The Greenbrier

Our family of 4 adults and 3 young adults stayed at the Colonnade House on a Sunday through Thursday in winter. Overall experience: fantastic, memorable, unique. I planned much of the trip off reviews, and want to give future guests a few tips: Planning: I booked dinner and activity reservations 3 months in advance. Tip: book outdoor events early in your stay so you can push later if poor weather. On your first call to the concierge, just ask what are all the available times for each activity that interests you. Meals: We chose a house so that we could be together in the evenings (puzzles and games!) but also so we could bring our own breakfast and lunch. Well worth it. We also ate one night at Gustard's in White Sulphur Spring which was excellent. Wine corkage at restaurants not allowed. Of the Main Dining Room, Prime 44 and the Forum, Prime 44 was everyone’s favorite. Tipping: Always review receipt and ask if gratuity was added. Dress codes are enforced! Getting around: Colonnade House was walkable everywhere, but we did use the shuttle some. There were areas around the campus with first come parking spaces, but it was off season. EV charger is Blink and requires a common adaptor for the Tesla. Valet parking and charging available. Shopping: There are shops on the lower level AND the casino level. Don’t miss Artist’s row, past the church and up the hill. Lewisburg is a 15-minute drive for more affordable shopping and antique stores. Tours: Indoor history tour was great and not a lot of walking. Bunker tour of course is a must. President’s museum and exterior tours are self-guided. Casino: we aren’t big gamblers, but it was fun to watch and play a few games of blackjack. Must be 21. Escape Room: the young adults enjoyed this more than the older ones. The game master, Caden, did a great job making it a fun, not frustrating, experience. Fairy Gnome Garden: Rebecca books separate from the hotel. The garden is a great keepsake. Lots of choices – live or fake plants, size, layout, and little creatures. Swimming, sauna: locker rooms are well stocked (except hair dryer). Pool kept 82-84 degrees. Air temp 75 degrees. Lifeguard on duty limits hours. Sauna was great. Ice skating: skates were adequate, kid-walkers provided. The rink is a good size and was very smooth. Beside the rink, there are benches with gas firepits for watchers. Bowling: first come first serve. If you are a professional bowler, you will dislike the age of the wooden lanes, but for amateurs, it is intimate and nostalgic. Arcade: located in the bowling area. Dozens of games for all ages. Falconry: mostly outdoors and includes a walk in the woods. Dress for the weather. Trap and Skeet shooting well set up. Rangemaster flexed instruction to novice shooters. Glass blowing: the artist schedule did not match the Greenbrier website or flyer. Ask the concierge to transfer to the studio and ask when the artist will be blowing glass during your stay. (for a fee you can make your own piece). Free things to do: Interior walking tour, president’s museum, morning coffee, tea and sweets at 4:15 pm, Cabaret 5 and 9 pm, Movies at 7 and 9 pm, Waltz and Champagne 10 pm, playground, church, glass-blowing, hiking trails. Colonnade house: kitchen had microwave, oven, stove, coffee maker, minimum but adequate pots and dishes. No kitchen stock (like salt and pepper, oil). No clothes washer. Parking spots right behind the house. Three bedrooms all have a private bath with jacuzzi tub. Working wood fireplace. Cost: yes, pricey, but cheaper than Disney or a cruise. Feedback to Greenbrier: invest in a phone app. Booking rooms, activities, dinners, shuttles, special events would save a lot of frustration and maximize your tour counts. An app could also help with parking, menus, and shop times. Using QR codes for check-in and payment could reduce fraud.

Very disappointing stay at the Greenbrier, very beautiful for Christmas but standing ankle deep in water while taking a shower and the sink filling halfway up while brushing your teeth and shaving rely disappointed. Plumbers were at our room 2 days in a row with the same issue. The last night they offered us another room but we did not want to pack up and move when we would have to repack in the morning and this was 30 minutes before our dinner reservation. Not a 5 Star stay!

My husband and I did a 3 night bus trip in early December to The Greenbriar. It is DEFINITELY worth a visit especially if you are in to history. The Dorothy Draper Decor is a refreshing assault on the senses! The vibrate colors are a throwback to a time before everything was some shade of gray, black and white! Given the carpeting and draperies it was delightful to sit in a large room and be able to enjoy conversation with all the ambient noise absorbed by the soft surfaces. We did the Bunker Tour where government was to shelter in event of nuclear attack. Fascinating how such a massive secret was pulled off in plain sight Fascinating! ! Breakfast in the main dining room was great and our diners in both the I Italian and steak restaurant were fabulous. The staff we dealt with were all friendly and top notch on service. Three days wee not enough to everything. We may have to go back again. And the Christmas decorations are not to be missed! The giant Christmas tree in the lobby which is actually made of stacked gifts for local charities is stunning in more ways than one. Bravo America’s resort!

We came to The Greenbrier on New Year’s Day 2026. The food/drinks were fantastic ;however, my spirits were crushed at the Casino(yes!! The casino). Apparently, you must be dressed to the nines to throw away money there. My husband was in a nice sweater and I was in a two piece set with sparkles as it was New Year’s Day. A fun day. The doorman felt it necessary to diss my outfit AFTER he had already turned us away for no jacket on my husband. I cried when I returned to our room. It’s a shame as we had high hopes in bringing two sides of our families back in July for our family reunion. Our visit was a recon visit of sorts. We are families of multiple drs and lawyers, yet he made me feel trashy. I can’t ,in good conscience recommend this resort to our family members as a good candidate for future visits.

I was at The Greenbrier in July. I just found the names in my purse of the lovely people who made my experience so enjoyable. Teresa Lowe in the Gourmet Shop was a 10 plus. She helped us fix a birthday gift box for a friend that turned out beautifully. She was so nice to work with and had so much patience. Hamza was so helpful in Draper’s restaurant. He is an amazing young man and very helpful. There was a lovely older lady at the afternoon tea that has been there for a very long time and she was delightful as usual. It is so nice to see her when we come back to the Greenbrier.