The Omni Homestead, in Hot Springs, Va., in the Allegheny Mountains, calls itself “America’s First Resort,” and that’s not idle boasting.
A one-story wooden lodge first went up on the site in 1766, making this the property’s 250th anniversary. And in recognition of its sestercentennial, there’s a full slate of festive events and offerings all year long. They include culinary events like once-a-month black-tie-optional gala dinners; a monthly speaker series featuring chefs, historians, naturalists, and others; partnerships with local providers (try the Homestead 250th Ale); special spa packages and room rates; even a daily birthday cake, a different flavor every day, that will be rolled out each afternoon for guests’ enjoyment.
The Homestead drips with history—George Washington was a patron, as were Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, John D. Rockefeller, and countless other notables—and it has a firm place in golf’s annals, too: Sam Snead was born in Hot Springs and developed that syrupy swing on the resort’s two golf courses, Old and Cascades.