Journey to Hot Springs, Virginia where hidden deep in the Allegheny Mountains a Georgian-style resort rises majestically to greet guests with elegance, grace and tranquility.
By Alice Shapin
HQ 34 | WINTER 1999
Elegance, grace and high tea may be a thing of the past elsewhere, but not at The Homestead. Tucked away in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia, this Georgian-style resort rises majestically out of nowhere to greet guests just as it has since 1766, when the first Homestead opened its doors as a simple hostelry.
Today the hotel, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a perfect mix of modern-day facilities and by-gone-era tranquility. It offers activities for the whole family – three championship golf courses, a golf school, swimming, fly fishing, carriage rides, horseback riding, tennis, mountain biking, shooting sports, loads of children’s activities, a bowling alley, the finest in dining, a spa and hot springs.
The hot springs may have been the reason The Homestead was built in the first place. Legend has it that the 104-degree springs next to the hotel were discovered by a weary Indian messenger who stumbled upon them one dark cold evening. He took a drink of the waters and, discovering that they were warm, slept in them. The next morning he awoke rejuvenated and carried the message of the “Spring of Strength” to a council meeting. The natural hot springs have been bringing guests to The Homestead ever since. Today, visitors still travel to The Homestead to “take the cure” at the spa, the oldest European-style spa in America. While the spa was a big draw, the former owners, the Ingalls family, realized vacationers would want more. So besides the spa, they built tennis courts and a six-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course (1892).
Then in 1901, disaster struck. The hotel was destroyed by fire. In a remarkable show of determination, the current Homestead hotel was built and made operational the next year. The world-class hotel with its spectacular Great Hall has attracted the famous and powerful throughout the years. A total of 13 former presidents, beginning with William McKinley, and other notables such as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt stayed at The Homestead.
Although elegance and beauty have always prevailed, in the late 80s the 15,000-acre resort began to show its age. So after 102 years of ownership, in 1993 the Ingalls family sold The Homestead to the Dallas-based Club Resorts Inc.
Club Resorts is the nation’s largest privately held owner and operator of destination golf, ski and conference resorts, including Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Village of Pinehurst, N.C.); Barton Creek (Austin, Texas); Daufuskie Island Club & Resort (Daufuskie Island, S.C.) and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Beaupre, Quebec, Canada). Not a chain, the company is a collection of unique destinations with distinct personalities, offering a variety of recreational activities and amenities. With this expertise, Club Resorts knew exactly what was needed to return The Homestead to its glory days.
With golf being one of the biggest draws, Club Resorts sank $1 million into upgrading The Homestead Course as part of a multimillion-dollar restoration plan for the resort. The course redesign, which included new bunkers and tees, as well as the relocation of hole No. 18, was overseen by architect Rees Jones. One of the best additions is a new driving range and practice facility adjacent to the main building.
The 6,211 yard, par 72 Homestead Course boasts the oldest first tee in continuous use in America. And with its spectacular mountain views, it is hard to decide which to shoot with first, your club or your camera. The renowned Golf Advantage School is located here.
While The Homestead Course is beautiful, it’s The Cascades Course, winding through Virginia’s majestic Allegheny Mountains, that’s considered America’s premier mountain golf course. And it too has had some improvements. In consultation with the United States Golf Association, work has been completed on all existing tees and new forward tees.
The Lower Cascades Course is a Robert Trent Jones design. This 6,619 yard, par 72 layout features long tees, large greens, rolling fairways and the Cascade Stream. Major golf publications consistently rank these three award-winning courses at the top of their lists of resort courses to play. Conde Nast Traveler readers selected it No. 12 in the “50 Best Golf Resorts” of the world and No. 3 best in the continental United States. Truly a golfer’s paradise, these courses will keep bringing you back for more.
Sharing center stage with the golf is the resort’s 107-year-old European- style Spa which has just completed an extravagant and much anticipated renovation. The project started with the renovation of the fourth floor, including the Spa Salon, as well as a completely updated Fitness Center, Aerobics Studio and Cardiovascular Room. It continued with the world-famous Indoor Pool. Fed by the natural spring waters, the renovation included replacing the hand inlayed tile that surround it. Today the pool has been brought back to its original grandeur.
While aerobics and the salon are first class, guests have been flocking to the spa for the exceptional treatments – massages, steam baths, herbal and seaweed wraps, aroma therapy and hydrotherapy. The treatment rooms have been reconfigured and the historic mineral tubs have been rebuilt. A super luxurious setting is sure to renew the body and soul even before the pampering begins.
And while Club Resorts spared no expense in making improvements, it made sure to keep The Homestead’s deeply rooted traditions alive. The carpet in the Great Hall may have been replaced, but the custom of high tea (with piano player) still thrives, although there is no longer a quiet hush blanketing the Great Hall, nor must men wear jackets. Today it’s a blending of old world tradition with the 90s and beyond.
Perhaps the place where tradition is kept alive the most is with the staff. Step into the 600-seat Main Dining Room and be greeted by a Homestead institution – maitre d’ Woody Pettus. His beaming face has been at The Homestead for 43 years. Woody’s job is all about exceptional personal service, whether it’s meeting President Johnson or just giving that welcoming smile. Today Woody sees third generations returning. “I’ve made so many friends,” Woody says, “I’m truly blessed.” In the grand room, savor the ambience as well as the food. The resort’s executive chef for 35 years, Albert Schnarwyler, is in charge of the sumptuous meals. Enjoy the bountiful breakfast buffet – sweet rolls, scrambled eggs, home fries, omelets, french toast, fresh pineapple, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, luscious strawberries and on and on.
Afterwards, relax on the veranda. Sit back, breathe in the fresh mountain air and rock away all the tensions of modern life. Enjoy the ambience, the service, the grandeur. And be glad that The Homestead, like a fine red wine, has only gotten better with age.
