The Greenbrier

Great outdoor experience off-roading!

As you can tell from my past reviews of the Greenbriar and other grand dame hotels and resorts, my family loves these places — including the Greenbriar. I had business in WV in July and passed close to the Greenbriar on the way to my destination so my wife, daughter and I stopped in to have lunch at Drapers and walk the property. Lunch was fine, but a bit diminished in service and food quality since our last stay due to less-experienced international staff. I am used to paying Greenbriar prices at the places we frequent and would be happy to pay even more if more of our WV friends were on staff again. My principal observation was how thinly staffed and empty the entire property felt. We visited the pool, golf club, tennis facility and thoroughly strolled the public spaces. This was peak social season and most venues were either closed or empty. The pool shop is not operating. The hotel shops have a barren look — such as 2 or 3 garments hanging where you would normally find 20 - 30. The souvenir shop and golf shop had limited stocks of inexpensive tee shirts and similar items, compared to the prosperous swag of the past. Resorts have their cycles and it is clear the Greenbriar is off the peak and in the valley. We will be back for another resort stay, but I am going to first see if Jim can work some deals with his new NY partners to restore things. I have seen OMNI do a great job turning around and operating historic properties, so I would definitely return if they are involved. Good luck Jim. I am rooting for your success.

Had booked a tour of the bunker at the Greenbrier. While waiting on the tour we wandered around this magnificent resort. They have everything you could imagine, a beautiful place. Also, the people that work there are very polite and professional. If we had realized in time we would have spent our anniversary weekend there. Great Place.

Start with the positives…food is excellent. Staff is extremely friendly. Our room was so subpar. The bed was hard as a rock, but they did bring us mattress pads which helped some. The mini bar was empty, but there was a price list on top of the empty fridge. The rug was dirty. Wallpaper was peeling. Some rooms had robes and some didn't (ours being one without). Only one elevator was working in the West Virginia wing. But the worst part was how dirty the hallways and elevator were. Clearly had not been vacuumed in a LONG time. There were sunflower seed shells that I’m assuming someone had spit out in the elevator the whole time we were there. There was pizza crust in the hallway that sat there for days. NO attention to details. To preserve a space, you must care for it! I actually spoke to a manager who was very nice and took notes, but we never saw anyone vacuum or clean up. She also did absolutely NOTHING to rectify the situation. I personally would have grabbed a vacuum and taken care of it myself if I was the manager. The resort is in terrible disrepair. Not sure why you would consider this a luxury resort. Nothing close! It’s actually really sad. They appear to be very short staffed. Most resorts have staff everywhere picking up and cleaning constantly - not here! They should have let the Omni buy it and maybe they could have restored to what it once was - a true luxury resort. Go to The Homestead!

We have stayed at The Greenbrier numerous times over the past 10+ years and have always enjoyed our time at the resort. The building is nicely maintained and the ground are very pretty. Unfortunately, the product being delivered is not up to past standards. We reserved a Draper Suite, which is actually more of a large hotel room rather than a suite. It was spacious and nicely decorated. The bathroom was large and had a door dividing the two sinks. We noticed some wear and tear on the furniture and some of the soft pieces weren't very comfortable. We also noticed some gaps between some pieces of wallpaper, indicating sloppy application. Daily housekeeping is provided there there isn't a turn down service. There was a mini bar with ridiculous prices that didn't even chill very well. We visited with the intention of spending a couple of nice September days lounging by the pool. The weather was great and at this time of the year, the pools aren't over run with children. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were told that the pool is only open in Friday and Saturday in September. This is inexcusable for a resort at this price point. In my view, it should be open every day that the weather allows, particularly in September, which is still summer. I could have stayed at a Hampton inn and found the pool open. More importantly, the pool at the Homestead, the direct competition to The Greenbrier, is open almost all year. Whoever made the decision to limit pool hours has no business working at a resort. There is an indoor pool (it's nice) but that's not the same. When we stay at resorts, using the outdoor pool is generally a primary activity. There really isn't much reason for us to return to The Greenbrier.