It would not be a stretch to alter the old saying, “as American as apple pie” to include this grande dame of the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia: no vacation retreat on the American landscape can come close to claiming the grassroots origins or restorative powers that the Greenbrier does. In the days when the concept of America itself was still in its nascent constitutional stages, and the Greenbrier was nothing more than a spring of sulphur water issuing forth like a flame of life from an Allegheny Mountain hearth, immigrants wandered up the hillside to drink the waters, as they believed the natural springs acted as an elixir for poor health.

That was in 1778. More than 225 years later, the same therapeutic flow of mountain spring water flows from the white-columned Springhouse that is now the much photographed signature feature of the Greenbrier, a place where visitors from all over the world for the same restorative reasons. Just as, long ago, many of America's rich and powerful summered at ‘Old White’ and drank the famed mineral waters reputed to cure all ailments and ensure longevity in life, guests today gain that same sense of self-therapy from a short stay. A gorgeous, tranquil, and elegant mountain enclave, it is easy to find a place where all one hears is the flow of the spring and the wind in the trees.

That said, to get to where it is, the Greenbrier has passed through a number of exciting and unpredictable eras. With the completion of the first major hotel on the property in 1858, the Greenbrier seemed poised to flourish as a great destination for Mid-Atlantic families of social and economic privilege. But shortly thereafter the Civil War broke out, and the new facilities acted as a hospital during the bloody four-year clash between North and South.

Three generations later, it was a market tragedy that prompted a new chapter in the life of the Greenbrier. With business devastated by the market crash and ensuing Great Depression of the 1930s, the Greenbrier underwent a complete reconstruction. The resort’s size was nearly doubled, and a regional airport was built in nearby Lewisburg. Business, again catering almost exclusively to the American political elite in nearby Washington, D.C., thrived yet again, but again war followed soon after. The Army purchased the Greenbrier in 1942, converting it into Ashford General Hospital for wounded troops returning home from Europe. When the Second World War, the resort was again closed, for yet another renovation period and, symbolic to the resort’s ties to Washington’s political clout, did not reopen for three years, a gesture of silence following the harrowing six-year ordeal.

With the memory of a tragic and dangerous time duly commemorated, the Greenbrier reopened in 1948 to flaunt its stylish facelift. President Eisenhower began making routine trips to the resort, pursuing his love of golf and relaxation. In fact, he was so smitten with the beautiful setting near Washington that he secretly established the Greenbrier Government Relocation Center, a Cold War-era facility was that was to house American government officials in the event of a nuclear disaster, allowing the resumption of constitutional governance from a secure facility. Following a Washington Post story exposing the site in 1992, The Eisenhower project is now open for guests to explore.

The Greenbrier staff of 1,600 employees significantly outnumbers the guests at any time. The hotel offers 672 rooms, of which 100 are cottages on the grounds, separate from the main hotel. Along with a conference center that offers 30 meeting rooms and an exhibit hall, the assembly of facilities and staff are absolutely first class in all regards, with the crowning example found in each of the four Estate Houses scattered about the grounds. With four bedrooms and room enough to entertain groups as large as 200, each is like owning a private residence on the Greenbrier’s illustrious grounds. For a business conference, a wedding or anniversary celebration, or a family retreat, the Greenbrier can accommodate any group and any vision.

In the main dining room, that excellence and tradition is embodied in the dishes of Executive Chef Peter Timmins, who takes classic inspirations and turns them into his own signature, contemporary creations. The dinner menu is the tour-de-force here, but the gracious a la carte breakfast is nearly as enjoyable. More casual morning and lunchtime dining is enjoyed in Draper’s Café, where sandwiches, salads, and other light fare is served. The nightlife at the Greenbrier is energetic and exciting as well: enjoy a martini in the lobby bar, a mixed drink with a Cabernet-style entertainment backdrop in The Old White Lounge, or finish off a pint too many watching the game down in Slammin’ Sammy’s, not to be confused with the restaurant at the golf club also wears the eponym of the golfing legend.

The Greenbrier offers a myriad of great recreational activities—20 tennis courts, two croquet lawns, indoor and outdoor swimming, a recreational area (bowling, billiards, and ping pong), trout fishing, hiking, horseback riding, carriage rides, mountain biking, the Falconry Academy, aerobics, a hunting preserve, trap and skeet shooting, and white water rafting—but the most popular activity on the agenda for Greenbrier guests is golf, as well it should be. Golf at the Greenbrier is synonymous with Slammin' Sam Snead, winner of 82 PGA Tour events in his illustrious professional career. In 1993, after a hiatus of 18 years, Snead returned as Golf Professional Emeritus, a position he held until his last days. Snead had first arrived at The Greenbrier in 1936, returned in 1948 when the resort reopened, and could often be spotted in the vicinity of the first tee most mornings, greeting guests and perhaps contemplating another tour of the storied course. Snead passed away in 2002, his legend yet another gift from the deep spring water well that has given life, health, and legacy for more than 225 years.

2004 Packages:

With the Deluxe Golf Package you’ll enjoy unlimited play, preferred starting times, daily club cleaning and storage, unlimited use of practice range, golf memento, golf clinic (one per person, per stay), golf car, personal bag tag, personal locker, spacious accommodations, and breakfast daily in the Main Dining Room and dinner daily in the Main Dining Room or Sam Snead’s at The Golf Club. Caddies are about the only amenity not included in the golf package.

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