Looking for honest, unsponsored Omni Homestead Resort Reviews? Start with this guide to the Omni Homestead Virginia, in Hot Springs, Virginia. Is this luxury, historical resort worth the price tag? Find out here?
Planning a trip to the Omni Homestead? Start with my favorite family photos from our trip so you can get an idea of what your vacation might look like.
Omni Homestead Resort Reviews
Many hotel reviews are sponsored and biased, but here I'm sharing our honest Omni Homestead Resort reviews, including everything we liked and didn't like from our trip. The Omni Homestead had gained attention on Instagram and TikTok recently, getting dubbed as the perfect family resort without leaving the country. In many ways, especially if you are looking for a mountain getaway where you don't have to leave the resort, this was! This post includes unfiltered, real-life photos of the resort so you can decide for yourself if it's worth it to visit! Here's the gorgeous, main historical building. You can book the best rates here.
Omni Homestead Resort Facts
The Omni Homestead Resort is in Hot Springs, Virginia, which is a tiny town nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. Hot Springs is renowned for its natural mineral pools, which some believe possess healing properties. The resort is actually America's first resort, which started in 1766, which is actually before the Declaration of Independence. Its rich history includes nearly 24 presidents visiting the resort. This historical resort now covers over 2,300 acres and is filled with indoor and outdoor things to do, including two 18-hole golf courses.
The Omni Homestead recently went under a 170 million dollar restoration, bringing the rooms, halls, and restaurants up to date, while still preserving their historical charm and character. This luxury resort is great for families, and has lots of activities to include kids and make them feel welcome. They did a really nice job with the renovation, bringing it up to date, but still retaining the historic character.
We visited the resort with our extended family, which was a group of 16. There are some things we liked, and some things we didn't, and I'll share them in these Omni Homestead reviews below. It was a great place for a big group to visit!
Omni Homestead Resort Honest Review Share on X
Omni Homestead Resort Reviews -Honest Pros and Cons
I'll start with my honest Omni Homestead Resort Reviews pros and cons, which cover some of the biggest things we loved and didn't. If you decide you want to book, here are some great rates on the rooms.
Pros:
- This resort is gorgeous. The Omni Homestead is a stunning place to visit. It sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. The brick historical building is photogenic, and the surrounding plants and landscaping are beautiful. I love a pretty resort, and this one is one of the prettiest.
- The mountains are lovely. The cool mountain air provides a great backdrop for fun and is a nice break from the summer heat.
- You don't have to leave: The resort has everything you need, including food and activities, without having to leave.
- It's family-friendly. This resort is fancy, but still has open arms to children of all ages and includes planned activities for them. The activities and amenities make this a great multi-generational family trip. There is also a kids' club.
- History. The Omni Homestead is rich with history and interesting facts. I just loved learning about this resort and the fun facts about its development over the years.
- It didn't feel crowded. We went when the resort was fully booked, but it still didn't feel crowded, and we didn't have trouble getting into anything.
- The staff is really nice. We met the nicest people at the resort, and the staff was so nice and which really made a big difference to us. They made guests feel welcome.
- Rates are reasonable. The nightly rates for this resort seem reasonable to me, but everything there is expensive.
- The rooms are recently renovated. The guest rooms have a recent update and feel very fresh and clean. Here's an unfiltered picture.
The rooms were very large, but the bathrooms were more historically sized.
Cons:
- It's really far out. The resort is not near much of anything, and the curvy road to get up to the resort is not for the faint of heart. The closest major airport is Roanoke, Virginia, which is about 2 hours away.
- The food is expensive. The food is very expensive for what it is and isn't as amazing as you'd expect for what you are paying for it. There aren't many other options to eat nearby, so you are kind of stuck paying for it. We had some really good meals and some not so great.
- The activities are expensive. Along the same lines, any activity you book feels very expensive and requires a reservation. The rooms felt reasonably priced, but the food and activities were high, so make sure to account for that in your budget if you go.
- Age limits. A lot of the activities have age limits, and you have to be older to do a lot of the things. Make sure to check the ages of the activities before you book the resort. We wished more activities included the little kids.
- The kids. We loved that it was kid-friendly, but if you are looking for a romantic trip without kids, this might not be your spot. There was an adults-only pool at the spa, but everywhere else there were lots of kids.
Omni Homestead Resort Highlights
Pool & Waterpark
The Omni Homestead is home to a really fun two-acre water park complete with waterslides, a lazy river, and a kids' play area, perfect for the warmer weather. It's called Allegheny Springs.
This area was so much fun for the kids, and they played for hours.
There is also a big family pool, which is great for kids and adults to play together.
They have cabanas for rent and food and drink service at the pool, which makes it a fun place to hang out for the day. We did this for two separate days on our trip, and everyone had so much fun together. Even Grandpa was able to enjoy the day with a comfortable chair in the shade.
There is also a historical indoor pool open year-round.
Omni Homestead Spa
The Omni Homestead Spa is famous for its expansive state-of-the-art facility that uses the natural waters in Hot Springs. They also have an adults-only Serenity Garden, which is warmed by natural springs year-round. This world class spa is worth a visit.
Warm Spring Pools
The Warm Spring Pools are the historic bathhouses, dating back to the 19th century. You have to book soaking time ahead of time, and they do have times for families and adults. The water is from a crystal spring, with high mineral content and clarity. They stay at 98-99 degrees year-round.
History Tour
The history tour is another reason for these positive Omni Homestead Resort reviews. This resort is oozing with interesting history. The free historic tour shares how the resort began, plus the presidents and royalty who stayed at the resort throughout the years. Although it was a bit much for my 6-year-olds, this is a must-do for any visit!
Theater 1923
The resort is home to a super charming turn-of-the-century indoor movie theater with free movies twice a day. They have kids and adult movies with popcorn and toppings, and it was such a fun and charming addition to this resort.
Falcontry
One of the most interesting things we did at the Omni Homestead resort was the falconry exhibition. It's kid-friendly for all ages, and the entire family got to learn about the interesting sports and history of falconry, which included seeing falcons, hawks, and owls.
The experience included basically taking the falcon on a walk through the woods, where it came back to its owner. The bird even flew right over everyone's heads.
The highlight was everyone getting to hold the hawk for a photo. It was such a memorable and educational experience for everyone.
Mini Cascades Miniature Golf Course
We also loved the family-friendly mini golf course that is right next to the pool. It's a fun, relaxed way to spend time with the family. The kids, of course, loved it.
The Homestead S'mores Express
Another activity for the entire family is the Smore's Express.
We've all got to get on a gorgeous wagon and take a pretty ride through the mountains.
It ended at the equine center, where we got to see the horses and have s'mores around the campfire. The tractor driver even played the guitar and sang for us. It was such a fun time.
Cascades Gorge Hike
One of the more popular activities at the Omni Homestead Resort is a guided hiking tour of the cascades gorges, which takes you to see 13 waterfalls.
Horseback Riding
The resort is home to a beautiful equine center that offers horseback riding, horse rides, carriage rides, and even pony rides for kids.
Shopping
The Omni Homestead is full of great shops and is worth some time exploring. They have everything from outdoor gear to cute boutique clothing.
Explore the Resort
The resort is huge and worth exploring on foot to see the beautiful grounds. There are pockets of history everywhere, and even games and fun surprises in different spots. There are lots of pretty lounging areas for winter, too.
We especially loved the rocking chair, the lined front porch, and the lobby bar.
The grounds are gorgeous too, with amazing landscaping and flowers.
The kids loved this old car too!
Indoor and Outdoor Games
The Omni Homestead Resort also has fabulous indoor and outdoor games that are included. The kids loved this outdoor area with games.
And in cooler weather, there are puzzles, poo,l and board games. This is another top reason for these positive Omni Homestead Resort reviews.
Social Hour
Another included activity is a daily social hour with drinks and snacks. It was such a fun and nice touch.
Explore Hot Springs
Downtown Hot Springs isn't much, but it's right outside of the resort and a cute place to walk around for a short while. You can also see the Sam Snead Restaurant.
Other Outdoor Activities
The list of outdoor activities for any season is extensive and includes all of these, too. The extensive list of fun activities is one reason for these positive Omni Homestead Resort reviews. Many are restricted to older kids, so make sure to check the age limits before planning your trip. We were a little disappointed that our 6-year-olds couldn't do most of the things.
- Axe Throwing
- Fly Fishing
- Hiking
- Biking
- Kayaking
- Tennis Courts
- Pickleball
- Shooting
- Zip Line
Winter Activities
There are also a lot of unique activities in the winter months.
- Ski
- Snow tube
- Ice skating rink
Omni Homestead Resort Restaurants
Curious about the Omni Homestead Resort reviews for restaurants? The dining at the Omni Homestead has lots of options. We found the food to be expensive and just ok, but here are some of the things we really liked and didn't.
American Audubon Dining Room
The American Audubon Dining Room is the historic, gorgeous, classic white tablecloth main dining room of the resort. They offer an extensive and delicious breakfast buffet daily, including freshly made omelets and waffles. The breakfast is pretty standard for a high-end resort, but very delicious.
Their dinner is a lovely experience with good service, live piano music, and dancing. The food was ok, although very pricey for what it was. The overall experience was wonderful, though.
A few of our favorites were the tomato and burrata salad.
The crab cake was also really good. One of the best things we had all weekend.
The trout was good, too. Those who got steaks liked it too.
And we loved a classic crème brûlée for dessert.
Jefferson's Restaurant
Jefferson's Restaurants is the more traditional steak house at the Omni Homestead Resort, with separate steaks and sides on the menu. They are known for their prime steaks and meats from Virginia.
Jefferson's Taproom
Outside of Jefferson's is a cute bar area, which serves as another similar yet different restaurant. It's a bit more casual pub-style menu, but it has a very diverse menu that includes plated dinners, sandwiches, and salads.
This trout dish was another one of my favorite things I ate.
The chicken wings were also a hit with my twins.
We also had some sandwiches on the table, which everyone loved.
Woody's
Woody's is a more casual Italian-inspired restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. We loved it because the outdoor seating was right next to the lawn games, and the kids could play while we watched.
The food was our personal favorite. This shrimp salad was very good.
They also have delicious pizza.
I loved this salmon too. They also had pasta dishes and really friendly service. This is another reason for our positive Omni Homestead resort reviews.
Martha's Market
Martha's Market is a quick-service, casual spot with grab-and-go breakfast and lunch. It's also the spot to get espresso-style coffee drinks.
There is a cute seating area, which was actually part of the old library.
The grab-and-go options were great for a light lunch, and the kids loved the DIY lunchable-style meal.
Pool Dining
The pool dining was one thing we really didn't like. Neither of our lunches was great!
Pool food is often not that good, but this was part of what we were disappointed in.
The pool drinks were great though!
Pioneer Picnic
Pioneer Picnic is another fast, casual restaurant with BBQ-style food and fried chicken.
It was also just ok, and I wish they had had a better vegetarian or seafood option.
Rubino's at the Cascades
The lunch spot at the famous golf course with gorgeous views is in a historic building.
Presidental Lounge
The Presidential Lounge is the lobby bar with snacks and drinks, with portraits of the presidents who have stayed at the resort.
Virginia Wine Experience
A great spot to enjoy Virginia wine and a cheese plate. This wine tasting room is a favorite for guests.
Omni Homestead Resort Reviews
If you are still looking for honest Omni Homestead Resort reviews, this is it! We really loved our big family vacation, and this resort is a great place for families, if they want something different than the beach. We loved that there were so many activities and that they kept kids and adults of all ages entertained. The gorgeous resort was so fun to explore, and I loved learning all the history about it. We loved the friendly staff and renovated rooms.
We didn't love all of the food and felt like, for the price, it should have been better. Some of it was better than others.
Overall, though, this resort is a hidden gem and worth a visit! It's a really unique spot and perfect for a family trip. Not sponsored, but you can book through this link here, and I'll make a small commission.
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