HOTEL CONFIDENTIAL

Omni Bedford Springs Resort

Written by Bridget Williams

Water can be curative or catastrophic. For the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, water is both its raison d'être and a force that almost wiped it off the map nearly 200 years later. In 1796 Dr. John Anderson “discovered” mineral springs tucked in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania, an area long revered as sacred healing grounds for the Iroquois and Shawnee tribes. Word quickly spread about the “healing waters,” and soon, people from all over the country converged upon Bedford seeking a cure for what ailed them.

In an effort to accommodate the masses, Dr. Anderson devised plans for an ambitious hotel and purchased a large tract of land whose sole structure was a grist mill. His initial hotel, opened in 1806, continued to be enlarged over the years until the Georgian-style building stretched nearly a quarter-mile from end-to-end. The expansion of the railroad made the area easily accessible for residents of DC, Philadelphia, and New York, who sought solace in the pristine outdoors from increasingly polluted city life.

The resort’s golf course, first laid out by Spencer Oldham in 1895, is one of the oldest courses in the United States. Now known as the Bedford Springs Old Course, the most recent refurbishment saw the restoration of the natural spring bed with native grasses and other natural materials indigenous to the floodplain, as well as water features apparent at nearly every hole.

The Bedford Springs Old Course.

Eleven U.S. presidents have visited the resort: Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James Polk, James Buchanan, James Garfield, William Howard Taft, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush. Buchanan received the frst transatlantic cable sent from England to the U.S. at the hotel in August of 1958. His summer in residence at the resort prompted it to be referred to as the “Summer White House.”

Despite being designated a National Historic Landmark in 1984, the hotel closed its doors in 1986, was nearly destroyed by a flash flood in 1988, and fell into great disrepair before being purchased a decade later. Following an extensive $120 million renovation and restoration, the property reopened to overnight guests in 2007.

The Eternal Springs Spa.

Today, the 2,200-acre, 216-room, four-season resort represents an ideal balance of old and new. Thoughtful interior design presents period antiques and historical photographs in such a way as to convey a feeling of being welcomed into a grand, stylish family home versus a staid museum. The heart of the hotel – the mineral spring-fed indoor pool – retains its historic charm.

The mineral spring-fed indoor pool.

It is fun to imagine what would be said if walls could talk. Though I didn’t experience anything paranormal, there are stories of guests that have reported ghostly encounters with spirits of soldiers and small children who mysteriously appear in photographs taken at the resort.

The Eternal Spring, the name of the area’s eighth mineral spring, discovered during the 2007 renovation, serves as the moniker for the hotel’s 30,000-square-foot spa, which was designed to blend with the resort’s Georgian architecture. A total of 15 treatment rooms provide for a wide range of services, including the Bedford Baths signature bathing ritual, massage, body wraps, hydrotherapy, reflexology, skincare, and specialty services such as Intuitive Touch, Shamanic and Reiki Healing, and Acutonics.

As a full-service resort, there are ample dining and recreational options on property, and nearby excursions are ideal for early American history buffs. A sampling of the more active pursuits includes 25 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails over varying terrain; a seasonal outdoor pool (part of a $1.5 million aquatic center); Segway and UTV trail tours; an archery center; fishing in Red Oak Lake; and a well-equipped fitness center.

There are 25 miles of hiking and biking trails on property.

From rustic to refined, the five on-site dining options overseen by Executive Chef David Noto provide something for every palette. For foodies, his engaging and highly entertaining cooking demonstrations and classes are a must-do. Serving breakfast and dinner, the elegant Crystal Room presents farm-to-table cuisine from its exhibition kitchen. Closely reflective of the hotel’s history, the intimate, candlelit rooms of the 1796 Room serves up traditional hearty fare, focusing on steaks, chops, fish, and fowl.

Firepit outside the 1806 Frontier Tavern.

Next to the 1796 Room, the original stone walls up the ambiance in the circa 1806 Frontier Tavern, which serves lunch, dinner, and drinks; an adjacent outdoor fire pit is popular for its nightly s’ mores service. Casual fare and gourmet-to-go are served at the Che Sara Cafe, located near the indoor pool; Te Turtle Shell at the outdoor pool; and Feight’s Folly, near the golf course’s 10th green.

Located three miles south of Exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the resort is an accessible scenic drive from several metropolitan areas: Pittsburgh (90 minutes), Washington, DC (two hours), Baltimore (two hours), Philadelphia (three hours) and New York City (four hours). For more information or reservations, visit omnihotels/Bedford.