The Homestead Resort And Spa, Hot Springs

I made a reservation at the resort in August for a early September get a way vacation and golf trip with my wife. Latter I had to cancel due to work conflicts. I called and talked to the reservation department and the woman told me that I was within the cancellation window, and I could either cancel or extend the reservation to a latter period. At that time I was hopeful that we could make the trip, and we were even hopeful that we could get some friends to join us. I agreed to extend the reservation. I called latter to cancel the reservation due to schedule conflicts, and as it was getting late in the season. I was told that the deposit was non-refundable. No one ever mentioned the change in policy, though after reading the revised confirmation ... in the small print there it was. Had someone told me initially I would have just a cancelled the first time I called. I called the resort VP and left a message with his assistant, and several days latter got a call from the reservations department . The woman there offered to carry my deposit till February. I explained that the purpose of the visit to their resort was to golf, and no one goes to the mountains of W. Va. to golf in February. I asked her to refund the deposit and I would be glad to book another trip at a latter date. She then agreed to carry the deposit till March, then after my complaints then April, and finally May. Even with an open deposit till May it is still not very predictable weather in that part if the country, and would likely be undesirable for golf. The reservations department told me that the weekend that I held a reservation, was not fully booked. I no longer have an interest at going to this place, and believe that if they have to make a profit from taking my deposit ... it is not really worth the trip. This is one of the few resorts in this part of the country that we have never visited, and now it will remain so. There appears to be no "good will" with the management of this establishment, the VP of operations didn't even bother to return my call, and they appear all too interested at making a few dollars by taking my deposit vs. having me visit and spend thousands over a long weekend.

First, there is no denying the beautiful location and the history of the resort.....tea in the main lobby and lounging in some of the other areas of the hotel clearly gives you a sense of the grand old times of the past. That being said, service issues abound for a resort that strives to attain a higher class rating. First, I was greeted upon arrival with a parking nightmare. I have a disabled son and require handicapped parking (with permit). I was told that all of the handicapped parking was full, and i'd have to use the regular lots on the property or the offsite parking where i would be shuttled. Being a good trooper, i trolled the lots only to find that the limited spaces there were full as well. The signs then referred me to offsite parking, which happened to be about a half mile away (too long to walk). Upon arrival there, i parked and stood for 15-20 minutes with no shuttle to be seen. Finally, i needed to walk up to a maintenance building, knock on the door, and one of the maintenance guys kindly volunteered to take me to the hotel. 5 star? I don't think so. Upon arrival back at the hotel, i was obviously upset by my first impression and went to look at the handicapped parking. There were only four spaces for a hotel of 400 rooms, and only one of which was truly designated as handicapped. Of the four cars there, only one had a permit, the other three were high priced cars parked there by request of their owners where they would be kept safe. Thus, i asked for the manager, with whom i spoke with about the inadequate parking and lack of respect for such guests. She made little attempt at resolution, but said she would check into it and left our room number. There was no follow-up or resolution. Clearly the Homestead owns the town, and parking statutes and requirements don't apply in their case. One of the activities advertised was falconing. Spend time learning and watching and getting your picture taken with the falcons, etc. My son and I went, and the trainer and experience was wonderful (for $200 for the hour or so), and as adverstised, she took pictures for us to have later. The next day we receive an email with the sample pics stating that we could order them for an additional charge......really? An additional charge to get a digital photo at that rate? Please. Needless to say, we observed a host of other service related issues in the restaurants, etc that were clearly not even 3 start mistakes, including the conscierge services. It is obvious that staffing is a challenge for them, and that training is lacking. What can i say, we were hoping and expecting for given the reputation and price.

Visited The Homestead in August, 2010 for 3 nights with my son. We had a lovely and relaxing time. The rooms were clean and nicely maintained. ALL of the common areas were spotless and very attractively decorated. The staff - Esp. Linda in the activities appointment area - was helpful and pleasant. The beds were extremely comfortable and the linens were so soft and clean that it was hard to get out of bed in the morning.Food was good. Ate at Sam Snead's and had WONDERFUL Rainbow Trout !!! Outstanding. The Spa is outstanding and we loved the reservationist (from Menphis) where you checked in for your services...... Fun lady. The pool was a bit overrun with little kids, but that was fine. Loved the manicured grounds.......so relaxing and beautiful. We would go back there every year if it were not so remote, but I guess that is what makes it so beautiful. We will certainly make the effort again......soon.

We had a fun experience. The employees at the resort were wonderful from LaDonna the van driver to Shirley the bartender. Everyone was friendly.The hotel was clean and everything was in working condition.If you go enjoy tea on the veranda, fishing in the fishing pond. and croquet on the lawn. There were alot of activities to do- other than golf which the resort is known for. I would recommend this resort to people of all ages. We did not bring our children but they would have had a great time here.It was worth the time and would be a great honeymoon destination.If you are a man you need to bring a dinner jacket to eat in the nicer resort restaurants. Close to Washington D.C. area. Negatives-service in the Casino was not good.Food at Sam Snead's Tavern was average.Spend your money on the activities and not on the food at the hotel.

Our visit to The Homestead in late July, 2007 was a complete disappointment. The dining room staff of young people could not speak basic English and no one seemed to care about you. The rooms were in poor condition and the public spaces were dirty. The new company that owns The Homestead nickels and dimes you to death. I understand the staff has poor morale and little to no training. No wonder everything we experienced there was bad! The Homestead was a grand old lady and the new owners need to wake up and help her out of this slump

We checked in to a barely adequate room - I've had nicer rooms in motels! The bathroom is outdated and ugly. No pictures on the wall, peeling wallpaper, old plastic wastebasket. There was no quality about anything in the room, not the linens, not the toilet paper, not the towels. I tried to change rooms, but they said nothing was available. We had just come from the Greenbrier, about 45 minutes from here, just as old, just as historic, but they managed to make everything look beautiful with quality touches. For example, Greenbrier didn't charge for internet access, wireless access is available in the Great Hall at the Homestead, but if you want to go online in your room they charge for that! Breakfast service was horrible, and when I complained, the management shrugged it off. They do have a nice pool. Otherwise, I would go to Greenbrier instead.

The homestead is a beautiful, civilized place steeped in history. The rooms are adequately sized, luxurious and clean. However, the staff is not up to the quality of the buildings. From the beginning, there was a sense of stubborness and incompetence. An illustrative example: one offered activity is mountain biking. I had called ahead to the recreation office to see if there would be a place to store my bike, and was told there was. Upon checking in, the front desk had no idea what to do with my mountain bike, and they offered no help other than to tell me I was wrong about bike storage, and I could leave my bike on my car. The main dining room is beautiful and the staff generally friendly. The food, although adequate, is nothing more than glorified conference banquet fare. The service is slow, items come out from under heat lamps, and the limited menu does not change nightly. For truly fine dining, one must pay extra. I had a problem with a small portion of my final bill which the front desk staff took nearly a month to straighten it out. This involved the staff repeatedly not calling me back, becoming argumentative on the phone, and generally blaming me for something that was clearly their mistake. Regardless of the blame, the customer service on this incident was very poor and left a very sour impression. The Homestead is not a cheap place to visit, but the management is very cheap, making a mountain out of a molehill of an expense. As a final note, The Homestead has changed hands several times in recent years. It is my impression that each successive owner is more interested in the bottom line than upholding the institution's storied history of hospitality.

well I was writing a card to my grandparents because they treat us to the homestead and I wanted a picture and that is how it helped me! By:Kelsey

My daughters suprise me with the trip. And I love the trip. I was pamper to the highest. Thank you for being so kind. I was trying to make this review and it told me I had to have 25 words and I am not a good witer so I felt very put out after the good time I had there this put a bad tasgte in my mouth. Maybe it not as good as I thought.

This was a fabulous place to stay. Food was excellent, and the service was great. I'd recommend this resort to all.