The Omni Homestead Resort

We were looking forward to a quick family getaway after the 4th of July and came away with a mix of great memories and significant disappointments. The highlight of our stay was, without question, the pool complex. Our kids absolutely loved the waterslides and lazy river, and we spent much of our time there. We also enjoyed the complimentary lawn activities and walking around the beautiful property. The grounds are stunning, and there are plenty of opportunities to create special family memories. Unfortunately, our experience started with frustration. After a long day of travel, we arrived hungry and eager to settle into our room. We waited what felt like an unreasonable amount of time for our luggage, only to have someone else’s bags delivered to our room. We then had to help resolve the mix-up and retrieve our own luggage. It was a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but not the first impression we expected from a luxury resort. The room itself was beautifully designed and decorated. However, the first thing we noticed upon entering was a strong musty odor. We had clearly communicated in advance that we would be traveling with three children and were assured that accommodations would be available for all five of us to sleep comfortably. When bedtime arrived, we called for the promised rollaway bed. After several attempts to reach someone, we were informed that all rollaway beds had already been claimed for the evening. As a result, our family had to squeeze into the existing beds, making for a very uncomfortable first night. To make matters worse, the air conditioning unit was extremely loud throughout the night. Our room was located at the end of the hallway directly beside a storage room where linens, pillows, robes, and other supplies were kept. The door to this room remained open throughout our stay, exposing what appeared to be a damp, poorly maintained storage area with items stacked directly on the floor. This did not align with the luxury experience we expected. We also found multiple insect shells in both the room and bedding area, which only added to our concerns about cleanliness. At times, I found myself joking that we were “camping indoors” just to push through and focus on making family memories. Thankfully, the kids were having fun, which helped us make the most of the weekend. One recurring theme throughout our stay was a lack of attention to maintenance and cleanliness. The resort has clearly benefited from a major renovation, and the design is beautiful. However, the day-to-day upkeep does not seem to match the investment that has been made in the property. Martha’s Market, for example, was charming and beautifully decorated, but consistently felt neglected. Breakfast trash was frequently left behind, food crumbs remained on tables and floors, and many surfaces felt sticky. Throughout the weekend, it often seemed as though basic cleaning and upkeep were being overlooked. Another issue that became increasingly apparent was staffing. While every employee we interacted with was polite and doing their best, the resort appeared significantly understaffed for the number of guests on property. Given that this was immediately after a busy Fourth of July holiday weekend, many employees seemed stretched thin and exhausted. Long waits, communication breakdowns, delayed service, and missed details felt less like individual mistakes and more like the result of a team that simply did not have the resources needed to operate a resort of this size at the level guests are paying for. Communication with the front desk was another challenge. Simple requests were difficult to resolve, and there seemed to be a disconnect between what was promised and what was actually delivered. For a resort that charges premium rates, the level of service fell short of expectations. Because many of the paid activities are quite expensive for a family of five, we focused on taking advantage of the complimentary offerings. Fortunately, the pool, grounds, and family time together allowed us to create some wonderful memories despite the frustrations. Our final experience unfortunately summed up the stay. We paid an additional fee for a late checkout so the kids could enjoy one last swim. When we returned to our room cold and wet from the pool, we discovered that our keys had already been deactivated and we were locked out. After calling the front desk, the solution offered was for us to come down and get new keys ourselves. The Omni Homestead is undeniably beautiful at first glance. The architecture, recent renovations, grounds, and pool complex are impressive. However, beneath the surface, we experienced repeated issues with cleanliness, maintenance, communication, and guest service. We still made wonderful family memories, but those memories were created despite the resort experience rather than because of it. I left feeling that the biggest issue is not the renovation itself, but the lack of attention to detail and the apparent shortage of staff needed to properly maintain and operate such a historic property. Until there is greater investment in daily upkeep, communication, and guest service, our family will likely choose to vacation elsewhere. The kids loved it! Parents had concerns.

The Omni Homestead is a Beautiful and family friendly resort. The hotel is charming and elegant but comfortable and relaxing. The grounds are beautiful, the pools are great and there are many options for fun things to do. The food options are limited and expensive, but the staff couldn't be nicer. We have been several times and is a favorite place to vacation for my family.

Our recent trip to The Homestead ended up being excellent thanks to the on-site staff. Our trip started rough due to a mix-up with incorrect expectations set by the Omni central reservations line. We were traveling with three young kids so any mix-ups are very stressful. Audrey and Putra completely saved our vacation. They stepped in and were able to go above and beyond to make things right. They turned a stressful first night into an exceptional trip. Beyond the fantastic service, the resort itself was wonderful. Our favorite part is the water park. We have three kids ages 6 and under, and there is truly something for everyone. The water slides are a massive hit for our oldest, everyone loved the lazy river and the big pool, and the splash pad provides a perfect, safe spot, where we could relax while the kids played. It is a beautiful, historic, and incredibly special place. We can’t wait to go back.

We stayed here July 3rd through 6th for a family holiday weekend and spent over $7,000 across the room, dining, and activities. I expected a luxury stay. What we got was a broken HVAC system, a serious privacy violation, a stolen toy, and a billing department that couldn't get its own math right. The AC never worked. In either room. We opened the door to our suite and hit a wall of heat. 80 degrees, AC completely dead. Several technicians came up, worked on it, and eventually admitted they couldn't fix it. Management moved us to a second suite. We'd been out swimming all day and were wiped out, but we repacked everything and hauled it to the new room anyway. The second suite was no better. Only one of the climate zones actually worked. Four more techs came up. Same result, they couldn't fix it. I want to be clear that the HVAC guys were great. Polite, genuinely trying, and they clearly did everything they could with equipment that was beyond saving. But after all the back-and-forth with the front desk, the resort's big "luxury" fix was to hand us three tower fans. We slept two nights of a $7,000 vacation in a hot room with fans blasting just to make it bearable. I also had to ask three separate times for a cot so my wife could at least sleep in the one part of the suite that had working air conditioning. Three requests, for a cot, in a premium suite. Stolen toy and someone walking in on my daughter My daughter's Jellycat doll was taken off the luggage racks. Their staging area is wide open, so anyone can walk up and lift something without being noticed. The HVAC techs even helped us look for it. It never turned up, and she still cries for it every night. Worse than that: a staff member walked straight into our suite without knocking hard enough or waiting for an answer. My daughter was undressed at the time. Walking into a guest room without a clear response is a real security and privacy failure, and it's not something I can shrug off. Basic service was a struggle too. I asked for four pool towels more than once. Every time, housekeeping showed up with two, and I had to call again and wait. Dining: good people, no backup Our waitress at Jefferson's was clearly a pro. She was also completely on her own, running herself ragged doing everything including clearing our own table between courses. Great employee, no support around her. That was the pattern everywhere. The billing was a mess Because of the AC, management comped our first night, which was the right call, and promised another $1,000 credit for the trouble. At checkout that credit had been entered wrong, so instead of coming off my bill it cancelled itself out and left me showing a balance I didn't owe. They eventually forced it to correct, but I walked away with two separate invoices showing two different totals. When a resort at this price needs the guest to catch its billing errors, it makes me wonder what else is slipping through. Credit where it's due The 4th of July itself was excellent. The fireworks were great, and the holiday cookout was genuinely good. At $1,000 for 10 people it felt like fair value, which is more than I can say for the room. Here's the thing that ties this whole stay together: the individual people were good. The HVAC techs, the waitress, the housekeeping staff who did show up. The problem is there seem to be too many people here who don't know the business. Good employees with no training, no support, and no communication between them, all working for a place that couldn't deliver on the basics we paid a premium for. A good fireworks show doesn't fix a broken stay. After a parade of technicians in and out of our room, a privacy violation, a stolen toy, and two nights sweating in front of tower fans, the hotel's offer to make it right was 300 loyalty points. Three hundred points on a $7,000 stay in a room that didn't work isn't compensation. It's an insult. Pros: The 4th of July cookout, the fireworks, the hardworking HVAC techs, and our veteran waitress at Jefferson's. Cons: Broken AC units, insecure luggage staging resulting in stolen items, zero communication between staff, privacy violations, and a broken billing department.

We have been to the Homestead 5 times in the past 7 years. The last couple of visits were disappointing: closed restaurants, cancelled activities, water park out of order, minimal staffing. This visit, however, showcased The Homestead in its glory. Everything was executed perfectly. Our family of 9 occupied 3 adjacent rooms over the July 4 holiday weekend, all of which were nicely remodeled and comfortable. From check-in to check-out, everything was flawless. The place was packed with happy families. The water park is the Homestead’s crown jewel, and our grandchildren spent 3 joyous days there. The food and beverage offerings at the water park are reasonably priced and delicious. The water park staff were all pleasant and efficient, even though the place was a madhouse of activity. The restaurant situation was excellent. We had dinner at Woody’s and Jefferson’s; excellent food and excellent service. We attended the July 4 barbecue on the lawn, which was TONS of fun, followed by the traditional “Big Band” concert and the AMAZING fireworks display. I forgot to mention 2 other activities: •the ladies in our group loved the spa •our grandkids had a great time riding the horses at the stable. One more thing: don’t miss the breakfast buffet; it is awesome! By check-out time, we were all exhausted (in a good way)! We all had a wonderful time! The Homestead showed us a great time! We will be back FOR SURE!!