Step Inside Three Stylish New Coastal Inns with Historic Pedigrees

If the coast is calling, a trio of new hotels might just sway your destination selection.

In Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, the chic resort Trailborn Surf & Sound opened earlier this spring, bringing with it an array of experiences that live up to the town’s reputation as an active beach town. In Savannah’s historic district, a Lowcountry team took on the renovation of a building that’s been around since the 1850s and opened a sixteen-room, natural light–soaked, and antique-studded boutique inn called the Douglas. And just outside of Georgetown on the Hammock Coast of South Carolina, a passionate husband and wife duo rolled up their sleeves and transformed historic Wicklow Hall into a secluded bed and breakfast situated on eleven acres on the Santee River.

Below, step inside the three new stays.

Wrightsville Beach is considered one of the most scenic beach stretches near Wilmington, and the new Trailborn Surf & Sound hotel, which opened this spring in the former home of the midcentury-built Blockade Runner, makes the most of that. Its perch right on the ocean rewards guests with 360-degree water views and 3.5 acres of beach access. Design firm Post Company took on the interiors, drawing inspiration from the area’s coastal beauty in blue tiling, lots of natural wood, rattan, and white brick accents.

Head to the front desk to rent a surfboard, paddleboard, or fishing gear (or sign up for a lesson if you’re a newbie), and grab a bite after your outing at the on-site La Duna Paradiso, which infuses local seafood bounty with the flavors of Italy and the Mediterranean. And don’t miss the banana bread, complete with whipped mascarpone, candied pecans, and bruleed bananas, at breakfast.

Earlier this month, the Douglas opened its doors at 14 East Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah’s historic district. Since its construction as a private residence in 1853, the building has cycled through different uses—including as a roaring ’20s gentlemen’s club and a boarding house—before landing in the hands of Charleston-based Obstinate Hospitality, which brought in a team of Lowcountry specialists to undertake a two-year transformation.

The result? A sixteen-room boutique hotel in which natural light sets off the restored heart pine floors, delicate plasterwork, and antiques discovered in Round Top, Texas. Original Murano chandeliers hang from ceilings, Louis Philippe dressers grace the guests rooms, and wool Turkish oushak rugs add homey warmth.

The food is worth hanging around for, too: As part of the stay, two-time James Beard nominee Jacques Larson cooks up a la carte breakfasts, and come four o’clock, guests can gather in the Parlor for charcuterie, cheese, and canapés.

Judith Puckett-Rinella and her husband, David, poured their hearts and souls into restoring historic Wicklow Hall into an eight-room boutique hotel right on the Santee River. The property, which dates to the early 1800s when it was built as a private estate, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the restoration pays homage to the Santee River Delta.

Live oaks draped in Spanish moss dot the gardens across eleven acres of grounds, and in the five-room main inn, a custom mural featuring herons and an actual local alligator (his name is Oscar) welcomes guests. Most everything here is custom-made, including a maple slab table the Rinellas’ daughter crafted, and historic details are on full display. The original pine heart flooring remains; so do ten fireplaces.

Even if you’re not a guest, keep an eye out for a Sunday supper announcement—every month and a half or so, Wicklow opens its doors to the public for a candlelit dinner of Southern classics paired with jazz piano.