The Homestead, A Ksl Luxury Resort
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3 Reviews for The Homestead, A KSL Luxury Resort
182
52
'11, '12
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"Southern Gentility and Gracious Hospitality Welcome Families"
The 500 room Homestead Resort is nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, a 4 hour drive from the Washington DC area. The magnificent Georgian revival buildings are graced with a stunning clock tower, a beautiful and eye catching example of colonial revival architecture. As we drove up to the resort, my children thought we had arrived at a palace and said it was “the most beautiful hotel” they had ever seen. As we stood in the Grand Hall, I was amazed to be in the same gracious foyer that has welcomed presidents and princes for over 100 years. ROOMS Our spacious 1 bedroom Homestead Suite had two double beds and a separate living room with a full sized pull out sofa. Rooms are decorated in a warm and comfortable southern style, with smart plantation shutters, beautiful Virginia art work, and colonial style furnishings. Our magnificent beds were plush and cozy, with crisp down comforters, luxurious linens, and plenty of deep soft pillows. When we arrived in our room after dinner, our beds had been turned down, and the sofa bed was made up without us even having to ask. I am a huge proponent of staying in hotel suites, because the extra space and privacy go a long way to ensuring a relaxing vacation for both parents and kids. Both the living room and bedroom had 40 inch LCD televisions, so I could relax and watch TV after the kids went to bed. I purchased an on-demand movie for my older daughter to watch while my younger daughter took her afternoon nap. The living room TV had very poor image quality and the movie was difficult to see, so the hotel staff graciously refunded the $16 charge with no problems. The bathroom was spanking clean and beautifully appointed in a sleek plantation style. We loved the deep soaking tub, luxurious bath amenities, and window overlooking the park-like grounds. Rack rates for the Homestead’s Classic rooms are about $225. The one bedroom Homestead Suites are about $500 night, which I felt was reasonable for the amount of space and privacy they afford families who desire extra room. POOLS AND ACTIVITIES Bath County is home to the largest hot springs in Virginia, and the Homestead offers two different hot springs experiences for families. The beautiful Georgian revival indoor pool is entirely hot spring fed, and the water felt like a comfortable 75 to 80 degrees. It was perfect for my children, and we spent many hours swimming here. Lots of kids and families hang out in the indoor pool, but it never felt crowded. There were plenty of large bath sheets for drying off, and there is a beautiful locker room with shower facilities down the hall. The depth ranges from 4 – 7 ft., so I strongly recommend bringing inflatable flotation devices. The Homestead also manages the Jefferson Pools, about a 15 minute drive away. There are shuttle buses that run throughout the day, which we found very convenient. Admission to the Jefferson Pools is rather expensive- $17 per hour, regardless of age. The wooden, hot-spring fed pools have never been significantly remodeled and it is a rustic experience. They were designed to be a therapeutic soaking treatment, and swimming and loud talking is discouraged. Instead, guests are meant to float and “take the waters”, using provided pool noodles. While my children enjoyed the relaxing soak, they had a hard time not playing and splashing. I think the Jefferson Pools would be best for older children. Lastly, the resort has a large outdoor pool which is heated but not hot-spring fed. The pool ranges from 3-5 feet, and is perfect for families. There is also a pool bar, so families can grab lunch and eat around the pools while the kids play. Beautiful locker rooms are mere steps away, with shower facilities and bathrooms. The Homestead does a great job of catering to families, and offers many free activities. There is a bouncy house that is open in the afternoons and evenings on the lawn game area adjacent to the Casino Club Restaurant. My kids loved this! My older daughter also had a great time playing bean bag toss and watching the shuffle board games. Additionally, there are myriad hikes in the mountains, which we did not have time to experience. The Allegheny Mountains are sublime, so I am sure the hiking is wonderful. DINING I recommend booking dining reservations, because the restaurants fill up quickly. We dined at the Casino Club Restaurant, and while securing a table at lunch was not a problem (plan to arrive at 11:30 if you don’t have a reservation), dinner seating was more difficult. We ordered food to go and ate al fresco on the gorgeous wrap around porches. It was relaxing just to have a quick family dinner without worrying about my kids getting fussy. For breakfast the first morning we grabbed a quick bagel and hot chocolate from Martha’s Market, which was easy, inexpensive and very kid friendly. The second day, we experienced the glorious breakfast buffet in the main dining room. The buffets costs $25, but kids 5 and under are free, which I felt was a very good value. WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO The Homestead is a bastion of southern gentility, and children should be clean, well-dressed and on their best behavior when dining in the Main Dining Room or enjoying daily High Tea in the Grand Hall. Parents should pack resort wear and plan to dress up for dinner. Disclosure: While I received complimentary lodging and passes to the Jefferson Pools, my review reflects my honest opinion and was not influenced by the Homestead or its affiliates.
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"Dress for Meals?"
Swanky digs, to be sure. But, if you don't like golf, and aren't into fly-fishing (and I LOVE fishing, but not everybody does, especially fly-fishing) then there's not much to do. Plus, you dress for meals, and the only restaurant I found that wasn't theirs was the Subway over the way. For all its pomp and circumstance, I wasn't impressed and I can't see what the kids would do after their third game of checkers.
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"Great kid programs! "
Soaking, supping, or simply relaxing is easy here. This year-round resort, long favored by the rich, politically influential (including presidents), and famous, offers families lots of recreational possibilities, including a snowboard park. Most activities cost extra, so a stay here can get pricey, especially for an active family. Adults can re-energize at the spa, which employs the county’s famed healing waters in a variety of tub and rub combinations. The KidSpa makes this grande dame resort in the Allegheny Mountains especially appealing to preteens and teens. This hard-to-please group can now indulge in facials designed just for them, try Swedish massages, sign up for personalized makeup lessons, and luxuriate in treatments that soak their toes in a rich chocolate milk-like mix and their fingers in strawberries and cream. In season, families enjoy golf, tennis, falconry, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding and pony riding (for smaller children), hiking, bowling, snowboarding, snow tubing, ice-skating, and snowshoeing. The Homestead KidsClub, for ages 3 to 12, operates year-round, with half-day and full-day supervised play. Kids’ Night Out is offered on Saturday evenings in the summer and winter. Day activities include computer games, arts and crafts, science projects, kite flying, pottery making, swimming, pole fishing at the Children’s Pond, and hiking.
Location.
This Hot Springs spa resort is located in the mountains, near
Homestead Ski Area and The Cascades Golf Course.
Features.
Dining options at The Homestead, A KSL Luxury Resort include a
restaurant and a bar/lounge. Room service is available during
limited hours. Recreational amenities include a golf course. Also
located on site are an indoor pool, a children's pool, a sauna, and
a fitness facility. The property's full service health spa has
massage/treatment rooms and beauty services. This 4.5 star property
has a business center and offers meeting rooms for small groups,
audio visual equipment, and business services. Wireless Internet
access is available in public areas. This Hot Springs property has
event space consisting of banquet facilities, conference rooms, a
ballroom, and exhibit space. The property offers an airport shuttle
(surcharge). Additional property amenities include a library, a
poolside bar, and a coffee shop/café.
Guestrooms.
There are 483 guestrooms at The Homestead, A KSL Luxury Resort.
Beds come with pillowtop mattresses. Bathrooms feature shower/tub
combinations, bathrobes, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.
Guestrooms offer free local calls and voice mail. Televisions have
pay movies. Air conditioned rooms also include minibars, electronic
check out, electronic/magnetic keys, and irons/ironing boards.
Guests may request a turndown service, refrigerators, and
microwaves. Housekeeping is available. Cribs (infant beds) and
rollaway beds are available on request.
Check-In: 4 PM
Check-Out: Noon
Number of Rooms: 483
Number of Suites: 0
Recreational Facilities:
Pool
Kiddie Pool
Fitness Facility
Services:
In house Restaurant
In house Bar
Room Service
Child Care
High Speed Internet
WIFI
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