If you're road tripping down the Blue Ridge Parkway, there are a plethora of options on where to stay. If you're looking for hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway, then this list is tailor made just for you! From quaint mom and pop stops, to luxurious locations, I've got something for every taste and budget. Many of these hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway are directly off the road, but a few require adventures off the main stretch. Either way, they are great for the traveler looking for a roof each night; or to stay a few nights to explore an area. I've organized this list from North to South, so if you're in a particular area check out the table of contents below to jump straight there! Each header indicates the closest mile marker to the hotel or the turnoff for it.
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Of all the places I wanted to stay at during my road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is the one that I regretted missing the most. The wonderfully charming Fenton Inn is hands down one of the best hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is likely one of the more unique ones as well! The inn features just five guest suites situated in the heart of a quaint European-style "village". The entire place is hand-crafted by the owners, making each room and building truly one-of-a-kind. The views you'll find here are spectacular as well, especially if you're willing to shell out for the Swallow's Nest room. The Fenton Inn is also located less than a mile off the parkway, making it a super easy find.
We unfortunately didn't get an opportunity to stay here on our trip for a couple of reasons. The first is the extremely limited availability. Snagging a room here means you need to book well in advance. Months in advance would be my recommendation. The second reason for not staying here is that it is just 14 miles down the road from the north entrance. If your goal is driving the entire parkway, you'll need to put down more miles than that each day. On the flip side, if you are seeking out a jaw-droppingly beautiful hotel to explore the northern portion of the parkway, then Fenton Inn is certainly hard to beat. If there is a single hotel on this list I'll be coming back to visit, it's the Fenton Inn.
Natural Bridge Historic Hotel earns its spot on this list of best hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway thanks to its excellent location. The hotel is literally across the street from the amazing Natural Bridge State Park, which gives it a lot of bonus points. From here you can explore quite a bit of the Blue Ridge north of Roanoke at a far more budget friendly price than the Fenton Inn. It also makes for a perfect stop for those who are road tripping down the parkway, especially if you're doing it at a leisurely pace. It would have been our choice for a first night hotel on our last trip had we not been mostly camping.
As for the hotel itself, you'll find that it is a pretty good value. There are two different restaurants on site which far and away more than most hotels can claim. The Natural Bridge Historic Hotel also has a large space for hosting events if you're looking for a Blue Ridge destination wedding. Rooms at the hotel can run from 70-120 dollars a night depending on the time of year with fall likely being the highest. If you're looking for a good value for a single night while road tripping the Blue Ridge Parkway, this one is a pretty good bet.
When it comes to the best hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shirley's Bed & Breakfast is an absolutely phenomenal choice. The B&B itself is not only gorgeous on the outside, but the rooms are beautiful as well. There are four rooms in the main home, with a separate 1000 square foot cottage also available on site. Shirley's is family owned and operated, giving you that fantastic personalized touch that can really make a difference on your trip. For those putting in more miles each day, this is my recommended stop after your first day on the road.
Besides it's excellent appearance, this hotel also benefits from that all to key need during a trip: location. Shirley's is mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway and only 10 minutes from downtown Roanoke. This makes it a wonderful option for those who want to get away during the day, but have some of those city amenities at night as well. The Roanoke River and Explore Park are just minutes away, not to mention any number of other hikes and outdoor activities. For the peace and quiet you find at Shirley's its a really great value to stay a couple nights and explore all that Roanoke and the Blue Ridge have to offer!
Of all the hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway I've stayed in, this one was by far my favorite. Fancy Gap Cabins and Campground literally couldn't be any closer to the Blue Ridge Parkway. You pull off the parkway and, wham, you're there. While a easy to reach location is a huge benefit, it isn't the only reason we loved staying here. Fancy Gap has a ton of different options for visitors. They have eight motel rooms (secluded on their own), RV spots, tent camping, and even cozy little cabins. The location itself also provides for some pretty amazing sunsets as well.
When we stayed here, we opted for the motel portion of their location. For us, this was absolutely perfect. The motel rooms are split into two blocks of four, all connected by an outside porch. However, these are completely on their own spot on the property. We had some seclusion with the added bonus of an AMAZING view over the Blue Ridge Parkway for sunset. Of all the places on this list I'd like to personally own, this one is it!
Haven at Greenwood Glen isn't necessarily a new hotel (or technically a hotel), but the new owners have put a lot of love into the place. It features eight different cabins that you can stay in, providing plenty of options for families or couples. Since the new ownership took over in 2022, they have renovated all of the cabins. It's truly a family operation now. The owners don't just own the place, they actually live on property too. This means you'll get a level of service and care that can go above and beyond.
Each of the cabins on site are separated from one another. You'll have neighbors around the corner, not right on top of you each night. A newly completed firepit area on property gives a fantastic spot to spend some cool mountain nights. The inside of the cabins are gorgeous and spacious as well. I think if you stay a night (or a few) here, you'll have a great time getting away from it all.
Of all the towns along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock has a wealth of options when it comes to hotels. It's difficult to narrow it down to just one, but I chose the Inn at Ragged Gardens for this list of the best hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway because of its intimate nature and beauty of the venue itself. In fact, it might be one of the prettiest hotels on this entire list. The house was originally built in the early 1900s, with many of the rooms on site original rooms to the home.
When you combine the aesthetics of the Inn at Ragged Gardens with its location in the heart of Blowing Rock, that makes it pretty hard to beat. You'll easily be able to walk to downtown Blowing Rock. It also serves as a fantastic base from which to explore the rest of the local area. Boone is a quick drive to the north. Grandfather Mountain is just a few miles to the west along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Blowing Rock is an excellent place to setup shop for a few days in any season. Summer is the busiest month, but fall offers amazing colors and winter brings a calm and quiet to many parts of the mountains nearby.
One of the original resort communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Little Switzerland hugs the mountains north of Asheville. The Switzerland Inn is the premier hotel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It combines wonderful design, amazing mountain views, a fabulous spa, and "reasonable" prices all in one package. Of all the hotels on this list, I'd definitely recommend this one for a couples retreat all on its own, even if you aren't road tripping down the parkway.
For those who are making the entire journey on the Blue Ridge, Switzerland Inn is an awesome choice to explore the area between Linville Falls and Mount Mitchell. Everything is super accessible from Little Switzerland. It also helps to keep you away from some of the more major tourist towns like Asheville and Boone. When travelling along the Blue Ridge, I always feel like unless you absolutely want to stay in the biggest towns places like Little Switzerland and the Switzerland Inn are the best hotels to book a night.
The Sunset Motel just happens to be located in my favorite mountain town, Brevard, NC. While it isn't directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Brevard is the central point for visiting the Land of Waterfalls. There is no cooler place to stay when you're in town than the Sunset Motel. It's less than a mile from downtown Brevard and all of it's fantastic shops and restaurants. It'll also be the final stop you make on any Blue Ridge Parkway road trip until you get to the end in Cherokee.
The biggest reason I love the Sunset Motel though, is the old roadside motel feel. Of all the hotels on the Blue Ridge Parkway, this one by far invokes that idea of a place to get off the road after a long day of travelling. The motel definitely plays up these vibes as well. They've got an awesome neon sign, often have a vintage car out front, and the rooms all feature that old-school aesthetic. It might have been the last hotel on this list, but that's only because its on the best part of your Blue Ridge Parkway trip (in my humble opinion).
This obviously isn't an exhaustive list of Blue Ridge Parkway hotels. With so many options available beyond these, I also wanted to give you some tips to consider when choosing what hotels along the Blue Ridge Parkway to stay at.
The first trait I always consider is location. When you're road tripping down the Parkway, you don't want to go wandering off too far. Especially if you might be getting in late and driving in the dark isn't the best option with all the wonderful views around you. There are a plethora of hotels directly on the parkway or just a few minutes away. For me, the closer I can stay, the better, which is why many of the hotels on this list are located a stones throw from the parkway.
The second trait I looked for was independence. It's easy to find major brands nearby or not far off the parkway, but you can stay at these properties literally anywhere. Go ahead and take the chance to book a hotel that is independent of the big players. These smaller (often mom and pop) hotels will offer you a far more unique experience. You'll also have a chance to meet some pretty interesting individuals or even spend some time with other guests. Let the intimacy of smaller hotels make your journey a once-in-a-lifetime one.
Finally, I want to look for hotels that are simply different in some way. Most of the hotels on this list have some fun or interesting trait. Find a place that isn't like all the others and take a chance on it. Go ahead and spend a little more (or a lot less) for a hotel others might otherwise bypass. Take advantage of the extras a few of these hotels offer and truly immerse yourself in the journey. You'll be glad you did.
While this article is fully focused on the best hotels you can find on the Blue Ridge Parkway, these aren't the only options available. There are a huge number of campgrounds, cabins, rv parks, etc along the way. With all these different possibilities, you can combine them with your favorite hotels on this list to make every night different! When we did our trip down the parkway, we spent time camping in the back of our Subaru Forester, as well as a couple of hotel nights.
There is a huge array of great campgrounds on the Blue Ridge Parkway, both public and private. Fancy Gap Cabins and Campground is one great option. We also stayed at Explore Park near Roanoke, Julian Price Memorial Park, and Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area along the way. Each of these were fantastic places to spend the night. Campers and RVers will both be able to easily setup shop at any of these locations.
If you're looking for a roof every night but not necessarily a hotel, Vrbo is an awesome tool to find unique stays. Plenty of travelers use this service each year (including yours truly), and there are some fantastic stays you can find along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Consider staying at this amazing 1700s log cabin north of Roanoke; or maybe this cozy little cabin towards the end of your Blue Ridge trip!
A trip down the Blue Ridge is one of those "must do" road trips. Everyone really needs to do it at least once, so having a list of the best Blue Ridge Parkway hotels will set you up for success. However, beyond that you'll need to know what all to explore along the way as well. I've spent a lot of time in the Asheville area, and it's one of the best cities you'll visit during your trip. There are a bunch of great quick hikes near Asheville you should do. It's also known as Beer City. If that's your kind of thing then check out this amazing Asheville Brewery Tour!
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