Top Southern Resorts to Visit in 2025: Readers’ Picks

Resorts across the American South attract travelers for their unparalleled hospitality and access to the region’s outdoor recreation. Whether they’re drawn to cozy mountain cabins or luxury beach hotels, iBestTravel readers return to the best resorts in the South — specifically in 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, we invite 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.

Frequent honorees No. 8 Blackberry Mountain and No. 9 Blackberry Farm, both in Walland, Tennessee, remained well-regarded by our readers. One reader expressed their satisfaction with Blackberry Farm, stating, “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 planned 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 was 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 readers, with three properties 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 discover why it won top honors as the best resort hotel in the South.

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

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, as there are 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 — has seven miles of barrier beach along with 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 are taken care of, allowing them to fully unwind.

Score: 96.76

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

WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Score: 95.02

3. The Swag, Waynesville, North Carolina

Score: 94.81

4. The Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, Virginia

Score: 94.50

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

Score: 93.78

6. Half-Mile Farm, Highlands, North Carolina

Score: 93.24

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

Score: 92.29

8. Blackberry Mountain, Walland, Tennessee

Score: 92.17

9. Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee

Score: 91.70

10. The Tides Inn, Irvington, Virginia

Score: 91.60

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

Score: 91.50

12. Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Virginia

Score: 90.58

13. The Fearrington House Inn, Pittsboro, North Carolina

Score: 90.09

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

Score: 90.00

15. Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Score: 89.49