What sets the Riding Academy apart from the Equestrian are lower rates and a pet-friendly policy with a dog park adjacent to the hotel. Most of the rooms are suites, and the Grand Arena is a short walk or golf cart ride away.

For those who aren’t into horses, there are multiple shopping and dining options on site, as well as a large pool and sundeck area plus miles of walking trails through immaculate gardens and live oaks draped with Spanish moss.

$249 and up. 1615 NW 81st Terrace Road, Ocala, Florida. 352-325-9935, ridingacademyhotel.com.

Credit: Marc Mauldin

Credit: Marc Mauldin

Graduate by Hilton Auburn, AL

One of the newest properties in Hilton’s Graduate Hotels collection — a concept brand designed around college lifestyle and culture with 35 locations in major university towns across the U.S. and the U.K. — also happens to be the closest one to Atlanta: Graduate by Hilton Auburn, AL.

Hilton acquired the brand in 2024 and the Auburn location opened last September. Like all Graduate properties, it evokes a local collegiate vibe that’s heavy on nostalgia and time-honored traditions. Alumni and sports fans come to bask in the glow of finely curated university-themed memorabilia, artwork and decor adorning the walls of the rooms and public spaces in the newly built, five-floor, 177-room hotel.

In the lobby is Bo Jackson’s Beans. The multisport legend and Auburn grad is a partner in the coffee shop, and he provided many of the sports memorabilia on display so the space doubles as a museum of sorts. Locals and guests alike line up for the elevator that takes them to the rooftop War Eagle Supper Club, named after a beloved long-gone dive bar frequented by students in a bygone era. Within easy walking distance of the hotel are highlights of Auburn’s burgeoning culinary scene such as the Hey Day Market and the 1856 Culinary Residence.

$187 and up. 202 W. Magnolia Ave., Auburn, Alabama. 334-752-4100, www.hilton.com

Credit: Seeing Southern L.L.C.

Credit: Seeing Southern L.L.C.

Rhode’s Motor Lodge

A classic 1950s-era roadside motel recently reinvented for modern travelers, Rhode’s Motor Lodge sits on a hillside outside of Boone, North Carolina, near the campus of Appalachian State University. Originally called Green’s Motel, it was in a dilapidated state for years after its midcentury heyday before Raleigh-based Loden Hospitality acquired the property in 2021 and began its transformation. The name refers to the mountain rhododendron found throughout North Carolina’s High Country region.

Most of the 54 rooms, 38 of which have balconies, offer mountain views, and all have modern tech amenities like smart TVs and Bluetooth speakers. Other highlights are the outdoor and indoor communal spaces with fire pits and fireplaces where locals and guests gather to converse, hear live music and enjoy libations from Canteen, the lobby bar and restaurant.

The lodge largely escaped the wrath of Hurricane Helene last September, but the restaurant side of Canteen has yet to reopen with only the bar currently offering service. Motorists will appreciate Rhode’s convenient location on the highway between Blowing Rock and Boone and close to many area attractions, including the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Some sections of the parkway have reopened but others remain closed. Check with the National Park Service for current conditions).

$114 and up. 1377 Blowing Rock Road, Hwy. 321, Boone, North Carolina. 828-865-1110, www.rhodesmotorlodge.com.

Credit: The Ansonborough

Credit: The Ansonborough

The Ansonborough

The Ansonborough Charleston, a luxury boutique named after Charleston, South Carolina’s oldest neighborhood of which it’s a part, debuted last September. Housed in a renovated warehouse that has stood as a cornerstone of the neighborhood since 1901, it features 45 unique and spacious rooms. Options range between a 296-square-foot studio and an 871-square-foot suite.

History imbues the building’s renovation at every turn with original exposed brick, wood beams and a “hidden” poker room paying homage to George Anson, who, as legend has it, acquired the land that became Ansonborough in a 1727 poker game.

The Scarborough & Squirrel Bar, named after two ships that Admiral Anson once commanded, is open to the public, but the rooftop garden with its skyline views of the Holy City is exclusive to guests. Many of Charleston’s top historic attractions such as City Market are within walking distance of the hotel.

$195 and up. 21 Hasell St., Charleston, South Carolina. 843-723-1655, www.theansonborough.com.

Credit: VisitColumbusGA

Credit: VisitColumbusGA

City Mills Hotel

Downtown Columbus has come a long way with its lodging options over the last decade. Eight years ago, the only hotel was a dated Marriott that’s since been renovated. Today, downtown (called Uptown by locals) also boasts a Hotel Indigo, an AC Hotel, a Hampton Inn and the locally owned and operated City Mills Hotel.

Overlooking the Chattahoochee River along the Riverwalk, the City Mills complex was once a grist mill with structures dating back to the late 19th century. In 2015, the Historic Columbus Foundation saved the long-abandoned buildings from demolition and stabilized them for renovation. A revitalized City Mills began a multiyear phased opening in 2021 that became fully operational last year complete with a hotel, event space, wellness center and restaurant.

Most of the boutique hotel’s 64 rooms have river views, many are pet-friendly and all have luxurious custom-made furnishings, local artwork and modern conveniences in the beautifully preserved red brick buildings. Dine on fresh seafood and sip craft cocktails at the riverfront Millhouse Kitchen and Bar, and refresh your spirit and body with a session at River Flow Yoga, both part of City Mills.

$148 and up. 1801 1st Ave., Columbus. 706-940-0100, www.citymillscolumbus.com.

Credit: New Orleans & Company

Credit: New Orleans & Company

Dew Drop Inn

Opened in 1939, the Dew Drop Inn is a New Orleans landmark of Black and gay culture, as well as music history.

During its heyday between 1945 and 1965, the Dew Drop was a stop on the “chitlin’ circuit” for Black musicians during the segregated Jim Crow-era. The list of famous acts who performed in the small lounge includes Ray Charles, Ike and Tina Turner, Etta James, James Brown and Little Richard, who was inspired to record his seminal 1955 hit that helped birth rock ‘n’ roll, “Tutti Frutti,” after a stint at the hotel.

Flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the legendary family-run property sat vacant until a local developer acquired the buildings in Central City to bring the famous hotel and music venue back to life. It reopened to overnight guests last March.

Many of the original midcentury architectural elements remain, but it’s the site’s cultural significance that landed it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. Each of the 17 rooms is themed to a musical act or notable figure in the Dew Drop’s history. Last January the lounge began hosting music again for the first time since 1970.

Descendants of the original owner have an ownership stake in the property and the former barbershop now contains interactive exhibits spotlighting the inn’s impact on mid-20th-century American culture.

$76 and up. 2836 LaSalle St., New Orleans. 504-948-3002, www.dewdropinnnola.com.