Great Escapes

Historic, chic and iconic hotel destinations for the ultimate stay while away.

Call me the odd woman out but my road trips begin when I pull my coat collar to my ears and my outside voice forms clouds before me. Maybe it’s “Masterpiece Theatre” returning to PBS or the lighting of ancient fireplaces but I long for a simpler time, when sipping bourbon by a stone fireside or enjoying a hearty soup with warm baked bread evaporates the chill of winter.

The South offers numerous historic hotels, some emitting ambiance of centuries past while others have been restored to a modern flare. Regardless of which ones you choose, they provide a warm haven — and possibly a history lesson — until spring arrives. 

 

Great Escapes
The Cotton House

The Cotton House, Cleveland, Miss.

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Driving up through the Mississippi Delta in winter, we spotted a snowy landscape. Not the northern powder that falls from the sky but a field and wetlands covered with migrating snow geese. It’s one of many natural wonders seen this time of year in the region nestled beside the Mississippi River and stretching from Natchez to Memphis.

Downtown Cleveland offers only a few blocks of boutique shopping, restaurants and a depot museum that explains the town’s 1869 origins, but in its heart lies the Cotton House, a boutique hotel that’s part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection and the Marriott Tribute Portfolio. The hotel opened in 2019 and its hip interior with its modern art collection doesn’t interrupt the feeling of a bygone era. There are record players sporting blues musicians in the 95 guest rooms, including six suites, and nouveau Southern fare at the Delta Meat Market and Bar Fontaine on the rooftop. Listen to the music, then travel nearby to learn more about Delta music at the Mississippi Grammy Museum, the Mississippi Blues Trail and Dockery Plantation where it arguably all began. 

cottonhousecleveland.com

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Great Escapes

The Alluvian, Greenwood, Mississippi

Further north in the Delta, the Alluvian Hotel exudes Southern hospitality in addition to its luxurious surroundings. The boutique hotel’s first incarnation in the heart of Greenwood’s downtown commercial district was the circa-1917 Hotel Irving. Today, the name of the AAA Four Diamond establishment refers to the rich alluvial region created by the nearby Mississippi River. Tennessee Williams once called people of the Delta “Alluvians” and the name stuck. 

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There are 45 rooms and five suites with original artwork from noted Delta artists but I especially enjoyed the desk sporting hotel stationary, a rarity of accommodations these days. On a rainy afternoon, I penned a few letters to friends and tried to evoke the spirit of William Faulkner. Enjoying a Four Roses old fashioned in the hotel lounge surrounded by locals brought up images of other Mississippi Delta literari.

Don’t miss the luxurious Alluvian Spa where the couple’s suite includes a cozy fireplace and dual massage tables. Or head down the street to learn a traditional southern dish at the Viking Cooking School. 

thealluvian.com

Great Escapes
Hunt Room tavern at The Cavalier Hotel

The Cavalier Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Boardwalks, surfers and college students on spring break come to mind but Virginia Beach hails back to the turn of the 20th century when hotels sprung up on the waterfront after railroads transported visitors to the Atlantic Ocean. The grand dame during this construction boom was the Cavalier, called “the finest hotel in America” by Gen. J. Leslie Kincaid, president of the American Hotels Corporation. The massive resort contained a salt water pool complete with orchestra, 195 guest rooms, the elegant Crystal Ballroom and many dining options. At one time, it housed one of only three radio stations to broadcast coast to coast.

After a massive renovation, the Cavalier Hotel welcomes visitors to its perch on a hill overlooking the waters. Slip inside the pool and imagine life in the 1920s, enjoy a massage in the Seahill Spa, or a cocktail in the Raleigh Room with its original architectural elements or by a fireplace in the Hunt Room tavern. Today’s 85 guest rooms include an extra spigot for salt water to be used in bathtubs.

cavalierresortvb.com/cavalier-hotel

Great Escapes

The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee

The Hermitage explodes with decorations for the holidays, and the historic hotel dating back to 1910 is the perfect basecamp for Nashville’s exuberant holiday happenings. Look for a trimmed grand staircase that leads into the elegantly decorated lobby complete with Christmas tree and fireplace. 

The city’s first million-dollar hotel was named for President Andrew Jackson’s estate on the outskirts of town and it was here that the final vote for women’s right to vote was celebrated by suffrage leaders (and moaned by those on the other side). Both political activists used The Hermitage as their headquarters.

Some of Nashville’s holidays events include the Opry Country Christmas Show, the downtown Christmas parade, special concerts at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and more.

There’s also the free Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park with Grammy Award-nominated Thomas Rhett, reigning CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Lainey Wilson and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd as headliners.

thehermitagehotel.com

Great Escapes
The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa

The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa, Mobile, Alabama

Visit for the historic grand lobby that steals your breath, the comfortable guest rooms, the proximity to Mobile’s numerous Carnival parades — even the hotel’s colorful ghost stories — but don’t miss enjoying Executive Chef Tony Reynolds’ creations inspired from bounty of the nearby Gulf Coast. The Texas native’s career began at Le Cordon Bleu Academy of Culinary Arts in Austin and spanned the country until he settled in Mobile, his wife’s home town. He creates seasonal menus for the hotel’s Joe Cain Café, The Royal Street Tavern and the AAA Four-Diamond award-winning restaurant The Trellis Room.  

The hotel’s close to the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal where Carnival Cruise Line resumes sailings to the western Caribbean and the Bahamas this fall.

Grand Galvez, Galveston, Texas

Built in 1911 as Hotel Galvez, the AAA Four-Diamond property enjoyed a massive facelift and name change this year. Now known as the Grand Galvez and part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, this massive Galveston property facing the Gulf of Mexico has returned to its roots. 

Sort of. 

The dramatic Peacock Alley, which led the original visitors from the lobby to the ballroom, has been restored for the first time in 70 years but the seating, chandeliers and flooring leans more modern. On the other end of the lobby visitors may enjoy specialty cocktails, such as the Ghost Bride named for the hotel’s famous apparition, in the Founders Bar, a nod to the hotel’s five founders. Here burgundy chandeliers twinkle overhead and a stage offers live music.

Galveston hosts the 50th anniversary of Dickens on the Strand this year (Dec. 2) with Victorian holiday entertainment, vendors, shopping and a Christmas parade. The seaside barrier island is also home to Texas Carnival and next year marks the 113th celebration of Mardi Gras Galveston.

grandgalvez.com

The Windsor, Americus, Georgia

It’s not every day you get to sleep in a presidential suite. And we’re talking accommodations for an actual U.S. president.

President Jimmy Carter’s home town of Plains, Georgia, lies only nine miles from Americus so it’s only natural that he and his wife, Rosalynn, would stay at the circa-1892 Windsor Hotel. Visitors who choose the Carter Presidential Suite will find themselves in the hotel’s “tower,” a circular structure — the room’s circular too! — that overlooks downtown.

For the casual visitor, the five-story Victorian offers 53 modernized guest rooms, six suites and a bridal suite that’s also located within the tower. Two floors look down upon the atrium lobby with its golden oak accents and ancient chandeliers that feels as if it hadn’t changed in more than 100 years. For dining, there’s the Rosemary & Thyme Restaurant and Floyd’s Pub. 

windsor-americus.com

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