Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Travel Guides
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Join T+L Club this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Join T+L Club this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Book Now
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022

      The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2022. Read More
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture + Design
    • Like a Local
    • Travel To
    • 50 Years of Travel + Leisure
  • Travel Guides

    Travel Guides

    See All Travel Guides
    • Mexico City
    • Maui
    • Charleston
    • Tulum
    • New York City
    • London
    • Paris
    • Iceland
    • Los Cabos
    • See More Travel Guides
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew

    Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew

    Norwegian Cruise Line hopes to resume sailing out of the U.S. on or around July 4.
    • Travel Deals
    • Attractions
    • Travel + Leisure GO
    • Amusement Parks
    • Festivals + Events
    • Bus and Train Travel
    • Flight Deals
    • Budget Travel
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Disney Vacations
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Ground Transportation
    • Get Outside
    • Wanderlust
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • See All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • A Spirited Occasion
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Join T+L Club this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Join T+L Club this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes
Book Now

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. World's Best
  3. The Top 10 Resort Hotels in the American South in 2018

The Top 10 Resort Hotels in the American South in 2018

By Lila Battis July 10, 2018
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Primland
Credit: Courtesy of Primland
The South is one of the rare places where the touristic clichés — a rich culinary history, warm hospitality, and picturesque scenery, from the loblolly pines of North Carolina to the beaches of the Lowcountry — live up to expectations. That holds true whether your travels take you to a beach resort for sun and sand or an Appalachian escape for crisp mountain air and the prettiest valley views east of the Mississippi.

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 were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

Related: The 2018 World's Best Awards

This year, readers pinpointed Primland, a polished eco-retreat in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, as their favorite resort destination in the South. It’s the property’s fourth consecutive time on the World’s Best list, and it’s easy to see why: the 12,000-acre estate, founded by French billionaire Didier Primat, who fell in love with the region, has a refined rusticity that embraces the surrounding environment. Guests can spend their days hiking, practicing archery, or fly-fishing in the Dan River, then return to the property for a treatment in the high-end spa, a nine-course tasting menu with wine pairings, or time unwinding in front of one of the Great Hall’s two fireplaces. “Primland pays attention to every detail,” said one reader.

Also on the list are several beach retreats, including two Georgia island properties, the Cloister and Lodge at Sea Island, as well as other mountaintop getaways like the Swag, an all-inclusive spot in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, and Blackberry Farm, the food-focused estate on the other side of the mountains in Tennessee. “I so appreciated the sense of Southern hospitality,” remarked one reader of Blackberry Farm. Indeed: it’s a common thread among all of these resorts that’ll have you venturing to the South time and time again.

Read on for the full list of our readers’ favorite properties.
Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

10. The Willcox, Aiken, South Carolina

The Willcox
Credit: Courtesy of The Willcox

Score: 89.56

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

9. Inn & Club at Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The Inn at Harbour Town
Credit: Courtesy of The Inn at Harbour Town

Score: 89.86

2 of 10

3 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

8. Lodge at Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Georgia

The Lodge at Sea Island
Credit: Courtesy of The Lodge at Sea Island

Score: 91.65

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

7. Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee

Blackberry Farm
Credit: Beall & Thomas

Score: 92.00

4 of 10

5 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

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

Old Edwards Inn and Spa
Credit: Courtesy of Old Edwards Inn and Spa

Score: 92.22

5 of 10

6 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

5. Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Credit: Courtesy of The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Score: 92.91

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

4. Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, Virginia

The Inn at Willow Grove
Credit: Courtesy of The Inn at Willow Grove

Score: 92.93

7 of 10

8 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

3. The Swag, Waynesville, North Carolina

The Swag
Credit: Courtesy of The Swag

Score: 94.14

8 of 10

9 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

2. The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia

The Cloister at Sea Island
Credit: Courtesy of The Cloister at Sea Island

Score: 94.53

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

1. Primland, Meadows of Dan, Virginia

Primland
Credit: Courtesy of Primland

Score: 94.88

This luxurious retreat pairs the best of outdoor excursions (fishing, riding all-terrain vehicles, tree climbing) with the ultimate creature comforts. It’s a Swiss chalet with a Southern accent: an imposing wood-and-stone lodge stands guard over the green, and the property is dotted with smaller cottages and tree houses that take inspiration from the tobacco barns and small mountain houses of Appalachia. All are outfitted luxuriously, but with an eye to homey comfort — this is a place for unwinding. And since there’s a range of room and cottage sizes, it’s the kind of spot you can return to again and again, be it for a romantic retreat, a small family get-together, or a raucous reunion with your most adventurous (and discerning) college pals.

See all of our readers' favorite hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2018.

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Lila Battis

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 10. The Willcox, Aiken, South Carolina
    2 of 10 9. Inn & Club at Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
    3 of 10 8. Lodge at Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Georgia
    4 of 10 7. Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee
    5 of 10 6. Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Highlands, North Carolina
    6 of 10 5. Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
    7 of 10 4. Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, Virginia
    8 of 10 3. The Swag, Waynesville, North Carolina
    9 of 10 2. The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia
    10 of 10 1. Primland, Meadows of Dan, Virginia

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab
    • Travel + Leisure Wine this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletters
    Sign Up
    MeredithTravel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. TRAVEL + LEISURE is a registered trademark of Travel + Leisure Co., registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure magazine 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 Travel + Leisure. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

    View image

    The Top 10 Resort Hotels in the American South in 2018
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.