When Alabama travelers venture beyond their state lines, historic hotels offer windows into America’s storied past. These architectural treasures combine luxury with living history, allowing guests to sleep where presidents, celebrities, and literary giants once rested.
From Southern classics with duck parades to mountain resorts that hosted dignitaries, these grand hotels preserve traditions while providing modern comforts.
1. The Peabody Memphis: Southern Grandeur and Famous Ducks
Red carpet rolls out daily for the most famous residents of this 1869 Memphis landmark: five North American mallard ducks. They waddle from their rooftop Royal Duck Palace to the marble fountain in the magnificent lobby at 11 a.m. sharp, returning at 5 p.m. in a tradition dating back to the 1930s.
Alabama visitors feel right at home in this Southern institution where hospitality runs deep as the Mississippi. The Italian Renaissance revival architecture showcases soaring ceilings, ornate woodwork, and a stunning stained-glass skylight that bathes the grand lobby in golden light.
Guest rooms blend historic charm with modern luxuries, while the rooftop offers spectacular views of downtown Memphis and the mighty river beyond. The Peabody stands within easy walking distance of Beale Street’s blues clubs and barbecue joints, making it the perfect base for exploring Memphis culture. Many Alabama travelers return annually, timing visits around the hotel’s spectacular holiday decorations.
2. The Brown Hotel in Louisville: A Kentucky Landmark
Bourbon and horse racing might draw Alabama travelers to Kentucky, but the Brown Hotel keeps them coming back. This Georgian Revival masterpiece opened in 1923 and quickly became Louisville’s social center, hosting glittering galas and celebrity guests.
Hand-painted ceiling murals, mahogany furnishings, and crystal chandeliers transport visitors to an era of elegant soirées. The lobby still buzzes with activity, while comfortable seating nooks invite quiet conversations over Kentucky bourbon. Alabama visitors appreciate the genuine Southern hospitality that feels familiar yet distinctive.
The hotel gained culinary fame as the birthplace of the legendary Hot Brown sandwich, created to satisfy hungry guests after late-night dancing. The open-faced turkey sandwich topped with Mornay sauce remains the signature dish at the English Grill restaurant.
Guest rooms feature plush bedding and period-appropriate furnishings, creating an atmosphere both luxurious and historically authentic. Located downtown, the Brown provides easy access to Louisville’s Museum Row and the Urban Bourbon Trail.
3. The Roosevelt New Orleans: A Jewel of the French Quarter
Alabama travelers seeking New Orleans magic need look no further than The Roosevelt. This Waldorf Astoria gem has anchored the edge of the French Quarter since 1893, surviving hurricanes, economic downturns, and changing ownership while maintaining its distinctive character.
The block-long lobby dazzles with gilded columns, crystal chandeliers, and intricate mosaic floors that have welcomed generations of visitors. During Christmas, the corridor transforms into a spectacular winter wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights and dozens of decorated trees. The famous Blue Room has hosted musical legends from Louis Armstrong to Ella Fitzgerald.
The Sazerac Bar, named for the city’s signature cocktail, features historic Paul Ninas murals and master mixologists crafting perfect drinks. Spacious guest rooms combine period charm with luxurious amenities.
Alabama visitors appreciate the Roosevelt’s perfect location, offering easy walking access to French Quarter attractions while providing a refined retreat from Bourbon Street revelry. The rooftop pool offers a refreshing escape during humid summer months.
4. The Greenbrier in West Virginia: America’s Resort With History
Hidden among West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains sits a national treasure that Alabama travelers increasingly discover. The Greenbrier spans 11,000 acres of stunning landscape and has welcomed guests since 1778, including 26 presidents and countless celebrities seeking mineral springs and mountain air.
Interior designer Dorothy Draper transformed the resort after World War II with her signature bold colors, floral patterns, and baroque details that still define the spaces today. The main building’s white facade with distinctive green roof has become iconic in American resort architecture. A lot of activities await guests, from golf on championship courses to falconry lessons.
Perhaps most fascinating is the formerly secret underground bunker built to house Congress during nuclear war, now open for tours. Alabama visitors appreciate the resort’s formal traditions, including afternoon tea and jacket requirements for dinner in the main dining room.
Guest rooms feature Draper’s distinctive decor and mountain views. The resort’s remote location creates an atmosphere of exclusive retreat while showcasing Appalachian beauty rarely experienced by Southern travelers.
5. The Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans: Literary Legends Stayed Here
Family-owned since 1886, the Monteleone stands as a beacon of continuity in the heart of the French Quarter. Alabama literary travelers particularly revere this hotel where Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, and Truman Capote once penned masterpieces.
The famous Carousel Bar literally revolves slowly as patrons sip Sazeracs, completing one revolution every 15 minutes. The moving bar has inspired countless writers and appears in dozens of novels and stories. The hotel’s Beaux-Arts architecture features an ornate facade with intricate ironwork balconies overlooking Royal Street’s antique shops and galleries.
Guest rooms blend historic elements with modern comforts, many offering French Quarter views. The rooftop pool provides a refreshing escape from Louisiana heat. Alabama visitors appreciate the hotel’s literary walking tour highlighting spots where famous authors stayed and wrote.
The Monteleone’s prime location places guests steps from Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, and the Mississippi riverfront while maintaining an atmosphere of refined elegance. Family photographs throughout the hotel remind guests of its remarkable five-generation history.
6. The Biltmore in Asheville: A Gilded Age Icon
Rising from the Blue Ridge Mountains like a French Renaissance castle, the Biltmore Inn offers Alabama travelers a taste of Vanderbilt-level luxury. While not the Biltmore mansion itself, this hotel on the estate grounds provides exclusive access to America’s largest private home and its 8,000-acre grounds.
Guest rooms feature mountain views, period furnishings, and sophisticated decor that complements the estate’s historic character. Morning coffee on the terrace overlooking formal gardens sets the perfect tone for exploration. Alabama visitors especially appreciate the property during autumn when mountain foliage creates spectacular color displays.
The estate includes award-winning winery, working farm, and miles of hiking trails through carefully preserved forests. Dining options showcase ingredients grown on property, creating farm-to-table experiences before the concept became trendy.
Evening ghost tours reveal the mansion’s spooky secrets, while daytime tours highlight architectural innovations and art treasures collected by George Vanderbilt. The hotel’s proximity to downtown Asheville allows guests to experience the city’s vibrant arts scene and renowned culinary offerings while retreating to Gilded Age splendor each evening.
7. The Plaza in New York City: Luxury With Cultural Fame
Overlooking Central Park since 1907, The Plaza represents the quintessential New York luxury experience for Alabama travelers. This 20-story French Renaissance chateau-style building has starred in countless films and novels, becoming as much cultural icon as accommodation.
Opulent public spaces feature marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and gold-leaf detailing that transport guests to a bygone era of grandeur. The Palm Court, with its stained-glass ceiling and towering palm trees, remains the setting for the hotel’s famous afternoon tea service. Literature lovers seek out the Eloise Suite, decorated in honor of the fictional six-year-old who lived at the hotel in the beloved children’s books.
Guest rooms combine period elegance with modern technology through chandeliers, antique furnishings, and marble bathrooms featuring gold fixtures and soaking tubs. Alabama visitors appreciate the hotel’s perfect Fifth Avenue location for exploring Manhattan attractions while providing a refined sanctuary from city bustle.
The Plaza Food Hall in the basement level offers casual dining options alongside gourmet food purveyors, while the Champagne Bar provides front-row views of Central Park through floor-to-ceiling windows.
8. The Omni Homestead in Virginia: Centuries of Hospitality
Alabama travelers seeking mountain air and healing waters have flocked to The Homestead since before the Civil War. Founded in 1766 around natural hot springs, this grand resort in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains has hosted 23 presidents and generations of families returning for traditions spanning centuries.
The imposing brick Georgian building with its iconic tower dominates the landscape of Hot Springs, Virginia. Inside, the Great Hall welcomes guests with a massive fireplace, comfortable seating areas, and afternoon tea service that continues a tradition started in the early 1900s. The resort’s thermal pools contain minerals believed to promote health and wellness.
Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the championship golf courses, fly fishing in mountain streams, horseback riding through forest trails, and winter skiing. The resort’s remote location creates a self-contained world where guests unplug from modern stresses.
Alabama visitors particularly appreciate the Southern hospitality that feels familiar yet distinctive. Guest rooms feature traditional furnishings and mountain views, while public spaces showcase photographs and memorabilia from the resort’s remarkable history, including visits by Thomas Jefferson and multiple generations of America’s most prominent families.
9. The Palmer House in Chicago: Chicago’s Historic Heartbeat
Wedding gift, devastating fire, phoenix-like rebirth. The Palmer House story captivates Alabama travelers from the moment they step beneath the spectacular ceiling fresco in the lobby. Businessman Potter Palmer built the original hotel in 1871 as a wedding present for his bride, only to see it destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire just 13 days after opening.
Undaunted, Palmer rebuilt bigger and better, creating the current Renaissance Revival masterpiece. The lobby ceiling features 21 paintings depicting Greek mythology, illuminated by Hungarian gold leaf and crystal chandeliers. Peacock doors, marble columns, and bronze statues create an atmosphere of Gilded Age opulence.
Guest rooms combine historic elements with contemporary comforts, while the hotel’s central Loop location provides easy access to Chicago attractions. Alabama visitors appreciate the hotel’s famous brownie, invented here for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
The Empire Room once hosted performances by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong. Evening history tours reveal fascinating stories of famous guests and the hotel’s role in Chicago’s development, while the basement houses a museum of Palmer House artifacts and memorabilia.
10. The Driskill in Austin: Texas Elegance Since the 1800s
Cattle baron Jesse Driskill spared no expense when building his namesake hotel in 1886 as a showpiece for booming Austin. Alabama travelers discover this Romanesque masterpiece standing proudly on Sixth Street, its limestone facade and stained-glass dome announcing Texas-sized ambitions.
The lobby features marble floors, columned archways, and a magnificent stained-glass rotunda that bathes the space in colored light. Cowhide chairs, longhorn emblems, and Western artwork remind visitors of the hotel’s cattle kingdom origins. The portrait of Driskill himself seems to watch over guests enjoying Texas whiskey in the bar.
Guest rooms combine Victorian elegance with subtle Western touches, many featuring high ceilings and deep soaking tubs. Alabama visitors appreciate the hotel’s central location for exploring Austin’s famous live music scene while providing a historic retreat from the city’s modern energy.
The Driskill Grill serves sophisticated Texas cuisine featuring local ingredients and regional flavors. Ghost tours reveal stories of haunted rooms and spectral cattle barons still watching over their investment. Presidential history abounds here, from Lyndon Johnson’s first date with Lady Bird to his watching election returns in the hotel suite now named for him.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
