Three 19th-century properties get a new lease on life as boutique stays

Courtesy Hotel Burg

Hotel Burg
Leesburg, Virginia
This 39-room luxury hotel spans three distinct buildings, including a preserved 1885 home. Brass chandeliers, velvet drapery, and a cozy library keep the historical spirit alive, while high-end marble bathrooms add a touch of modernity

The Douglas
Savannah, Georgia
Set in a stunningly restored 1853 townhouse, this 16-room hotel in the historic district features original heart pine floors, French antiques, and complimentary breakfast from two-time James Beard–nominated chef Jacques Larson.

Wicklow Hall
Georgetown, South Carolina
Once a private family estate in the early 1800s, this eight-room bed-and-breakfast exudes Lowcountry elegance with a hand-painted mural of coastal marshlands in the entryway, grand stone fireplaces, and acres of oak-lined grounds.

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Courtesy The Sitio

LAUNCH
Virginia Beach’s Atlantic Park is making waves. At the heart of the $350 million mixed-use property, stewarded by hometown music mogul Pharrell Williams, is North America’s first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, which generates up to 1,000 waves per hour suitable for all surf experience levels. Now there’s a brand-new boutique hotel making it even easier to plan a surf-centric trip. Situated right on the Atlantic Park property, the Sitio features 20 guestrooms with a chic, minimalist design inspired by the area’s laid-back surf culture. Rooms come with custom surfboard racks and live streaming of the lagoon’s waves. A private, elevated pool deck offers a break from surrounding activities, and the ocean is just a block away.

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Courtesy SongTeller Hotel

NEW STAY
Dolly Parton’s latest lodging venture serves as a love letter to Nashville, the country music capital that helped launch her illustrious career. Located in the lively Lower Broadway district, the 245-room SongTeller Hotel bursts with kaleidoscopic color and the singer’s signature sparkly flair. Beyond typical hotel amenities, it offers two live entertainment venues and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors museum, which is the largest collection of exhibits celebrating her life to date.

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EXPERIENCE
Relais & Châteaux properties the Swag and Cataloochee Ranch are already well established as destination resorts in western North Carolina. Now they’ve added a shiny new reason to visit: Both were recently designated as DarkSky International Approved Lodgings and are the only such properties on the East Coast. The secluded mountaintop resorts earned the recognition by promoting ecotourism, significantly reducing light pollution, and providing special night-sky experiences, such as Cataloochee Ranch’s stargazing sessions guided by the Asheville Astronomy Club.

This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Southbound.

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