The Southern Hotel

There are plenty of reasons to cross the 24-mile causeway across Lake Pontchartrain to the Northshore, but downtown Covington is surely high on the list. Oozing laid-back charm, this compact town and parish (county) seat of St. Tammany boasts a historic downtown dating back to 1813. With the reopening of the lovely Southern Hotel, Covington can now offer guests a first-class place to lay their heads. Art filled and dripping with cushy extras, this historic circa 1907 hotel was restored to its former glory and reopened in 2014. The Mission-style building, with its wide archways and lush center courtyard, offers a welcoming oasis to couples looking for a romantic retreat.