The Omni Homestead Resort

We stayed at the Homestead for 3 nights. It’s a very old hotel, so don’t expect it to be modern (bathroom was small, etc). But it is lovely and comfortable. We got a massage at the spa. The spa was REALLY nice and our massages were fantastic. We also shot sporting clays. The course was great and it was fun, but it was expensive, especially considering we brought our guns and ammo. Fradi was a good trapper. The food was good in the Jefferson dining room, and OK at Woody’s. It’s pricey, but it’s a resort property, so that is to be expected. Great service at the hotel bar; speedy and bartenders remembered you and your drink preference, in spite of being super busy. The front porch is a fun place to hang out. The history tour about the hotel is daily at 10am and that was really good - we did it the day we were leaving and I wish we had done that the first day we arrived. I believe John was our tour guide, and he was excellent. The bellmen were terrific. There were 2 young ladies working the Concierge desk, and honestly, they were pretty clueless. No idea why they are working there. I booked our stay through AmEx, and my Omni membership number did not transfer over. I was told by the front desk that it was because I booked through a 3rd party. I ran IT for years, and this would be a very simple data mapping exercise between AmEx’s system and Omni’s system that would transfer this info & make the customer experience better. Seems lazy that no one has pursued that. There is an organized cascades hike that we did not do but others said it was very good. Overall, it was a really nice visit and I am glad we went to the Homestead. We would return.

Our stay at this Resort was to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Our reservation was made at the last minute due to unfortunate circumstances. Since we made the reservation on the day we arrived we did not expect much. But the staff and facility blew us away and we anticipate going back.

My husband and I made reservations last spring to celebrate our 30th anniversary at The Homestead from October 7-11. We reserved a studio suite/king bed with a nightly rate around $1,000 and were very much looking forward to our stay. Unfortunately, our experience at The Homestead was so dismal we came home a day early. Our disappointment began when we entered our room. Although the room was large, it had the luxury and ambience of a budget hotel. Three small pictures were dotted around the huge walls, the couch and pillows did not match the drapes and bedding, our view was of the black-top roof of the dining room below us. The furniture was worn with the finish either warped from moisture or chipped off completely. The bathroom was old and outdated, with a tub/shower combination featuring a mildewed shower curtain, sink faucets missing the cold-water tile and surrounded by pink algae, a light fixture with a burned-out bulb, and a hand towel rack coming off the wall. The room featured two televisions, but both came on when using the remote so if watching television in bed it was necessary to get out of bed and stand at just the perfect spot to avoid repeatedly turning the two TVs off and on. The two HVAC fans were so loud that we had to turn the system off each night or the fans woke us up when they came on. Thankfully, the nighttime temperatures did not dip below 49 so we survived without heat. And this was just the beginning. The service we received was also dismal. There was a large convention at the hotel, and there were not enough staff to support all the guests. In terms of housekeeping, there was a broken water glass in our room when we arrived and, although we placed it prominently on the corner of the desk, it was still there when we left three days later. After having our room cleaned the first day of our start, we had to make a call to the front desk to request that our toilet be cleaned because it was obvious it had not been. We also discovered small black particles in the tub after Housekeeping was in the room. One morning we had breakfast at Martha’s Market and shortly afterwards I became extremely ill and missed our scheduled spa treatments. Since my illness prevented us from having housekeeping services, we later requested clean towels and, because it was not replaced by housekeeping the day before, a plastic bag for our ice bucket. After waiting an hour, we placed another call to the front desk and then eventually my husband went to the front desk in person. The items arrived 30 minutes later. That same evening my husband ordered a Caesar salad from room service since I was not well enough to go to dinner. It took two phone calls and over an hour wait to receive the smallest salad we’d ever seen. We had a reservation for the e-bike tour but when we arrived onsite, we discovered that the bikes were motorized mountain bikes that were extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver – information not provided on your website – and so we had to cancel our ride. We were also disappointed that, although The Homestead website boasts of five or six restaurants, only two were open for dinner during our stay. We spoke with a manager before leaving the hotel and were given a discount for our room and the room charge was waived for leaving a day early. While we appreciate this, it is truly unconscionable that the Omni would allow anyone spending thousands of dollars to have this experience.

Having been to the Omni Bedford Springs multiple times, my expectations for this property were very high. From the minute we pulled in, my expectations were met or exceeded. The resort is stunning, and we happened to be there for Fall Festival weekend so it was popping. We never felt like we were lost in a sea of people; the property is so huge that you were never crowded. From the restaurants to the pool to the grounds, we enjoyed every moment. The highlight was our visit to the Warm Springs - what a relaxing experience. And the people that we met from all over the country were friendly and fun to talk with.

The resort's attention to detail is remarkable. All facilities were spotless and functioned perfectly, and the reliable high-speed Wi-Fi was an excellent bonus. Our Company event will be a meory that I'll never forget. The Homestead has been a special place for our family for almost 50 years and has never disappointed us.