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By Tony Leodora
The Omni Homestead Resort Makes Grand Comeback During Golf Travel Boom of 2021 The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia is one of the grand, opulent, historic getaways in America. To generations of visitors, it is a treasured piece of their family lives. The resort spreads over 2,300 acres of Virginia mountainside. It features two historic golf courses. And the luxury hotel has 483 guest rooms and suites. It has hosted 23 U.S. presidents, as well as hundreds of thousands of wedding guests and corporate visitors during its more-than 250 years in operation. During the pandemic of 2020, when the doors of the magnificent hotel were closed by government mandate, more than a few tears were shed. The golf courses stayed open … barely. Many people lost their jobs. “We don’t close down as easily, nor re-open as easily as smaller resorts,” says John Hess, director of sales and 10
marketing. “It was a monumental task. It was strange to see such a vibrant, essential area on lockdown.” Fortunately, re-opening – albeit in stages – came quickly. People started trickling back to The Homestead during the summer of 2020. “Re-opening was exciting,” recalled Hess. “It was great to see a lot of our old friends come back to work. Unfortunately, not enough of them came back to work. Staffing continues to be a struggle to the present day in the hotel industry.” But Hess was quick to shift to the positive. “Once we re-opened, we found that our guests were so excited. They were as welcoming as we were,” he stressed. “The number of people who want to get out to a remote area is amazing. We’re seeing a higher number Golf Central • Volume 22, Issue 4
