ENTERTAINMENT

Why this luxurious East Tennessee mountain resort was crowned the best in the South

Portrait of Molly Davis Molly Davis
Nashville Tennessean
  • The resort features stunning mountaintop views, locally-grown food and adventurous activities like horseback riding.
  • Its sister property was voted second best in the travel magazine's rankings.

A luxurious resort in the mountains of East Tennessee is the best in the South, according to a reader poll published by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Blackberry Farm and its sister resort Blackberry Mountain took the top two spots in the travel magazine's annual World's Best Awards 2024 for readers' 15 favorite resorts in the South. Several resorts in Georgia and North Carolina also made the list.

The resorts were scored by their rooms and facilities, location, service, food and value. For each category, voters chose from a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor.

Blackberry Farm garnered a score of 95.57 while Blackberry Mountain scored 95.32. The resorts are both known for their excellent food, adventurous guest experiences and gorgeous, secluded mountain views.

What started as a six-room inn has grown into a 68-suite property over more than 4,000 acres at Blackberry Farm. The resort offers adventurous and relaxing activities alike — from fly fishing and horseback riding to wine tastings and spa treatments. The resort expanded in 2019 to open Blackberry Mountain.

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The 15 favorite resorts in the South

  1. Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee: Scored 95.57
  2. Blackberry Mountain, Walland, Tennessee: Scored 95.32
  3. The Lodge at Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Georgia: Scored 95.57
  4. The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Georgia: Scored 93.26
  5. The Cloister at Sea Island, Sea Island, Georgia: Scored 93
  6. The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Georgia: Scored 92.48
  7. Old Edwards Inn and Spa, Highlands, North Carolina: Scored 92
  8. Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg, Virginia: Scored 91.5
  9. The Tides Inn, Irvington, Virginia: Scored 91.47
  10. Keswick Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia: Scored 90.63
  11. The Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina: Scored 88.63
  12. Barnsley Resort, Adairsville, Georgia: Scored 88.61
  13. High Hampton, Cashiers, North Carolina: Scored 88
  14. Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, North Carolina: Scored 87.6
  15. The Grand Hotel Gold Resort and Spa, Autograph Collection, Point Clear, Alabama: Scored 87.36

Reporter Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville. Reach her at mdavis2@gannett.com.