This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on Mar. 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be.

This year’s lineup of top resorts across the American South are known for a variety of things — gourmet cuisine, rustic-chic mountain accommodations, seaside barefoot luxury — but one thing they all agree on is the importance of the region’s incomparable genteel hospitality. That affable Southern charm keeps visitors returning again and again. From historic mansions like the Willcox (No. 10) to luxe waterfront retreats like the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee (No. 13) and the Lodge at Sea Island (No. 6) to posh mountain hideaways like Old Edwards Inn & Spa (No. 3), these resorts represent the best the South has to offer.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.