New York, NY – Time Inc.’s Southern Living introduces the Southern Living Hotel Collection, a small, curated group of independent, four- and five-star level hotels, resorts and inns that span 18 Southern states and offer the best in authentic Southern hospitality.

Hotels in the collection are vetted according to the same criteria editors use to determine editorial coverage. The collection is by invitation only.  Each hotel in the collection provides a memorable experience through impeccable service, outstanding cuisine, high-quality facilities and the finest amenities. The collection will launch with 15 hotels, but the brand will continue to select additional properties over the coming years until the list reaches up to 100 locations across the South.

A new web site (www.SouthernLivingHotelCollection.com) will launch July 1 featuring all of the properties in the collection and highlighting why they were chosen.  Consumers can sort the hotels by spa, family-friendly and other criteria and can make reservations directly from the site.

Southern Living has a legacy of bringing consumers the best travel information and recommendations in the South.  In fact, Southern Living readers took nearly 25 million domestic trips in the past year and spent over $10 billion on travel. *

“The 15 charter members of the Southern Living Hotel Collection are made up of iconic Southern resorts, historic Southern hotels and newly discovered Southern inns,” said Southern Living Publisher Greg Schumann. “We’re very proud of our unique collection as they all serve to provide the very best in Southern hospitality.”

The Southern Living Hotel Collection includes:

 

1.            Barnsley Gardens Resort  (Adairsville, GA)

2.            Big Cedar Lodge (Ridgedale, MO)

3.            Blackberry Farm (Walland, TN)

4.            The Greystone Inn (Lake Toxaway, NC)

5.            The Grove Park Inn (Asheville, NC)

6.            The Hermitage Hotel (Nashville, TN)

7.            The Inn at Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC)

8.            The Inn at Serenbe (Chattahoochee Hills, GA)

9.            John Rutledge House Inn (Charleston, SC)

10.          Monmouth Historic Inn (Natchez, MS)

11.          Pursell Farms (Sylacauga, AL)

12.          Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club (Durham, NC)

13.          Wentworth Mansion (Charleston, SC)

14.          Whitestone Country Inn (Kingston, TN)

15.          Windsor Court Hotel (New Orleans, LA)

The long-term vision is to collaborate with each hotel to bring the Southern Livingbrand to life in various ways for consumers.  Ideas include featuring Southern LivingTest Kitchen-approved recipes on the menus and offering branded classes or events.

Southern Living celebrates the essence of life in the South, covering the best in Southern food, home, garden, and travel.  Reaching more than 16 million people each month, Southern Living connects consumers with the region’s rich culture through a variety of print, digital, mobile, tablet and event platforms.  Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the rapidly expanding Southern Living brand is part of Time Inc., one of the largest content companies in the world and the largest publisher in the U.S.

*2012 MRI Doublebase & Southern Living Reader Panel Travel Study, June 2010

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Media Contacts:
Jennifer Zawadzinski, 212-522-9046, jennifer_zawadzinski@timeinc.com
Kristen McElhone, 212-522-4305, Kristen_mcelhone@timeinc.com