The Greenbrier

A Dirty Dancing Experience. I wasn’t sure what to rate the Greenbrier, but Yay! I’m a fan fits the bill. My husband and I visited the Greenbrier last year on his birthday. Its only a short trip from Columbus and with such an interesting history, it was too hard to resist. I won’t rehash history, mostly because i cloud never do it justice and secondly because the information is EVERYWHERE (thank you google) but i will tell you, in case this is the ONLY review you read– that it used to be a secret emergency Cold War fallout shelter. The hotel is so beautiful and decorated by the Dorthy Draper. You can spend hours exploring the hotels and grounds. I do not recommend the free tour of the hotel that is offered, the tour guide spent most of his time explaining how weddings are set up in the main ballroom. When you visit be prepared to pay for every last detail, you want to bowl, you have to pay, you want to ride horses you have to pay, falconry, bunker tours. I’m not saying that is not to be expected, just know its not cheap.
The pool is very nice and you can reserve chairs! I didn’t find any of the food memorable. And be sure to leave a note in (near) the love clock. We didn’t take the bunker tour, because i didn’t read very good reviews and we really did pass the weekend just exploring the grounds, the pool and of course the bar.

Long time family favorite place to go! My husband and I decided to celebrate our first anniversary at the Greenbrier. Impeccable customer service from the moment you pull up and the moment you leave! We booked suite 6179 — it’s perfect! The room was updated but still with the fun décor and plenty of space. It’s in a great location above the main building but high enough that it’s quiet.
Outdoor Pool — Was gorgeous and perfectly heated, great view and lunch there or at Sam Sneads is perfect. Very surprised the outdoor pool didn’t open up until 10am!
Golf — we scheduled it, but due to weather we decided not to play — they were helpful to make tee time and cancel it. Price is still quite expensive to play.
Casino — so much fun — great atmosphere, I realize it’s due to the law in WVA but the drinks aren’t for free just because you gamble. We stayed our first night until it closed!
There was a huge mix up with the wine at Steak 44 my husband selected. He said it verbally to the waitress who then brought the wrong bottle, but we didn’t realize it sine we ordered a $ 40 half bottle of wine — he didn’t want to seem snotty and make a big deal about the wine presentation and tasting it. We were here for our anniversary so we figured the guy pouring the wine was just being nice and decanted it for us. Turns out when we go tour bill it was a $ 490 bottle! We told them there was a huge mix up — but because it was presented and on the table we had to pay for the price of the product. still a whopping $ 240 for a HALF bottle of wine. While they were sympathetic, they didn’t cover the price and that was very disappointing. We couldn’t golf or do anything else the next day since our $ went to this wine. It was more expensive that our room!

This review is for the Main Dining Room only. It was disappointing, mostly in the service aspect. But firstly, the place was dead, maybe one or two other tables occupied in a large space, so no excuse for inattentive service. Secondly, we had some language/​cultural issues. One of our servers (pouring water) spoke no English, period. Our main server, when asked which of two dishes she preferred stated that she was from — — –and she didin’t eat this kind of food. I ordered a veal chop, and realized as I cut into it, I had not been asked how I wanted it cooked-​it was medium, too much for me. I didn’t feel like sending it back.
Overall the food was good, but definitely marred by slow, somewhat bizarre service.

It is like staying at a museum, there have been so many historical occurrences here you literally can take a tour. Coming from California this is a pretty different experience giving you a taste of what the old south must have felt like going back 240 years. Casino on site is very cool, plenty to do while your here. Five stars !!

We stayed at the Greenbriar a few weeks ago to celebrate a special anniversary. From the minute we arrived, we were treated as royalty. The Greenbriar prides itself on its luxury and hospitality, but we were not prepared for the level of service we found. For example: at check in you are offered a glass of champagne or peach iced tea, which was lovely. While riding along with my husband on the golf course on a chilly afternoon, the staff member tending the refreshments cart noticed I was cold and brought me a cup of hot chocolate, which was exceptional. Your room is prepared each night with bed turn down, shades pulled, and chocolates with a personal note from your housekeeper, which was wonderful. We wandered into the casino and hovered at one of the tables to watch. The dealer and the pit boss taught us the game rules and etiquette, making us truly enjoy what had been intimidating; that’s exceptional. Each staff member treated us as if we were their only concern. It was beautiful, relaxing, and peaceful. You will enjoy your stay most if you research the dining options and the fees and gratuity charges included in almost all purchases. We were prepared beforehand, and the booking agent we worked with recommended the Member for a Stay package, which offers a discount throughout the resort that pretty much offsets the fees/​taxes/​gratuities.

Currently here. Imagine every 1980’s movie douche bag… they are here! Was skeptical to stay here, but was trying to find a place to stay on regular intervals to the area (4 – 5 days each month). Was beyond disappointed. Overall staff is great, but it seems like you have to be overly aggressive or a local to really matter to the management staff. For starters, I wish I had a place to park by the cottage i rented. Even with assigned spots it doesn’t seem to matter. My husband had a great time hoofing it from the main building with luggage. I’m fairly certain I had to register my car/​license plate number; I can’t imagine why they couldn’t locate any of the owners of vehicles with local plates with guest passes. Overall bummed by the $$ wasted. Could of stayed elsewhere and taken a tour of the grounds. SERIOUSLY, don’t waste your money here.

We were in the area and decided to do just a day visit to the world famous Greenbrier. So this review isn’t based on an actual overnight stay here, merely just a visit to what I will sum up the property as aesthetically a mix between the Gaylord in Nashville and the Biltmore in Asheville, meets Lilly Pulitzers grandmother.
As you drive into White Sulfur Springs, you pass the beautiful golf courses and several gated communities, so before we even arrived to The Greenbrier, I got the vibe that I might be under dressed in my jeans. As we pulled up the main gate, the attendant gave us a day pass and told us where to park. Note: parking and the day pass are free. We parked near the north side entrance and went in and looked around and window shopped a bit. Then we headed up toward the lobby area, which probably isn’t a good name for it. The guests were reading, working at their laptops and there was even a family working a puzzle. I got the vibe that if you’re staying here, you might get bored. That area, with all of the eclectic décor, is what reminded me of The Biltmore.
I checked out the daily schedule before we arrived, so I knew that for the hour of our arrival, we could do a walking history tour or a glass blowing demo. We went with the demo. The free shuttle that took us from the north side of the hotel area to the studio. We were the only ones there, besides the two artists. I’m amazed by glassblowing, so it was right up my alley to spend 30 minutes or so sitting at on the church like pew and watching them create a masterpiece. When we were ready, they called for the shuttle to take us back.
Because we were there on a weekday, the shuttle wasn’t occupied by anyone else, so I asked the driver if he would drive us around the property… and boy did he! It turned into an amazing guided tour full of the history of the property. He pointed out things like the Presidential suite, where 20+presidents have stayed, the residential part where people build massive mansions and basically rent the land, the stables where they keep their horses, the famous tennis court that overlooked the famous fly fishing creek, the Performance Center that hosts the New Orleans Patriots every summer, and so much more.
I highly recommend a tour or asking a shuttle driver to tell you a bit about the property, otherwise, you won’t know what you’re looking at.
There is an Amtrak station directly across the street that stops three days a week. After reading the reviews, the biggest star knock off are the costs here. So it’s not for the frugal, or if you’re frugal, do like I did and stop in for the day… or catch a weekday special room rate.

THe history is beautiful. :)

Simply average. The Greenbrier tries really hard to be something it’s not: a world class resort. Everything is overpriced, from the rooms to the food in the dining rooms, to the outdoor activities. The service and staff are very friendly but the product is sub par. 44 West was a nice restaurant but not worth the $ 175 for two with no drinks and no dessert.
Food in the other restaurants not bad but not worth the price either.
Rooms clean maid service is great. But once again not worth the rate. (NO WIFI IN THE ROOMS)
I suggest a good B&B and a local restaurant instead.

Darn, I wish I had a better review to give this place. Wanted to check out the Greenbrier from an architectural and historical perspective more than to be pampered in luxury. I was hopping for a southern charmed Great Gastby experience but ended up with The Shining meets Deliverance.
For me, $ 300 for a giant room is comparable to lots of great hotel rooms in NYC, LA, Las Vegas, etc. The room was big, and well appointed. My grandma would have liked it just fine I’m guessing. It looked a lot like her living room in Charlotte, NC.
We stayed on a Sunday in March and it was dead, everything shut down at 7pm. You had to call the front desk to have a bellman bring you up a tub of ice. There is absolutely nothing to do for miles around the resort. You feel almost sick to your stomach as you drive away from this place down highway 61 and into the depths of horrific WV poverty. Total tale of two cities kind of experience. Just felt depressed that I’d wasted the money on this bloated, pretentious, dinosaur hotel experience.

My friend has been here a ton of times and wanted me to experience it for myself, so we stopped here on our drive back to Richmond from Huntington. It’s hard to put into one word, so a few will do: Beauty, luxury, class.
Fortunately for me, I was wearing my suit on the day of my trip, so we were able to be admitted at the front gate (the dress code matters, look your best!). It was a busy Saturday night, so we had to park on the far side of the complex near the pool. It was a beautiful walk to the main concourse through the snow, and I can’t imagine there are many other WV locations better suited to enjoying such weather. The façade of the Greenbrier is nothing short of breathtaking, an imposing embodiment of classic architecture.
When you hear the phrase «spare no expense», this place should come to your mind. The inside is impressively decorated and every step reminds you that you are lucky to be there. With a multitude of restaurants and high-​end shops, as well as special events (there seemed to be a singing event of some sort going on during this visit), there is always something here to do. While this was a winter trip, I’m told that the summer has even more to do with outdoor activities galore. While the fallout shelter tours were over for the day on this visit, it still looks cool from the outside. I would definitely return just to see the inside of it one day!
The staff members I interacted with here were incredibly polite and helpful. I was impressed how well this complex maintains its image as a high-​end tourist/​resort location, and while we did not stay overnight on this visit, I would welcome a chance to do so in the future.
In summary, this is an incredibly memorable destination for any trip through WV. If you want to feel a cut above, look no further.
Overall: 5.0 stars
— — — —
Pros:
— Beautiful buildings, interior, and grounds.
— Lots of stores and restaurants inside to keep your attention.
— Staff members are polite and helpful.
— The ideal place for events of every sort, from graduations to weddings.
Cons:
— Know before you go: you must dress well to get beyond the security check-​in, they’re there to keep troublemakers out (this isn’t a mall, it’s a resort). Prices are steep, and that’s an inherent part of the experience, so come with your budget in mind.

My assumption is if you’re at the Greenbrier, you are well aware that it’s going to be an expensive trip. If not, recognize that everything you do has an automatic 20% gratuity plus tax plus 6.5% «Historic preservation» fee. You can safely increase the cost of everything you plan to do by ¹⁄₃.
To enjoy the Greenbrier you have to be OK with the idea of a relaxing vacation and not an activity vacation. Even if you plan activities while you’re there, you will find yourself with a great deal of time sitting on a couch or chair in one of the big rooms on your phone or reading. For me, this means 2 – 3 nights is sufficient for a stay, by day 3 I start to feel ready to head out.
ROOMS
The rooms here are historic. That’s code for the standard rooms will be a little cramped. There is no real space around the bathroom sink to put «getting ready» items, for example, and my wife and I bumped into each other a lot getting ready in the morning or evening. They do clean them each day for you and have turndown service, which is a nice touch, but beyond the décor (which is beautiful) the standard rooms are not much to speak of. Now if you want to pay for a suite, it’s quite a bit nicer.
FOOD
The major food options are Draper’s (a throwback café, quaint and tasty), Forum (italian/​pizza), Prime 44 (a steakhouse that is delicious but will land you $ 100/​person easy) and the Main Dining Room (again, $ 40 – 60 entrees, tie required). There is a coffee shop that has some sandwiches and such, but the aforementioned 4 restaurants are the centerpieces. Forum is great — excellent pizza, tiramisu and appetizers. Draper’s is a solid lunch spot for sandwiches and burgers (try the peach milkshake!!!). Prime is outstanding steak. The main dining room is OK, honestly for similar money I’d eat at Prime instead.
Try a pre-​dinner drink in the Lobby Bar (dark red room). Those guys know how to make a cocktail. The mint juleps and peach margaritas (the latter having homemade peach lime foam on top) are to die for and the best drinks in the place.
ACTIVITIES
By far the only thing that sets the Greenbrier apart from, say, the Homestead is the casino. It’s upscale gambling (jacket required after 7pm) and is truly the only thing to do after dinner. Table minimums range from $ 10 to $ 25 and there is a special «high rollers» section that I don’t even go to. Roulette, 3 card poker, blackjack, craps and slot machines (the latter go from 1 cent up). It’s a fun place with a couple of bars off to the side of the gambling floor.
I would highly recommend booking your stay around something going on as highlighted in their Events Calendar. For example some weekends have wine tasting events, but others have absolutely nothing special scheduled outside of exercise classes (woo-​hoo).
I’ve gone trap shooting and gotten a massage. Both are fun, but the next time I went I didn’t feel either was worth doing a second time.
In short, if you enjoy a relaxing vacation with a clear schedule, beautiful/​historic surroundings and good food, the Greenbrier is a wonderful getaway trip. I’ve never visited during the summer, but the golf looks great as well.

This is my most favorite place on earth! The people are so wonderful and warm, the place is BEAUTIFUL, the food is delicious!!!

I enjoyed my time at the Greenbrier. It is a beautiful southern resort in a gorgeous setting with a casino for hotel guests.
This resort is old and rich with history. I enjoyed touring the resort and listening to its rich history. So much to learn it will take a few visits to get it all in.
The service is outstanding. From the moment you are greeted at the gate you are treated like the most important guest they have. The valet staff as so sweet and helpful. The bellman are so knowledgeable and willing to answer any question you have, make recommendations for your social activities, restaurant options, in-​town happenings, in house events and shopping hints.
The room was so cozy, the bathrooms were updated. The furniture was comfortable and the bed was amazing. We slept late everyday, ordered room service for breakfast just to enjoy the comfortable, cozy nap while enjoying resort views. Amazing.
All of the food was amaxing, room service made us feel pampered and cared for. Please try it at least once to feel like Princess Grace on vacay, yes, her pictures at The Greenbrier are in the hotel Crystal Room with her personal note saying she enjoyed her visit at the resort. Shaq and Jessica Simpson loved their time at The Greenbrier Resort too!
There are segaways, skeet shootunf, golf, tennis, and many other entertainment options including Broadway type shows in the Casino.
Between meals get a Botox touch up in the Greenbrier Soa. If you are considering a real change schedule a plastic surgery consultation — face lifts are on the MedSpa menu.
You get the idea, if you can think of something you would like to do to relax your way, The Greenbrier has a way to satisfy your needs.
Have fun!

I absolutely adore this place. Whether you go here for a little in the winter or a week in the summer, there is always something to do and some corner to check out that you hadn’t seen before. I went for a night around Christmastime last year to see the lights and the trees – absolutely beautiful – and several nights this summer. Next, I’ll need to go in the Fall when the leaves are changing!
Here are my tips:
1) When you check in, they have champagne available. Don’t do what I did and assume that was for some special package – the champagne is for everyone! Make sure you ask for a glass!
2) BYOB and Snacks! For 20 bucks you can have a mini fridge in your room. So helpful to store beer, wine, cheese, yoghurt, etc. Obviously you will want to take part in the yummy drinks and snacks of the Greenbrier, but sometimes the best Happy Hours are in bed with a robe and a glass of wine!
3) There is a HH from 5 – 6 at JJ’s each day. Their beer is half off (3.50 $) and most are brewed in West Virginia – awesome! Be warned: the popcorn is addicting.
4) If you are not the best at golfing, but are fine to walk, definitely do the Valley View Trail – it’s about 2.5 miles and has two very convenient bathrooms along the way. It starts down by the gym/​pool area. If you want, go off the trail a bit and check out the gorgeous houses – perhaps even think about how nice it would be to live in one of them!
5) Try a free tour on the interior decoration. MW 10:30. Really cool to learn about Dorothy Draper and how the Greenbrier came to be what it is today! The exterior grounds tours are at 10:30 TR.
6) Skip the Bunker tour – My parents and others have all said the same thing: not worth it – save your $$. That being said, if you are a history junkie, by all means, ignore my recommendation!
Sit back, relax, take in the beautiful grounds and décor, and enjoy it! Love this place. (For food, I’ve left recommendations at their own Unilocal pages!)

Ok, I live in Las Vegas so it is difficult to compare something so old to a resort so new. Overall the resort is amazing when you pull in. Everyone is very knowledgable for the most part. The main issues lie within the restaurants. Having a automatic 20% gratuity charged simply allows the person providing the service to be «okay». I want to make that decision. And if they are great give them 25% or more. We ordered a pricy bottle of wine and automatically add 20%.
The design on the inside is what it is. Look at the photos online and they fully disclose that.
The kids\adult bowling alley is simply 2 stars at best. The alleys are not level and the place sometimes played music and sometimes didn’t. Pick one please as altering back and forth was a headache. The gameroom near bowling is not even 1 star. The arcade games are literally old tube TV games that barely work.
Everything outdoor was a solid 4 star event. But the negative items simply drag the overall experience downward. And it’s not the easiest place to get to, so probably will be my first and last.

The fact that Unilocal has The Greenbrier classified as a diner amuses me… nothing could be further from accurate, but you probably already know that.
This resort was on our bucket list. Like so many others, we had seen the Travel Channel special about The Bunker and had to see for ourselves. We visited on a Saturday/​Sunday two night trip right before their huge golf event.
Getting there is beautiful… this place is remote, so be prepared. You arrive on property and the rep at the guard shack is expecting you… and gives you your parking pass with your name on it at the entrance.
The entry driveway is grand, as it should be, and you are greeted by many helpful bellman, valets, and whisked inside. We could have self parked for free, but when you’re in this price range, we thought not so we’re feeling carefree and privileged. (Valet parking $ 25 per night).
Reception is inside a down a few carpeted stairs, and there were more than enough agents there when we arrived around 6 pm we were greeted instantly. No issues, and we are given our first daily bulletin (think cruise ship itinerary handout), and other Greenbrier handouts on dress codes, hours, estate maps, etc. The concierge is right around the corner so you can double check your restaurant reservations and any other tours, etc. booked in advance.
We get to our Deluxe Room and it is quite nice… and to be honest I expected, we’re paying $ 439 for Saturday night and $ 339 for Sunday night. Plenty of room, large walk in closet, two comfortable upholstered chairs and ottoman, two desk chairs for both a working desk and a more casual table plus the credenza with refrigerator and TV on top.
The bathroom is large, with a separate tub that is deep and has a wand, separate large shower, and separate water closet with a frosted hinged door.
The bellman arrived with our luggage and the room has two luggage stands so you can tell them where you’d like your bags placed. Nice. Was it the most comfortable bed I’d even slept on? No, a little firm for my preference, but good.
Was this the nicest room I’d ever stayed in, since it is now the most expensive room I’ve ever booked? No, sorry, it’s not, but it is nice. Slight down marks for carpet that had a few spots of some issue from an earlier guest I’m sure, and some slightly worn spots on the plush chairs. And not horrible, mind you, again… we’re walking in with very high expectations.
What I wasn’t crazy about…
Nightly $ 39 resort fee that pays for on property transportation, use of pools, afternoon tea, wifi, some of the historical type walking tours, nightly movies (kid friendly at 7 pm and adult at 9 pm), and other random stuff. Really? I’m paying $ 439 and you’re charging me a resort fee for that stuff?
PLUS there is a historic preservation fee on top of that. Like 6% of everything you spend… room, dinner, drinks, everything. Really?
PLUS there is an automatic 20% tip on anything food related. Buy a Mint Julep in the bar, and by all means do, it’s delicious, they add the 20% tip as well as that historic preservation fee. Dinner in excess of $ 200 in either the Main Dining Room or the steakhouse, automatic 20% gratuity. I will say our service was very good, don’t get me wrong, but in this price range 20% is for exceptional service. Because of this, I had some servers that really, truly, did go above and beyond, but I never tipped in excess of the 20%.
We did do the Bunker Tour which I thought was great, and lasted a little more than a hour and a half. We walked all over that place, and from one end to the other.
We also did a horse and carriage ride while there… very nice.
Each of these add-​ons were extra, and in line with pricing at other resorts or again think cruise ship and in port activities at the ports of call.
There are sooo many common areas and so many sitting rooms, lobbies, ball rooms, terraces, gardens, etc. There is a croquet course where you can give it a whack (might as well, you paid the resort fee to cover it). The outdoor pool is an infinity pool and lovely, adjacent to tennis facilities. I’m told the indoor pool is very nice as well, honestly, we never found it.
We ate at almost all of the resort restaurants while there, but I’ll review them separately when I get a chance. One Unilocaler said cheapest breakfast was the Main Dining Room buffet for $ 39, no, that’s not right at all. You can order off menu in the Main Dining Room as well as Draper’s, but you will end up spending around $ 20 per person when you do.

Headed to the Greenbrier this past weekend with friends for a quiet weekend getaway. I was the only person in the group who had not been there. Going into it, I heard all the positives and negatives from them, but headed there with an open mind.
The place is absolutely massive looking from the outside and inside. The grounds were in immaculate condition. I am sure having the Sampras vs. Agassi match there this upcoming weekend and the Greenbrier Classic in two weeks helped, but either way, it was in fantastic shape. The décor within the main hotel is not to my taste… I didn’t even know I had taste when it came to home design, but honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to it all (must be the guy in me).
The staffing there was truly wonderful. Everyone was polite, friendly, enthusiastic and willing to help you out. I cannot say enough about the staff, they really make a difference.
There are numerous activities to take part in while you are there. Many of the activities are free, while some have a fee (the fee ranges from nominal to quite expensive). While we were there, we made reservations to take part in the Falconry demonstration. This was $ 120/​per person, but there is also tax, 20% gratuity and the 6.5% Historical Preservation ‘tax’. Despite the high cost, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. For me, it is something that I probably would never do in my life, so I was more than willing to try it. It was worth it in my opinion. I also was able to play «Old White» which is the course for the PGA Greenbrier Classic. It was a beautiful golf course and I certainly enjoyed my round there. We also took part in a few quick games of bowling for a nominal fee. Some of the free activities we tried included the Glass Blowing seminar, indoor pool, outdoor pool, hiking, croquet and yes, bow-​tie tying class. The glass blowing seminar and the bow-​tie class were well coordinated and led by super friendly and personable staff.
If you head to the Greenbrier, you have to know it is going to be $$$$. I did my research ahead of time and knew about this, including the Historical Preservation ‘tax’. I do not agree with this and was a tad disappointed that no-​one at the resort told me (yes I knew ahead of time, but why keep it a secret?).
Overall I absolutely enjoyed my experience here. I would certainly go back without a doubt. I love that it is far awhile in a relatively peaceful and quiet part of the country where you have the opportunity to try and do many things.

I’ll make this short and sweet.
The hotel accommodations suck. Paper-​thin walls, loud trains at all hours, terrible wall paper, peeling paint, old building smell.
The staff is wonderful. They are trained to cater to your every need. At times you can tell they are just going through the motions, but it’s still nice.
The food is over priced and not up to par with truly elegant restaurants. Don’t waste your time.
The activities, while pricey, are the true gem of this resort. Save money on the food and do some fun activities!
Tip: pack food from home for the stay.
Bottom line: neat place but way overrated.

I am from West Virginia and feel a very emotional bond to this resort. We West Virginians are a proud lot. We all want the Greenbrier to succeed because, in a way, we feel we sort of own it. Thanks Jim, for keeping this fantastic place around for my children to enjoy and have as part of their heritage. Every Thanksgiving week, until we die, we will be there. Incredible place if you’ve never been there.
Just a hint. We stayed 3 nights in a Junior suite (very nice), I sent my kids to adventure zone (where they take your kids for the day for activities), we ate VERY well including some room service, enjoyed falconry and a carriage ride. Put all of this on our room tab and after all was said and done, our bill was $ 2000. I went away feeling like I got a bargain.