The Greenbrier

My family and I booked our first stay over 4th of July weekend. As the trip approached, my sister saw the recent negative reviews and made me aware, so we were nervous that it was not going to be a good trip, but we decided to come anyway. My husband and I and our two daughters (ages 14 and 11) traveled with my parents that are in their early 70s and my 2 sisters and their husbands and their kids (5 kiddos ranging in ages from 2 to 7). I am SO glad we did not let the negative reviews scare us off. We had an absolutely amazing time, with the caveat that we wished we knew then (when we were planning) what we know now (after our stay). I would equate the learning curve to a little bit Disney World-like in that you really need reservations for most everything, and so you have to plan ahead, which we did not really know to do. However, we will be much better prepared next time. The key is to make reservations for dining early - especially if you have a large party, which we did. One of the best things about the Greenbrier is that it feels incredibly luxurious, but it is completely family friendly like how a country club is. Even the most exclusive restaurants have kids menus, so you know that they are welcome. The crowning jewel of our trip was the outdoor pool. Make sure you make reservations in advance! We did about 2 weeks in advance, and by that point reservations were almost full (again, pre-planning is key). The pool is absolutely gorgeous and thanks to the reservations, it is never overly crowded. And the food and drink service around the pool was amazing. Some of us did the Bunker Tour, which we loved. I would not really recommend it for anyone 10 or under, but my girls (14 and 11) really enjoyed it, only getting a little bored the last 15 minutes (it’s about an hour and a half). There is a lot of walking, but it was slow moving and definitely not strenuous. There was even a man using a cane on the tour, and he did just fine. The best dinner we had was at Prime 44. I could only get reservations for 6 people, so my immediate family dined with my parents. Everyone agreed it was the best steak they ever had, and the lobster mashed potatoes were one of the best things I have ever tasted in my life. And the Caesar salad made table side is absolutely not to be missed. All in all, it was an absolutely wonderful trip, and we plan to come back every summer.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! $2000+ worth of items STOLEN!!! This place is an absolute scam. I have been here on multiple occasions but on this specific incident I was there for New Years for a family reunion. Besides the actual hotel which I’ll mention below, my camera and car keys were stolen. I foolishly trusted the staff and left my keys and camera in the safe unlocked for my stay, when I left I accidentally left them in the unlocked safe. It took me a-couple days to notice but when I did and called, I was happy to find out that no one had been put in the room after me so besides the housekeeper who cleaned the room after I left, no one had entered the room. Unfortunately, my items were missing. Leaving your items behind is one thing and I admit fault for that, what I cannot believe is how the staff handled the incident. It took a week of calling multiple times a day and still, nothing was ever done. The head of housekeeping, head of security, AND the director of rooms have absolutely no communication skills, no interest in customers issues, and once again from working in the business, have absolutely no place working in this industry. The worst part was, once again no one had entered my room, besides one person after I left. You would think this would be case closed. In terms of communication skills, I had to be calling twice a day to get someone to pay attention to the case. The head of security and head of housekeeping never told their team about the issue which led to miscommunication every time I called. It wasn’t until the fourth day until the director of rooms finally got involved and even then was no help. The most frustrating part was it was clear exactly who had taken my items, AS ONLY ONE PERSON ENTERED MY ROOM AFTER I LEFT. Instead, I was gaslit multiple times into thinking I just somehow lost my keys another way for example “ How did you drive away if you don’t have your keys” ….. my mother drove me. “ We’re gonna check security footage to see if you dropped your keys on the way to the car. What car do you drive” A POINTLESS AND INFURIATING week of no help, no answers, and no compensation. I was never given the name of the housekeeper, and I was told she was on vacation for some of the time I was calling but when they finally got ahold of her, it was a he said situation and she claimed she never saw them. I eventually had to tow my car as it was new and I did not have a backup set of keys, get a new set of keys, and replace my camera as I use it for my school job resulting in over $2,000 out of pocket. I chose to wait a couple months to write this as I called the other day to see if any car keys had been anonymously turned in only to realize that my items had never even been filed correctly…. All I was given was because I left the safe unlocked, it was not their responsibility. This was the most disappointing and infuriating incident I’ve ever had to deal with in my entire life. Once again, the director of rooms, head of security, head of housekeeping, should not be in their positions of power when they do not care about their customers AT ALL. Not to mention the old rooms and bathrooms that don’t drain, there is a tax added to everything including a cup of coffee, chips, or a soda for a historic tax….and yet 1 of the 2 main elevators was broken the ENTIRE week we were there, it was horrible and working in the hospitality field before fixing an elevator takes a day, not a week. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND DO NOT GO HERE! My family who booked out 10+ rooms for our reunion and planned to come back will NEVER be back. Shame on you Greenbrier!

We were most disappointed in this resort and expected so much more after everything we had read. Pros: Mostly friendly staff Excellent bunker tour and carriage ride tour Free coffee in the morning Nice casino. Need a sportscoat but they will lend you one. Cons: Rude concierge Reservations needed for outside pool which we could never obtain even though we tried the moment we checked in. Horrific housekeeping-1st day at check-in-clogged bathtub drain and the hot and cold were reversed in the shower/tub with no warning 2nd day-no hand towels, dirty water glasses were never replaced, as well as no toiletries, hair strands in bed that were not mine, and the tub was never cleaned from the day prior Everything is taxed about 10% (for the hotel preservation) in addition to the sales tax of 6%. Indoor pool although very large had only 6 lounge chairs in the whole area Food prices are way overpriced.

We spent $2500 for two nights for a room over the 4th of July weekend. It was non refundable, 14 days before arriving. About a week before we arrived they let us know the outdoor resort pool required reservations and they were full for the weekend. It was too late to cancel our reservation and go to another resort. When we arrived the carpets in our suite and the couch was so dirty we told the kids to wear socks while walking around. Their socks became filthy. We mentioned it to house keeping and they sent someone into shampoo some of the stains and dirt out of the carpet. Not all the stains came out, but it was much cleaner. Surprised they let it get so bad? The concierge and staff were unapologetic about us not being able to gain access to the resort pool. It seems the Greenbrier homeowners were notified about the reservation system and made reservations to use the pool weeks in advance for the weekend and the summer and once it is full the hotel guests are unable to get access. The pool reservation system goes all summer long. The hotel was only at 60% capacity. The hotel needs much needed maintenance. Ripped upholstery was notable in the common areas and theatres, peeling paint and filthy carpets everywhere else. The hotel furniture was pretty banged up in our room and throughout. The grounds were absolutely beautiful. I’ve stayed at motels with cleaner rooms and better upkeep. This could have been a much better experience. Clearly the hotel is in decay, which is sad because it’s in a beautiful location and must have been amazing in its glory days.

Arrived early to enjoy the pool only to be told we had to have a reservation and we could not go to the pool unless there was a cancellation. We went to eat at Tree Tops Cafe beside the pool. Half the chairs were empty and very few people in the water. We asked again if we could go to the pool since it was so empty and were told “no. We have to save these spots just in case people arrive”. Absolutely ridiculous!! If you must make a reservation you should also have to secure your reservation by a certain time or it is released.