Keswick Hall

Last week we had the opportunity to spend two nights at a beautiful historic resort in Charlottesville called Keswick Hall. The hotel itself was beautiful and the grounds were spectacular. There were rows of beautiful hydrangeas both out front and in back and perfect roses blooming on vines that were crawling up the trellises out by the infinity pool. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and right in the heart of Virginia's wine country it is the perfect location for a romantic weekend getaway. Monticello is just five minutes away and Charlottesville is loaded with things to do and see.

(We had sunshine one day and rain the next so that's why in some pictures the sky is nice and blue and other's gray).

Although you most definitely feel like you are at a grand resort, there are only 48 guest rooms and suites which helps give the whole place a much more intimate feel than I was expecting and I think that was one of my favorite aspects of the whole trip. I can honestly say I have never had such amazing service anywhere I've stayed. Jon travels regularly and that was one of the things he was blown away by as well. Every little detail is taken care of and every person there made us feel so special and was so incredibly helpful.

Although I loved walking around and looking at all of the old artwork and architectural details I think my favorite spot was out here by the infinity pool. The building, pool and beautiful trellised walkway were just so beautiful!

The main restaurant was called Fossett's and I can't begin to rave enough about it! The whole setting was breathtaking and I adored to windows. Someday I would love to have windows like but that is probably wishful thinking -haha! The food was impeccable. We ate dinner there our first night to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary and I think I can honestly say it was the best meal I have ever had. And we had breakfast there the next morning and let me tell you the stuffed french toast was mouthwatering...

Because it was rainy for part of our time there we spent some time wandering around the building and learning it's history. The historic north wing of Keswick Hall, Villa Crawford, was built in 1912 as a beautiful Italianate-style mansion. Here you can see the original staircase. I loved the history of the place and the feeling of stepping back in time. There's an article in DC Refined that states "Keswick Hall is basically Charlottesville's own Downton Abbey" and I have to say I agree!

I loved the arches running all the way down the upstairs hallway.

Our room and bathroom were spacious and elegant and equipped with everything we could possibly need,

but the best part was this balcony area right off of our room. It was so peaceful and the views were stunning!

All in all, I can't say enough wonderful things about our experience. If you are looking for a luxurious yet intimate getaway to a fabulous part of Virginia that is rich in history and culture I highly highly recommend heading to Keswick Hall!

One of our nights was provided free in exchange for this post/review.

Omni Bedford Springs

Last August we took our family vacation at the Omni Homestead here in Virginia and we had such a wonderful time that we decided this August it would be fun to try another Omni location. We had been wanting to take the girls to Hershey Park for a while now. Lola is quite the thrill seeker and Hershey Park had quite a few roller coasters that she was tall enough for (including an upside down and backwards one!) so when we discovered that there was an Omni location in Pennsylvania we decided to combine the two and kind of do a two part family trip where we spent a few days over in the Bedford Springs area and then at the end of the week traveled to the Hershey/Lancaster area.

We arrived at the Omni Bedford Springs last Monday around dinner time. It was a beautiful drive up through the mountains and by lots of horse farms and when we pulled in the resort did not disappoint. I love old architecture and this place is beautiful. It's an extremely long exterior which makes it rather difficult to photograph although they definitely have some better photos on their website.

There were soooooooo many gorgeous hydrangeas everywhere!

The pool is particularly fascinating. When it debuted in 1905 it was one of the first indoor pools in the United States and musicians would serenade swimmers from the opera box. The spring-fed pool has now been fully restored and the subway tile around the pool and the pillars is the original tile from over a century ago! It was tricky for me to take any photos of the pool because I figured most people wouldn't want their picture taken while they were swimming so I was only able to get one shot that only had little glimpses of my family and no one else. But here is a much better shot from their website:

I took a tour on Tuesday morning and found the history to be completely fascinating and I enjoyed it so much. A design firm from Richmond did all of the interiors when they reopened and the did an absolutely impeccable job. Every little detail was perfection from the light fixture, to the colors and all the architectural details.

The main entry into this hall with the gallery walls was my favorite part. I loved looking at all the old photos and reading the captions. There was even a copy of the transcript from the from the first ever transatlantic telegram that was sent from Queen Victoria to President Buchanan who was staying here at the Omni where he received it!

There were beautiful leather ottomans all throughout the hotel and fires burning in the fireplaces throughout the main lobby which was such a welcoming touch.

Our room was spacious and very comfortable.

Lillie loved the little vanity area in the bathroom where she set up her nail polish - ha!

One of the things we enjoyed doing the most was hiking. We went on multiple hikes both Tuesday and Wednesday. The girls enjoyed it so much more than we thought they would.

Lillie also had a lot of fun riding a bike on some of the trails.

The grounds were beautiful with tons of places to stop and sit.

The scenery was quite breathtaking! 

We had so much fun exploring and swimming each day but I think our favorite part was making s'mores each night by the big firepit. We had such a wonderful relaxing time and look forward to visiting another Omni in the future. We've now visited Bedford Springs, the Shoreham and the Homestead and all of them have been absolutely amazing!

*We received one free night (we paid for the others) in exchange for this post.