Salamander Resort & Spa

I planned this as a one-on-one weekend with my youngest daughter, and it was absolutely perfect. She was happy from start to finish and wanted to experience everything the resort had to offer, from scavenger hunts, daily visits to the stables, swimming, bike riding, and cornhole to walks to the garden and bonfire. Even when she was exhausted, she didn't want to miss a thing. The staff made the trip truly special. From the easy check-in to the warm, friendly interactions throughout our stay, we felt genuinely welcomed and cared for. The grounds, pool, stables, and amenities were beautiful and impeccably maintained. Most importantly, we left with memories we'll cherish forever. I hope we'll be back someday with the rest of our family.

My husband and I went for Memorial Day weekend. Overall, the food and drinks were good, and my massage was good but not great. None of that terrible. However, after check-out, I reviewed my bill and the resort had charged me thousands of dollars extra. It took me three calls and three emails to customer service to sort this out. And, even after realizing the huge mistake they had made, they gave me just a sort of feeble apology. I then asked if they were going to do anything to make up for the mistake, and the customer service person told me that she would check with her manager and get back to me. Never heard from her again. This was roughly my 10th time staying there--their casual attitude toward my very legit complaint and non-existent follow up has likely lost me as a customer forever.

My wife and I recently stayed at Salamander Middleburg for a one-night babymoon, and the resort exceeded our expectations. Before our arrival, I called the resort because we were only staying one night and wanted to make the most of our time on property. The concierge team was incredibly helpful and explained exactly how to handle our early arrival and cabana reservation. That conversation immediately gave me confidence that we were in good hands. Upon arrival, Catherine at the front desk was warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. I'd also like to recognize Holly, who called us while we were enjoying the pool to let us know our upgraded room was ready. She provided directions to the room and confirmed that our luggage had already been delivered. Both helped make the experience feel seamless from start to finish. The highlight of our stay was the Adult Half-Day Cabana at Champions Pool. The adults-only area was peaceful and relaxing, and the dedicated shaded space was perfect for my pregnant wife. We enjoyed excellent poolside food and mocktails, along with complimentary snacks, fruit, cool towels, and attentive service throughout the afternoon. Our upgraded top-floor room featured a beautiful balcony overlooking the lawn, a fireplace, and a spacious spa-like bathroom. We also appreciated the thoughtful welcome amenity of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, fresh fruit, and a welcome note acknowledging our babymoon. Dinner at Harrimans was the one aspect of our stay that didn't quite match the exceptionally high standard of the rest of the resort. However, our server Oscar was outstanding. The service was excellent, though we felt some of the dishes didn't fully align with the price point. Interestingly, our favorite dining experiences were poolside and through in-room dining. Breakfast the next morning was exceptional, from the quality of the food to the thoughtful setup overlooking our balcony view. We also appreciated the Preferred Partner benefits, including breakfast, a property credit, a room upgrade, early room access, and a generous late checkout until 1 PM. Luxury hotels can provide beautiful rooms and amenities, but memorable hospitality comes from people. Salamander delivered that consistently throughout our stay. While we'd likely try Gold Cup instead of Harrimans on a future visit, we would absolutely return to the resort itself and are already looking forward to trying Salamander DC.

A big storm came through the area and affected power. The Salamander's response was inadequate. Too many defensive staff members. One minute we have hot water, the next we don't. When we stopped by the front desk to let them know, we received an exasperated "Well, as you know, we did have a large storm last night." Well, as you know, guests should expect hot water at a 5-star hotel so maybe let us know?! I had hot water earlier. How am I supposed to know what the generator can accommodate and what you're making unavailable. The overall communications and response could've been much better.

A genuinely fun experience in winter. This was our second time visiting the Salamander Middleburg in the winter, and we enjoyed it just as much the second time. Pros: - Near a cute town with shops and restaurants - Beautiful hotel buildings and rooms - Great common areas to gather and hang out. Every time we spent time in the great room we met new and interesting people - Well appointed rooms - The fact that you can just walk to the barn and see horses is awesome Cons: - Restaurants can definitely have more vegetarian options. Just the 1-2 things at each place gets old fast on a longer trip. - Service at the restaurants is just ok. Waiters seem relatively inexperienced / inattentive. - Getting a drink at the bar involves waiting in a long line at times. It didn’t seem like they had adequate staff for handling the number of guests - The rest of the staff (reception, concierge, housekeeping) is kind but not particularly welcoming. Everyone seems pretty overwhelmed. Looking forward to a summer trip here!