UNIQUE SLEEPS IN THE SOUTH & SOUTHEAST
10 Bed & Breakfasts to Experience from West Virginia and North Carolina, to Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and East Texas
A Love Your Parks Tour Travel List by Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith, Big Blend’s mother-daughter travel, publishing, and podcast team.
Over the last couple of years, we have visited and stayed in over 30 Bed & Breakfast Inns across America. Each provided a unique lodging experience, offering deluxe comfort with charm and character, and delicious breakfast fare crafted from local ingredients. From keeping a clean house to pouring afternoon tea, and sharing their region’s seasonal events, activities, and must-do attractions, innkeepers pay great attention to their guests’ needs which is more than appreciated during this unprecedented time in travel. And to top it all off, each Inn has a fascinating history and backstory, as do the innkeepers themselves. These hardworking entrepreneurs and small business owners are invested in their homes and community, and their caring hospitality shows it.
We visited these states at various times of the year, delighting in the local farms and gardens, exploring exquisite parks and nature preserves, browsing vibrant public art, sampling wine, brews, and delectable regional and farm-fresh cuisine, and walking the historic downtown districts and architecturally interesting residential areas.
Follows is a list of 10 B&Bs we recommend staying in (or maybe even get married in), each with an innkeeper podcast interview sharing their Inn’s history, guest experiences, and local highlights.
Rock Haven Bed & Breakfast
WEST VIRGINIA
Rockhaven Bed & Breakfast – Boasting beautiful gardens, historic Rockhaven B&B is a 1927 two-and-a-half-story stone foursquare house that offers two spacious, contemporary guest suites, plus, two glamping cabins. It’s a welcoming home where you can relax after a day of exploring Harpers Ferry National Park, biking the C&O Canal Trail, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, rafting on the river, and tasting Loudoun County wines, or just escaping the big city madness. Listen to the podcast with innkeeper/co-owner Lynn Pechuekonis on YouTube.
Address: 900 Fillmore Street, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
Tel: (304) 535-8235
Web: https://rockhavenbnb.com/
NORTH CAROLINA
The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast – Nestled in the heart of the Montford Historic District in Asheville, this 1898 Queen Anne/Georgian-style home has been restored to its original splendor, evoking the classic architecture of the times, but with modern amenities for a comfortable experience. The Inn features five beautifully appointed guest rooms, delicious two-course breakfasts, a welcome pint of home-brewed beer, a garden with a fire pit, and a wrap-around porch. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/owners Steve & Karen Wilson on YouTube.
Address: 276 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Tel: (828) 255-7673
Web: https://www.lion-rose.com/
Sweet Biscuit Inn – A beautifully restored seven-bedroom bed and breakfast with a kid and dog-friendly Carriage House, Sweet Biscuit Inn is ideally located in the quiet wooded neighborhood of Kenilworth, near Biltmore Village and downtown Asheville. This 1915 Colonial Revival home offers lodging with urban sophistication alongside comfort and charm, delectable gourmet breakfasts, a beautiful garden with a fire pit, and a welcoming front porch. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/owners John Meyer & Susan Shah on YouTube.
Address: 77 Kenilworth Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
Tel: (828) 250-0170
Web: https://www.sweetbiscuitinn.com/
GEORGIA
Azalea Inn & Villas – Originally built in 1885, this historic and luxurious lodging destination provides all the charm and history you expect from a Savannah B&B like veranda porches, guest parlors, a swimming pool, and hidden gardens. It’s a close walk to Forsyth Park, shops, restaurants, and historic sites. Choose from B&B accommodations with a concierge, and seasonal home-cooked Southern-style breakfasts and desserts, or their self-catered Vacation Villas. Listen to the podcast with innkeeper/owner Teresa Jacobsen on YouTube.
Address: 217 East Huntingdon Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tel: (912) 236-6080
Web: https://azaleainn.com/
FLORIDA
The Magnolia Plantation Bed & Breakfast – Near downtown Gainesville, this iconic three-story 1885 French Second Empire Inn is decorated in period furnishings and offers five guest rooms, each with a gas fireplace and private bath with a claw foot tub. The equipped cottages are appointed in the Country-, Craftsman- and Colonial-style. Along with a full breakfast and snacks, guests enjoy lush tropical gardens with walking paths, courtyards, fountains, ponds, and waterfalls. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/owners Joe & Cindy Montalto on YouTube.
Address: 309 S.E. Seventh Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
Tel: (352) 375-6653 or (800) 201-2379
Web: http://www.magnoliabnb.com/
ARKANSAS
Tiffany’s Bed & Breakfast – This lovely log-cabin-style bed and breakfast is beautifully situated in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains near Hot Springs. Set on 62 acres of woodlands and boasting beautiful gardens, walking trails, and a full-length front porch that provides an excellent bird-watching vantage point, it’s a nature lover’s paradise. Along with homemade breakfasts, guests enjoy tastefully appointed rooms with luxury bedding and private baths. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/owners Bob & Tiffany Bertram on YouTube.
Address: 1632 Arkansas Hwy 347, Bismarck, AR 71929
Tel: (501) 865-6060.
Web: https://www.tiffanysbedandbreakfast.com/
EAST TEXAS
The Brick House Inn – Stay in the oldest brick house in Nacogdoches, the oldest city in Texas! This two-story 19th-century New Orleans style Bed & Breakfast Inn was originally constructed in 1886 by Henry L. Austin, a local brick maker. Today guests can choose from three beautifully appointed guest rooms, enjoy a delicious homemade gourmet breakfast, and wander the beautiful garden areas. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/owners David & Anne Norton on YouTube.
Address: 522 Virginia Ave., Nacogdoches, TX 75964
Tel: (936) 564-7428
Web: https://thebrickhouseinn.biz/
The Jones House – Completed in 1897, this restored and stately Victorian mansion was designed by architect and contractor Dietrich Antone Gerard Rulfs. Within walking distance of historic downtown Nacogdoches, guests can experience the elegance of this Texas Historic Landmark by staying in one of the three exquisite guest rooms. The onsite Pemberley’s Teahouse serves high tea seasonally and hosts small weddings, receptions, and private events. Listen to the podcast with Karen Mast, Janie & Patricia Huggins, and Cathy Sanders on YouTube.
Address: 141 N. Church St., Nacogdoches, TX 75961
Tel: (936) 559-1487
Web: https://www.pemberleysatthejones.com/
Rosevine Inn Bed & Breakfast – Located in the heart of Tyler, the Rose Capital of America, Rosevine Inn features four themed guest rooms as well as extended-stay suites in 1930’s vintage homes. Guests enjoy the legendary Rosevine breakfast and property highlights such as the barn-style game room, outdoor hot tub, New Orleans-style courtyard with a fountain and outdoor fireplace, an “Adult’s Treehouse,” and other play areas. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/owners Bert & Rebecca Powell on YouTube.
Address: 415 South Vine Avenue, Tyler, TX 75702
Tel: (903) 592-2221
Web: https://www.rosevine.com/
Walker Manor Bed & Breakfast – Built in the late 1880s, the award-winning Walker Manor B&B is a recorded Texas historic landmark home located in historic downtown Gladewater, the Antique Capital of East Texas. The Inn features three lavish turn-of-the-century guest suites, gourmet breakfasts, a tearoom, a gorgeous garden, and special event spaces. It is within walking distance to antique and boutique shops, and local attractions. Listen to the podcast with innkeepers/co-owner Memori Reusing on YouTube.
Address: 214 E Commerce Ave, Gladewater, TX 75647
Tel: (903) 845-7054
Web: https://walkermanortx.com/
