reopened in 2014. Front desk staff call each guest a few days prior to check-in to get to know them — so it feels like you’re being welcomed into a home when you arrive. And it doesn’t get more Southern than gardenia, the hotel’s signature scent.
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