Family Fun in the Southeast

The Lakehouse Inn at Sledd Creek

Gilbertsville, KY

A late-1950s Kentucky Lake motor lodge reborn as a warm, spotless boutique inn where two resort pools, gas and wood firepits, and a lawn full of cornhole and washers turn strangers into porch-swing friends. It feels less like a place you check into and more like a lake house the whole neighborhood was invited to.

The Parkman

Townsend, TN

On the quiet side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with gas-fireplace patios, a saltwater pool, and pickleball. Trail access to the park and direct access to Cades Cove from the property.

Driftwood Inn

Mexico Beach, FL

Gulf-front ownership since 1970, rebuilt twice, with the birdhouses surviving both times. Every room has a private balcony facing the water.

Dock's On The River

Townsend, TN

A family-run motor court and cabin collection built in 1935 on the banks of the Little River, where every room and cabin opens onto its own door and the water runs cold and clear straight out of the national park. It sits on the quiet side of the Smokies, so you trade the crowds for a porch, a lawn, and the sound of the river all night.

Lincoln Lodge

Hodgenville, KY

A meticulously kept, family-run lodge in Hodgenville with a mix of motel rooms, full-kitchen cabins, and an RV campground, right beside Abraham Lincoln's birthplace. An on-site country store selling local dairy, beef, novelty sodas, and ice cream, plus rooms dressed in real farm charm, make it a genuine hidden gem.

Riverhouse at the Park

Gatlinburg, TN

Private balconies overlooking a river, gas fireplaces, and a family tradition of delivering fresh homemade donuts and coffee to the door every morning. The national park trail starts across the parking lot.

Route 19 Inn

Maggie Valley, NC

Restored by former Disney Imagineers in midcentury mountain style on its 1948 bones. Jonathan Creek runs through the grounds.

Royal Palms Motel

Tybee Island, GA

Tybee's retro surf stop sits a block from the sand, with balconied rooms wrapped around a fountain courtyard and a big pool at the center. Come for the beach out the door and the hands-on owners, an easy island base with everything you need and none of the fluff.