The Greenbrier

My daughter, granddaughter and I just spent 4 days at this wonderful resort. I can't think of on criticism! I was a little apprehensive to bring a 5 year old to such an exclusive resort but she loved ever thing about it and we always felt she was being welcomed! The staff is amazingly friendly and sweet. The outdoor pool was perfect for a 5 year old and she loved the indirect pool, movie theater and children's camp. We also took a carriage ride and our driver Darrell was very inforamative. The bunker tour was fine too but would never take a child on it. Luckily, the children's camp was at the same time. Food in every restaurant was very good! Highly recommend!

This resort is stunning. The grounds are fabulous, the hotel itself is gorgeous, and the amenities are great. The staff really make it what it is-they're pleasant, cheerful, and accommodating. However, I did have a few issues with my stay. Most importantly, there MUST MUST be an adults-only pool or at least adults-only hours in the pools. (The Homestead Resort in Virginia has adults-only policy for the first and last hour of the pool being open, for example.) This isn't a family friendly resort with water parks and pizza stores, but a "romantic" and quiet retreat. As it is the pools hours are limited (I'll get to that soon) and so there absolutely needs to be time when adults can enjoy themselves without having kids splashing around and shrieking. I don't understand why a hotel of this caliber doesn't get this. On another note, I'm more of a night person, and at 7 PM things are just starting up for me. Problem is, that's when they close the outdoor pool and the gym. The indoor pool closes at 8, which isn't much better. I wish they kept the pools and gym open longer, like 7-10 or even 24/7, as many nice places do already. (Keeping the pools open longer would also alleviate the issue with the kids as at 8 AM and 9 PM you probably wouldn't find many of them there.) I opted for self parking and it wasn't easy finding a spot on the grounds. (I wanted access to my car and so didn't want to park down the road and have to rely on the shuttle.) Spots were really limited and I think they could do better. I know it's not easy because it's a historic property and most of the available space is taken but they should try to think of something. My room was overlooking a roof and so I wasn't too thrilled with the view but the room itself was very nice-spacious, well decorated, etc. The service can be a bit slow at times but most of the staff were a pleasure. Finally, concerning the bunker tour-I thought it was really interesting and well worth the money. However, it bothered me that the hotel leased out much of the space to a cybersecurity firm which occupies much of the bunker. It would be much much better if it could be preserved in its original form with the furniture etc. Also, because of the presence of the cybersecurity firm, they don't allow phones or cameras in. It really diminishes from the authenticity of experience a lot. I get that they want to make money off it but preserving it would've made it so much better. I would've paid more to go if it was preserved in its original form. After all the negatives are said and done I really enjoyed and would love to come back (though perhaps only in "shoulder season"). It really is a fantastic place and deserving of its reputation. I still would like the management to focus on and correct the my issues, though.

We checked into the Greenbriar and stayed a couple nights. The Hotel looks presidential and the rooms are beautiful. The staff are helpful and pleasant but move in slow motion. A big problem is the long lines for coffee in the mornings and afternoon tea. Several people complained about this. I must say this is pretty low class and not representative of a luxury resort setting. People do not want to feel like the are on a low level cruise ship. It would be best to let people serve themselves. The casino was very small and less than 10 people were gambling no matter what time of day/night. In fact there were more employees in the casino than guests. Some employees chatted with each other so long and loud it was getting pretty distracting. Some security employees standing at the door of the casino were far too stern and a bit intimidating. Anyway, bring your walking shoes because you will undoubtedly walk a long time and get lost trying to find places since there are no signs directing you to stairs, elevators, restaurants, bathrooms etc.

Last minute we decided to go to GreenBrier. My kids, 20 and 22 loved it. We had a nice cottage we all stayed in and it was cozy, but doable for 4. My kids slept on the pull out couch and cot in the living room. We played tennis, golf, fly fished and shot sporting clays. The last was everyone's favorite. Even thou some of us had been shooting for years, the guide's knowledge was so extensive I think we all learned something. Fly fishing was a bit of a downer as the river was very low. Over all the place is pricey, but with so many activities, it is a great place to escape. 44 West was the best meal and service of where we ate. It was the highlight and we saw "The Logo" walk in for dinner. The food at the Asian restaurant was delicious, but it is in the Casino and that creates problems with minors. Draper's had terrible food and service, I had heard good things, but it was terrible. The Forum had excellent pizza. The PGA was playing there that week so all we could get on was The Meadows and they only had 10 holes open. Generally speaking, the place has southern hospitality, which is refreshing if you live north of the Mason Dixon line.

I have not been to the Greenbrier for some time and was somewhat fearful of the changes may have occurred. Hike there were changes the experience was awesome. The spa treatment has not changed at all and is the best I have had. The outdoor pool and all the dining venues have wonderful food. If you go to Draper's you ha e to ha e a banana split. You won't be disappointed