The Omni Homestead Resort

We had a wonderful time staying at the Homestead, a beautiful and historic place. Our favorite part of our trip was the hike to see the Homestead's waterfalls in the gorge. It was fantastic--- thanks to our tour guide, Brian! He has a lifetime of knowledge about nature and a fun way of teaching. He had us all laughing and learning as we made our way on this breathtaking hike. Brian not only knows about the plants and animals you'll see, but also about the Homestead's history. I would recommend Brian's tour to anyone who would enjoy a beautiful, fun and educational hike in the woods. It's gorgeous and Brian is a gem!

We enjoyed our prior visit when it was an adult resort. This time we enjoyed the soak at the warm springs pool but were disappointed in the rest of the experience. We felt like we were staying at an overpriced holiday inn. It would have been more enjoyable if they made some time for adult only swimming at the outdoor pool. At the upscale restaurant kids were running around and they didn’t want to seat us at first because my husband was wearing dress shorts…. Kind of a mixed message. Also, they never mentioned a dress code when making the reservation. And we could not get into the restaurant we originally wanted at a reasonable time even though the restaurants were only about 20 to 25% full. Also, some of the staff seemed very inexperienced and mumbled when talking with us.

We absolutely love The Homestead, and visit the hotel annually with three children. It's immaculately clean and beautiful. And the staff will do just about anything to accommodte and make your stay even better. There's one caveat, especially for families planning to stay multiple nights. There are only a few affordable options for dining on site. Down the street, you will find a nice deli, a pricey restaurant, and a couple of other food spots, but basically your primary dining choices are at the resort. This time, those on-site restaurants were surprisingly understaffed, leading to long wait times, lack of open reservations, and kitchen problems and delays. Martha's Market, always a treat in the mornings, had unusually long lines. The breakfast buffet - the most amazing buffet you will ever find - was staffed by one lone chef at the waffle/omelet station, so again the lines were unusually long. The Audubon Dining Room and Jefferson's Restaurant are $$$. That leaves families with the less expensive options of Woody's, Pioneer Picnic, and the pool. We had trouble getting open tables at Woody's (we had to order it as take-out), and one night they literally ran out of chicken. Fortunately, the oven-fired pizzas there are very good. The Pioneer Picnic featured a Chipotle-style menu the nights we were there. The food at all three spots was ok, at best, and having to eat pizza and chicken tenders multiple times in a visit grew tiresome. We even investigated if we could order/Doordash food from any nearby restaurants, but there was nothing close that would deliver, as the concierge confirmed. For this reason, we always limit our trip to two nights - any more days in a row of eating at these same three spots would simply be too many.

The Omni Homestead is a beautiful and impressive resort. The history, grounds, atmosphere, and sheer size of the property make it a special place, and we really enjoyed experiencing it as a family. The pool was especially great with our kids. That said, for a resort of this caliber and price, we expected more consistency. Our original room had a beautiful view and balcony, but the window AC, windows that wouldn’t properly close, lack of adequate room-darkening, and a phone that didn’t work led us to request another room. My husband actually had to walk back to the front desk because getting help through messaging was taking too long. The new room worked better for our kids, but we lost the balcony, view, and some space, and both the AC and mini fridge were quite noisy. Service was also inconsistent. Housekeeping didn’t come sometimes , and we had to request clean towels here and there. Breakfast could be frustrating if you weren’t having the buffet. Sometimes it took a while for anyone to come over after we were seated, and then another long wait to have our order taken. Woody’s was similar. Even when there appeared to be plenty of empty tables, walking in without a reservation didn’t necessarily mean you would be seated. We were also disappointed to learn that takeout orders aren’t accepted after 6 p.m., which is especially inconvenient when traveling with young children. The food overall was fine, but nothing particularly memorable, especially considering the prices. Also, be prepared for how isolated the resort is. There really isn’t much around. No pharmacy, shops, or many alternatives nearby. I was excited to explore the cute little village, but unfortunately it felt more like a ghost town. There is still something very special about The Homestead, and we’re glad we experienced it. We made some nice family memories, but overall, it’s probably not a resort we would choose to return to. With better attention to room maintenance, service, and dining, the overall experience could better match the beauty, reputation, and price of the resort.

This hotel was less than impressive for the cost. We stayed here for a wedding which was great but everything about the hotel was disappointing. The rooms are tired and dingey, and the spa was nothing special either. I got a manicure at the spa because I hadn't had time prior to the trip to get one. I didn't look at the price ahead of time and it ended up being $200. For just a regular manicure that was nothing special at all and chipped the next day. Overall very disappointing