Epic Sleeps: The Most Unique Places to Stay in Arkansas
Choosing where to stay on vacation in Arkansas is just as much fun as deciding where to go and what to do. Sleep in a missile silo. Wake up inside a cave. Gaze at the stars from a planetarium treehouse. Hear the lions chuff outside a safari tent. Brave the ghost tales of a haunted hotel. Sleep like royalty inside a castle.
Whether you want a plush nest above the forest, luxury wrapped inside ornate walls, or a basecamp that ditches walls for wilderness, Arkansas has places you didn’t even know you were looking for.
Caves, Castles and Underground Bunkers
Distinctive places to stay range from peculiar to remarkable. Beckham Creek Cave Lodge in Parthenon turns the natural architecture of a living cavern into a 5,800-square-foot retreat complete with luxury furnishings and cathedral-like stone walls. Beyond the cave mouth lies the Ozark National Forest, rivers, hiking and biking trails and fishing holes.
In Eureka Springs, step through a wooden door into a hillside to spend the night in a Hobbit Cave, lined with rock walls and mood lighting. Or, live out your royal dreams with stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, a turret art gallery, grand common spaces, a large outdoor fire pit and 52 wooded acres at the contemporary Stonehaven Castle.
Not many folks can say they’ve stayed in a decommissioned nuclear missile silo, but you can when you book the Titan Ranch missile complex in Vilonia. Step inside this Cold War relic that’s 35 feet underground for a bunker-chic experience with all the comforts of home and a history lesson.
Treehouses with a Twist: Elevated Retreats
If underground isn’t for you, head to Springdale’s planetarium treehouse, featuring a geodesic dome as the main living area, a clear dome ceiling in the observatory tower for constellation viewing, telescopes, LED lights, and a wraparound porch and upper balcony with lake views.
Several treehouses, each with a unique twist, can be found throughout The Natural State. The Whitetail & Pine in Fayetteville perches 25 feet above Goose Creek and features soaker tubs, a wood-burning stove, and a wood-fired cedar hot tub on a private deck. In Arkadelphia, the jungle-themed Toucan Treehouse evokes a whimsical vibe with jungle gardens, waterfalls and nature trails leading to “pirate ships” and “lost temples.”
In the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs is home to In the Trees, where elevated cabins come with hot tubs, hammock nooks and access to top-notch mountain bike trails that start at your front door. In Clarksville, Roxy Ridge Cabin 3 features an open floor plan and outdoor seating with a fire pit. From the large windows, balcony and tree-hugging lookout tower, the Ozarks spill out in all directions, showing off layered ridge lines, hardwood forest and sky for miles.
Haunted Grandeur and Historic Icons
If you prefer a life of grandeur, The Empress of Little Rock is a gothic Queen Anne-style mansion turned luxury inn offering a glimpse of the Gilded Age in its stately suites and period-perfect details. It was completed using only Arkansas materials in 1888. Also in Little Rock, the Capital Hotel has been an elegant downtown fixture for more than a century.
A grand stroll down Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs leads visitors to The Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa, commanding a legendary social scene since 1875. People flock to the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs for beautiful Victorian architecture, luxury spa experiences, panoramic mountain views, scenic gardens, a storied past, and ghosts. Delta charm drives the mood at The Edwardian Inn in Helena-West Helena, a 1904 mansion that has hosted former U.S. presidents and governors.
Floating Dreams: Houseboats and Riverfront Hideaways
Basecamps for outdoor adventure are scattered across the state’s mountains, lakes and forests.
Drift off to sleep in a houseboat or floating cabin on an Arkansas waterway. With more than 600,000 acres of lakes, The Natural State has water options galore as well as numerous marinas with houseboat rentals. Or book Little House on the River in North Little Rock and enjoy relaxing sunrises and sunsets reflecting on the Arkansas River from the front deck of your floating home.
Longbow Resort, which Southern Living magazine labeled "the most beautiful spot this side of Eden,” spans two square miles in Prim and is home to four distinct cabins embracing waterfalls, mountain streams, towering cliffs and vista views.
Join the glamping scene where nature and comfort meet at the Wilson Wilderness tipi campground in Mountain View and the elegant yurts of StoneWind Retreat in Chester.
Wild Nights: Safari Stays, Farm Escapes and Jailhouses
Try a working farm stay at Dogwood Hills Guest Farm in Harriet, where a stay in the guesthouse comes with an invitation to milk goats, gather eggs and other farmhand chores. Or, go for the wild sounds of Africa at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs. The roars and chuffing of the Big Cats create a lullaby for the refuge’s Zulu Safari Lodge, glamping tents and treehouse. At Historic Washington State Park in Washington, check into the old jailhouse for a notable night that’s much more comfortable today than it was in 1873.
Arkansas hospitality goes far beyond the usual hotel experience. So if you want more than four walls and a comforter, Arkansas is where you can expect the unexpected. Click here to see more lodging options.
