Hot Southern Hotel Openings to Watch for in 2026

’Tis the season for end-of-year forecasting and we’d be remiss if we didn’t turn our attention to Southern hotels. A recent travel trends report found that Gen Z and Millennial travelers are officially over the one-and-done hotel stay. Instead of parking it at a single property, they’re stitching together multi-stop itineraries to sample a destination or region from every possible angle. And good news for Southerners and those visiting: Next year is stacked with splashy openings begging to be added to a hop-around list. Here are seven we’ve got our eyes on.