Rhode's Motor Lodge

Drive-up parking survives at this revamped motor lodge on the highway out of Boone, which a Raleigh hospitality group turned from a classic family motel into a boutique hotel without erasing the old bones. Rooms are cozy and freshened with custom furnishings and local artwork; upper-level ones have balconies, and many look out toward the Blue Ridge. A courtyard fire pit ringed with rocking chairs handles the evenings, and an on-site eatery covers comfort food.