The 15 Best Resorts in the South

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Resorts across the American South attract travelers for their unparalleled hospitality and access to the region’s outdoor recreation. Whether they’re drawn to a cozy mountain cabin or a luxury beach hotel, Travel + Leisure readers return to the best resorts in the South — in this case, the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia — year after year for a relaxing escape from daily life.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels (including safari lodges) were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city hotel, resort, or safari lodge based on their locations and amenities.

Cassie Wright/Courtesy of Lodge on Little St Simons Island

Frequent honorees No. 8 Blackberry Mountain and No. 9 Blackberry Farm, both in Walland, Tennessee, remained well-regarded by T+L readers. Of Blackberry Farm, one reader gushed: “I needed to get away and couldn’t find anyone to get off work at the same time, so I went alone. Twice. The food, the environment, the attention to detail, the spa, the meals — it was all amazing. I booked my next trip while I was there.”

Debuting on the list this year was another Tennessee property: No. 11 Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains, a 40-tent glamping retreat near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which readers voted as No. 9 on this year’s list of the best U.S. national parks.

The barrier islands of Georgia were also beloved by T+L readers, with three properties there ranking in the top 15. In fact, it was the Lodge on Little St. Simons Island that took this year’s No. 1 spot. Read on to learn why it won top honors as the best resort hotel in the South and for the full list of reader favorites.

1. Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, St. Simons Island, Georgia

Phillip Murdaco/Courtesy of Lodge on Little St Simons Island

Described by one voter as “an unspoiled environment where nature is celebrated,” this intimate resort — accessible only by boat — accommodates just 32 guests in six cottages and 16 individual rooms. Guests spend their days kayaking, bird-watching, fishing, and learning about the island’s wildlife — with no TVs or radios in rooms to interrupt nature’s sounds. That serenity is what led one reader to declare it “heaven on earth. There is no other place like this.” The island — one of Georgia’s Golden Isles, which placed No. 5 on this year’s list of T+L readers’ favorite U.S. islands — has only been open to the public since 1979. It has seven miles of barrier beach, plus 3,000 acres of forest and 8,000 acres of salt marsh to explore. Voters appreciated that the resort is all-inclusive: knowing that lodging, transport to and from the island, naturalist-guided experiences, and meals were taken care of allowed them to fully unwind.

Score: 96.76

More information: littlestsimonsisland.com

2. The Cloister at Sea Island, Sea Island, Georgia

Courtesy of The Cloister at Sea Island

WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Score: 95.02

More information: seaisland.com

3. The Swag, Waynesville, North Carolina

Chelsea Lane/Courtesy of The Swag

Score: 94.81

More information: theswag.com

4. The Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, Virginia

Courtesy of The Inn at Willow Grove

Score: 94.50

More information: innatwillowgrove.com

5. Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Highlands, North Carolina

Courtesy of Old Edwards Inn & Spa

Score: 93.78

More information: oldedwardsinn.com

6. Half-Mile Farm, Highlands, North Carolina

Courtesy of Half-Mile Farm

Score: 93.24

More information: oldedwardshospitality.com

7. The Lodge at Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Georgia

Courtesy of The Lodge at Sea Island

Score: 92.29

More information: seaisland.com

8. Blackberry Mountain, Walland, Tennessee

The Ingalls/Courtesy of Blackberry Mountain

Score: 92.17

More information: blackberrymountain.com

9. Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee

Courtesy of Blackberry Farm

Score: 91.70

More information: blackberryfarm.com

10. The Tides Inn, Irvington, Virginia

Courtesy of The Tides Inn

Score: 91.60

More information: tidesinn.com

11. Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Bailey Made/Courtesy of Under Canvas

Score: 91.50

More information: undercanvas.com

12. Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Virginia

Courtesy of Salamander Resort & Spa

Score: 90.58

More information: salamanderresort.com

13. The Fearrington House Inn, Pittsboro, North Carolina

Courtesy of Fearrington House Inn

Score: 90.09

More information: fearrington.com

14. Primland Resort, Auberge Resorts Collection, Meadows of Dan, Virginia

Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection

Score: 90.00

More information: aubergeresorts.com

15. Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Courtesy of The Biltmore Company

Score: 89.49

More information: biltmore.com