Historic Motels & Inns in the Southeast

Blue Ridge Tourist Court

Boone, NC

Built in 1950 and on the National Register of Historic Places, Boone's oldest surviving roadside property returned to mid-century form in a 2022 restoration. The strongest case in the area for why preservation beats renovation.

Queens Court Inn

St. Simons Island, GA

A 1948 island court refreshed with bright color and original tile bathrooms, tucked a short walk from the St. Simons pier. The courtyard pool glows under a neon crown and giant moss-draped oaks, the kind of place you park once and walk everywhere.

The Roost Ocean Springs

Ocean Springs, MS

Rooms on a covered gallery veranda overlooking a heated pool in a restored 1894 Southern building. The Wilbur speakeasy and Maringouin restaurant on-site.

The Vagabond Hotel Miami

Miami, FL

Designed by MiMo legend Robert Swartburg in 1953 and on the National Register of Historic Places, with exterior catwalks, a pool with original tile, and Mr. Mandolin restaurant on site. Post-war Biscayne Boulevard at its most intact.

Best Court Cottages

Hot Springs, AR

A 1933 auto tourist court restored into single-story cottages, each with its own garage bay turned private sitting room, a full kitchen, and a front porch with a cedar bench. The back cottages go genuinely quiet at night, a rare hush a short drive from the steaming springs of a national park.