There's just something about bed and breakfasts and inns. Each has a distinctive personality and set of amenities, and they tend to be the perfect accommodations for travelers seeking localized experiences.
The next time you plan a trip, consider staying at one of these 12 bed and breakfasts and inns in the South.
Loyd Hall Plantation, in Cheneyville, minutes away from Alexandria, La., is on a 640-acre working farm stationed along the banks of Bayou Boeuf.
The property, built in 1820, is listed on the National Historic Register. Like many old homes, it has its share of stories, including ones of ghosts.
As for the accommodations, Loyd Hall Plantation offers two suites in the main house and five cottages. Tastefully decorated, they come in varying sizes and amenities. For instance, the Jenkins Suite has a Parlor room and a claw-foot tub, while The McCullough House, the largest of the cottages, provides two bedrooms and a kitchen. Two of the cottages offer fireplaces. Enjoy breakfast in the main house.
The Degas House, located in Mid-City New Orleans, in the Esplanade Ridge neighborhood, was where French Impressionist Master Edgar Degas lived for five months in 1872-73.
Today, the two-story mansion serves as a house museum, courtyard and historic bed-and-breakfast. It is Degas's only known home and workspace opened to the public.
The nine guest rooms and suites, each named for a Musson-Degas family member, effortlessly blend antique furnishings with contemporary conveniences. All include refrigerators, luxury robes, large-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, an iPod docking station and more. The three suites feature private balconies and other upscale touches. Breakfast is served daily.
Property amenities include a walking tour of Esplanade Avenue and art classes.
Overnight at the Clark House Inn (ca. 1859), the first home built in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Tucked away in the Historic District where Tennessee Williams spent his childhood and blocks away from downtown, the property provides a relaxing experience for a weekend or an extended stay.
Some rooms are named after Williams' works, and all eight rooms feature a flat-screen television, a desk, seating and more, like porches or non-operating fireplaces. Wi-Fi is also available. The four rooms upstairs in the main house have a shared lounge area. All guests can enjoy the parlor, library and dining room. Wake up to a Continental breakfast each morning.
Regarded as the "bed-and-breakfast capital of the South," Natchez, Mississippi, each property is unique and has its share of special features and stories, like Linden Antebellum Bed and Breakfast. Not all houses can claim that its front doorway inspired Tara's front door in "Gone With the Wind."
From its expansive columned porch to the breezeway with rocking chairs and ceiling fans, the antebellum home (ca. 1785), sitting on seven acres, exudes southern hospitality.
The property's six rooms are throughout the three wings. Among the amenities in each room are a private bathroom, flat-screen television and an iPhone clock radio. Some rooms feature locally made furniture, while others have family heirlooms. The property also has a cottage with a full kitchen and two dining areas. Meeting space is also available at Linden.
And for the final selling point, it's only five minutes from downtown.
After a full Southern breakfast, complete with biscuits (a Natchez staple), enjoy a guided tour of the residence.
Hassinger Daniels Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Birmingham, Alabama, couldn't be in a better location than Five Points. The historic neighborhood is the city's premier culinary destination, offering fine dining, farm-to-table and barbecue restaurants.
As for the property, the Victorian mansion, listed on the National Historic Registry, served as a private residence for two families before being converted into accommodations. Today, you can rest in themed rooms or suites. Hassinger Daniels Mansion Bed and Breakfast amenities include free parking and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Enjoy a full southern breakfast served daily, or if you have to get and go, you can arrange for a grab-and-go-style meal; conversely, if you can take your time in the morning and request breakfast in bed.
Travelers know that location is key when choosing accommodations, and Germantown Inn in Nashville, Tennessee, is in the ideal spot. Situated in a walkable neighborhood, accessible to coffee shops and restaurants, a few blocks from the state capitol and relatively close to downtown, the property lets you enjoy the excitement and relax in the serene with a visit to the parlor area or courtyard.
The boutique inn consists of two buildings. The larger one, built in the mid-1800s, once served as a shoe cobbler's home and houses six rooms named after presidents. While it is historic and has many of its original features, it has been updated with modern touches. The smaller building, built in 2018, has four rooms named after women in history. Among the room amenities include free Wi-Fi, plush bathrobes and Frette linen.
For meals, enjoy a continental breakfast, an early evening appetizer of complimentary beer or wine served with a charcuterie board and more.
Come home to ATH|BNB, The Rushmore, located near the University of Georgia campus and steps away from numerous restaurants in Athens' Five Points. As you set foot into the "casually elegant" property, you immediately feel the quiet and calm—just like when you come home.
ATH|BNB, The Rushmore's 14 custom-furnished suites include all the comforts needed for an overnight or weekend outing, like high-speed Wi-Fi, 43-inch Smart TVs and refrigerators. Wine, beer (local purveyor Creative Comforts) and water are available throughout the day inside the Club Room.
Then there is the breakfast, catered by Cafe Lumpkin, also in Five Points (the perfect place to enjoy tea time.) It typically features everything from bacon, eggs and pastries ~ a full spread with plenty of coffee.
Experience a slice of old Florida while staying at Turtle Beach Inn in Indian Pass.
Located in the Panhandle, the property exudes laid-back charm. Its porches and sundecks beckon you to exhale and relax as you take in the sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico.
And the views don't end there.
Stay in one of the rooms in the main house and enjoy views of the Gulf. Additional touches include private entrances, ceiling fans and more.
Begin your day with breakfast on the screened porch and a leisurely afternoon on the beach. Guests have access to lounge chairs and umbrellas.
Turtle Beach Inn offers cottages for families, complete with screened porches and fully equipped kitchens.
Morgan and Wells Bed and Breakfast in Shelby, North Carolina, has quite the backstory. Wanting to preserve the interior and exterior of the 1901 Craftsman Bungalow, the entire structure was moved from its former location to the corner of Morgan and Wells Streets, thus giving the bed-and-breakfast its name.
The cozy property, with heart pine floors and 12-foot-high ceilings, features five stylish guest rooms that combine the old and the new. For instance, the James Edward Room retains its original masonry fireplace and offers a private wraparound veranda. Each room includes private bathrooms, flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi and more.
Indulge during the stay with a spa treatment.
Breakfast is served each morning, and snacks and beverages are available in the afternoon.
The Duke Mansion is a historic 20-room boutique inn and meeting place in the Myers Park neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina.
While the inn opened its doors in 1998, the property has an interesting timeline.
The home, built in 1915, is considered one of the finest examples of Colonial Revival architecture. In 1919, the home's new owner, James B. "Buck" Duke, founder of The American Tobacco Company and Duke Power Company, increased the size to 32,000 square feet (its current size today) and expanded the grounds to 14 acres (it's now 4.5- acres.)
Over the years, the "Grand Dame of Myers Parks" changed owners and purpose. Even though it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, the home was turned into condominiums, with plans to expand.
However, that didn't happen. In the late '80s, The Duke Mansion was again saved and restored. The Lynnwood Foundation was created to protect and preserve the home, and the house was sold. The Foundation also oversees The Lee Institute, which focuses on building collaborative community leadership.
Explore the gardens and the grounds, relax on the screened-in porches or drive into Charlotte. Guest rooms include everything needed to unwind with queen- or king-size beds, yet feel connected with free Wi-Fi access. Breakfast is served on the main floor.
There isn't a better place for the first Bourbon-themed bed-and-breakfast than in the "bourbon capital of the world" Bardstown, Kentucky.
Bourbon Manor Bed and Breakfast consists of a Federal Home (circa 1810), and a Greek Revival Antebellum Mansion (circa 1820). Because of the manor's storied history, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Kentucky Landmark.
Between the two homes are ten elegant yet comfortable rooms adorned with antiques and art. The mansion, complete with an eye-drawing cantilevered spiral staircase, has seven rooms on its first and second floors, while the federal home has three. All rooms include free high-speed Wi-Fi, private bathrooms, gas-log fireplaces and other specialized touches that ensure a relaxing stay after a packed day of exploring the Bourbon Trail.
Enjoy a stroll in the gardens, unwind in the Grand Parlor or sitting halls, or indulge in a treatment at the day spa.
Mornings at Bourbon Manor Bed and Breakfast begin with a full country gourmet breakfast, and a beverage and snack station is available throughout the day for a quick pick-me-up.
School is cool, especially when it has become a bed and breakfast. Hope and Glory Inn in Irvington, Virginia, began as a schoolhouse in the late 1800s to 1908. Without getting into too much of the property's history, it opened as its current self in the mid-1990s.
Hope and Glory Inn offers 13 rooms and cottages combined. The historic schoolhouse has seven rooms, and the six cottages (one is pet-friendly) are in the gardens. All the accommodations include gracious amenities and the always-needed and welcomed enhanced internet connection throughout the property. A gourmet picnic-style box breakfast is delivered to the rooms and cottages every morning.
The property's on-site offerings place Hope and Glory Inn in a separate category. Only here can you happily visit Detention and let your creativity flow. There is also the Espresso Bar in the lobby that serves coffee and more. If it's warm enough, soak or swim in the salt pool. However, the Instagram-worthy Garden Bath is where you need to spend time, whether relaxing or reflecting.
all photos, personal collection from various years