The Greenbrier

My husband and I stayed at The Greenbrier for the first time and we really enjoyed ourselves. A beautiful and colorful historic property. We stayed in one of the Gable Rooms and we were told that those rooms were the smallest rooms at the resort. Room 3221 was by no means small! There was a king size bed, end tables, 2 over stuffed chairs with a table and lamp in between. There was also writing desk, and a huge walk in closet! The bathroom was small. A low toilet and a pedestal sink. Difficult for laying out your toiletries. You MUST make reservations if you want to eat at any of their restaurants. We ate dinner at the Forum which was very nice. We had the Veal Marcella and Veal Parmesan. Both were good, but not outstanding. We experienced exceptional customer service during our stay. From the front desk, valet, bellmen, maintenance, restaurant servers, bar tenders and tour guides.

In my first review I said that on our next east coast swing we would visit again and we did, staying here 2 nights though I would have preferred 3. After settling into our room we headed for the casino before dinner. It was kind of quiet, which was fine. The casino area is on the small side which creates a certain intimacy. There's a fair number of slots and several gaming tables. After dinner in the Main Dining Room we returned to the casino and for once came out significantly ahead!! The next day we took in the beauty of the grounds, the shops and enjoyed the swimming pool plus an excellent lunch. Overall, while the resort is an historic property it is aging despite aggressive upkeep and maintenance. The cushions on the two arm chairs in our room were soiled enough on both sides that we put bath towels down to sit on them. The carpeting has wear and tear, just showing its age I guess. It's still a fabulous place to spend some time and on our next east coast swing we'll do it again.

The courtesy of the staff, room and facility are top notch. We felt very welcome and were thoroughly impressed by the entire place. However, we took the time and effort to go to the main dining room because it is acclaimed as being one of the finest restaurants in the world. It was a "dress up" occasion and we were very excited about the experience. Boy were we ever disappointed! I am not a complainer but I had no choice because the dinner totaled over $300! The food was extremely over cooked and tough. There was a piano player for entertainment who seemed very uninterested in do that very thing. He would play a song and a half or so and then walk away. The room was so loud so even if he played more, it would have not been able to be enjoyed because of the noise. Go to the facility, skip the dining.

Our Greenbrier trip was an experience like none other. I was hesitant, because there are several of these grand hotels that just have not aged as gracefully as this one. She is a true American GEM! We were there for our anniversary and every detail was amazing. I can not wait to return with my children. The hotel/grounds is pure eye candy and I just could not get enough. There are tons of activities for all ages. Pros: Unique rooms, Gorgeous common/public spaces, activities galore, vast history, great food. The sommelier, Austin, is a wealth of knowledge and we had a great time picking his brain. Cons: Website really does not do it justice. This is a fine hotel with noticeable age lines. This did not bother me at all, as it just added to the ambiance. I know others like brand new - in that case this may not be your style of hotel. Go and enjoy all The Greenbrier has to offer, soak it in!

We love returning each fall. We always book a traditional room and it never disappoints with the décor, HVAC and amenities. The slow tub drain was fixed promptly and the housekeeping staff was lovely. We rented mountain bikes from the outdoor facility and got a great perspective of the neighborhoods and golf courses. Our Prime 44 Chef's table on Friday night was superb. The manager and staff always makes it a point to do a walkthrough and check on our experience. JJ's sport lounge was great for Saturday afternoon football and we had 6 different games on. The one server even got my wife a blanket when the AC kicked on. Above and beyond once again. Charlotte, our favorite server at Prime 44 even sent down a gift to one of our friends during Saturday dinner at the Forum. The casino is always very classy and we won at Roulette again. See you all this spring!