Primland Resort

My husband and I were very excited about our booking with the Primland. It has absolutely beautiful views and rooms and great outdoor activities. Our disappointment started from the first moment we arrived. No one greeted us appropriately and it was confusing how we were supposed to check in at the front desk. Energy wasn’t very high-​no music just quiet– it seemed very odd for such a high end hotel that people weren’t going out of their way to help you. And that low-​energy attention was the entire stay. Every meal was at least $ 100– breakfast, lunch, and dinner-​adds up fast! The best meals we had were breakfast everything else was mediocre.
For the amount of money spent in comparison to our experience, this trip was a huge let down. I’m not sure we will come back sadly, because it is a truly beautiful place.

Wow.
Unbelievable place, first class all the way. Great food, fantastic grounds, what luxury tourism should be.
First time in my life that superlatives don’t do justice.
They treated me like I am special, only my dog has ever had that opinion previously.

We loved our anniversary weekend getaway! Great golf, hiking and excellent food! We didn’t make it to the SPA this time, but last time we were there we did and it was wonderful! Great place to relax and enjoy the outdoors!

Primland is truly a magical place… The whole experience took our breath away. Great place to get away with someone you love to rekindle and and reconnect away from the hurries and rush of everyday life. Service is A+ and accommodations are superior. We shot bows and arrows, hiked in the woods, watched the stars, did some geocaching, and even got to sleep in for a day and have breakfast in bed while gazing out our window in awe of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We stayed in the new Pinnacle cottages and they were stellar. The food was delicious from the buffet at the Stables to the room service for breakfast to the 19^th pub and the fine dining at Elements. Excellent. We can’t wait to go back. If you want an escape to a beautiful, tranquil place with all that nature and earth have to offer, look no further.

We were extremely disappointed with our experience dining at Primland. One of our group, who regularly attends the resort with her family, had nothing but wonderful things to say about Primland beforehand and left feeling very embarrassed for recommending it. For such a high-​quality venue, the service was remarkably poor. Upon taking our order, our waitress disappeared from our table until it was time to pay the bill. Any time we wanted to order another glass of wine or request that our water be refilled, we had to walk up to the bar and wait several minutes for the multiple service employees idly standing there to acknowledge our presence. We were seated at a table without napkins or utensils and our soup appetizers were served without spoons. Upon receiving the check, my friend was charged for the incorrect glass of wine. When she politely asked that it be corrected, the server said, «it is only $ 3 more, does it really matter?» and did not offer to correct her mistake. When we left at the end of the night, the valets were nowhere to be found, and after quite a while of waiting we had to track down the concierge to find our car keys for us. Other customers did not seem to have the same poor treatment that we did, and we can only assume it was due to our young age (we are all in our mid-​twenties, younger than the average client, but not without the ability to pay for a fine meal and service). What we hoped would be an enjoyable night out with great wine, food, and service left us feeling like we spent $ 300 on a dinner with service more sub par than your average Olive Garden. I would not recommend Primland for dining.

Incredible resort property! My wife and I recently spent part of our 15^th anniversary trip at Primland and it exceeded our expectations. Great service, awesome room, wonderful amenity package in the lodge, hard but spectacular golf course, tons of outdoor activities offered (some free some for a charge) that are perfect for the adventurous couple or family, and delicious food at all meals. We played golf, rode horses, hiked a challenging but fun trail, enjoyed a stargazing course led by an expert and relaxed by the pool (in a spa that charged nothing if you just wanted to quietly hang out). The lodge has only 33 rooms and I would guess there isn’t a bad room in the bunch. They also have casual mountain style cabin rentals which we will try later this year with the whole family. I can’t say enough great things about our experience here. Give it a try!

If I could give Primland 6 stars I would. Absolutely everything was perfect from the staff and customer service to the incredible mountain views and our beautiful cottage. The food was fantastic every night and he massive cookies they give you for turndown service are to die for. We did horseback riding, atvs, tree climbing, stargazing and couples massage when we went and every excursion was better than the last! I highly recommend Primland for a vacation or a little getaway. It’s one of the sweetest, most charming places I’ve been!

Went for a romantic winter getaway and was more then impressed. The rooms are great the pictures don’t do them justice. I was impressed with dinner both nights, you usually can not say that about resort food however the Primland does and outstanding job on breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You are forced to relax here as it is far away from anything but then again that is why you stay here. 5 stars only because you can’t give more. I love the fireplaces in the lobby and the great views.

Primland is a secluded beauty of a resort that is worth the trouble of getting to. If you like looking out your window and seeing nothing but green hills and NO power lines, this resort is for you. The construction of the main building is loaded with fine wood accents and joinery and it has the perfect mesh of country flavor and total luxury! We did run into dense, heavy fog as we approached the entrance to the grounds and this was an apprehensive moment that newcomers should be aware of and drive slowly for.
The base room in the lodge has a wonderful lighting system with buttons to capture the mood of any moment — a high tech touch that belies the rustic pathos of this place. Two flat screen t.v.s, large tub, and a separate shower with two heads working simultaneously make for the kind of aquatic pampering one would expect for around $ 500 a night. Primland is not cheap, but we were so enamored of almost every moment that we spent no time lamenting the price.
The staff at Primland is superbly trained and sincerely interested in your every pleasure and satisfaction. We found that even restaurant staff would offer help for any question we had unrelated to their station — top flight indeed!
An 18 hole golf course is a main attraction of this hotel but my family chose to tackle the many walking trails nearby. Trails of easy, medium, and difficult are all available and shown on handy maps. A fine swimming pool with adjacent hot jacuzzi are expected and received here — all within a few steps of a spa and game room. The pool was only 4 feet deep and conveniently suited for younger kids to play in who are still learning to swim. Finally worth mentioning is the Stargazing facility at the top of corner building which opens at night for a tour of the stars. Our Stargazing guide, Lauren, was very friendly and knowledgeable and pointed out many prominent celestial bodies with her laser pointer and computer equipment — a highly recommended tour that both kids and adults will find a novelty.
There are three restaurants on site (2 in the main building and one nearby) and ‘Elements’ is a top flight international restaurant with fine cooking. The rack of lamb was locally imported from nearby farms in Virginia and perfectly seasoned. The chef had no trouble enlarging my portion when I went back for more the next night. Many greens and southern dishes like grits and fried green tomatoes are available. A superb wine cellar is located to the right of the entrance with the best selections France, Napa, and Italy.
Minor Negatives:
1) The risotto was a little too ‘al dente’ and so this did not come out as perfectly as most of the other cuisine. My wife did not finish her portion.
2) The cable tvs were off-​line for half a day or so while Tech Support ironed out the problems.
3) The entrance to Primland really needs to have more reflective signs along the road to help guide cars to the lobby and reduce road danger.

Primland is the ideal place for a family vacation. My family stayed in one of the mountain lodges. Although I knew the place was nearly booked full, I felt like we were the only guests. I appreciated the quietness this aspect brought to the resort, but if you want, you can make your experience as lively and adventurous as you would like through the many activities offered. They really do their best to give you an amazing personalized experience.
My favorite activity was the ATV rides, but I’m told they are altering them shortly for safety reasons. I think they are shifting to vehicles with a roll cage. During the ride, you get to speed along different trails and roads, and you get to see the best views Primland has to offer. The only negative was my friend got a wasp stuck in her shirt! Ouch.
Kayaking was amazing as well. My family and our guide were the only people on the entire lake. It was very peaceful.
We also played disc golf, went clay shooting, and went geocaching/​hiking.
The dining at Primland is a little limited, but I think they are working on expanding the options. Although limited, the restaurant options were all very good. It will be a struggle if you want to cook your own meal at your cabin, since the nearest grocery store is not near at all.
Overall, I loved Primland, and I will definitely return when I organize my own family vacations!
Oh also, there is no cell phone reception! At least for AT&T, but there is free Wi-​Fi

I went to Primland for a weekend, and overall, I felt it was a gorgeous property with very nice service, deserving of its reputation as a great place to stay.
This place is honestly in the middle of nowhere. Because of Friday traffic, it took roughly 6 ½ hours to get here from DC, and about five and half hours to get back. It is quite a drive. But the same time, you can also fly to Charlotte and then drive two hours. You are very secluded and there is no service if you have AT&T. The Wi-​Fi is strong, so you’re still connected, though.
We were put in an amazing Blue Ridge Suite, number 28. I would absolutely recommend that room, since it has the best views of the mountain. I did go inside the Pinnacles Suite because some friends were staying there, and while it is a nice suite, we all much preferred the room I was staying in. There were two full baths, as well as a small kitchenette and living and dining areas. But this room also has an amazing balcony that connects the bedroom to the living room on the outside. It’s a gorgeous place to sit and relax and wonder why you just drove six hours to get to a hotel!
The staff here is very friendly and very helpful. Even though I was there for two days, you start to recognize the workers because they stay there basically all day. The breakfast crew was particularly friendly.
I did enjoy the food here. Breakfast was my favorite here, especially the ham steak. Delicious, and I got it both mornings. And even in the lunch bar, the Cobb salad was gorgeous and delicious. At a place like this where you’re basically forced to eat their food because of lack of options, it’s good that the food is actually very good and high-​quality.
This property is huge, with 12,000 acres. To get to some of the activities, you have to drive a very far away. For instance, the tennis courts are about 9 miles away, and shooting is about 7 miles away. I guess that’s the only minor complaint that I have about Primland, the shooting. I don’t go shooting very often, but I have shot a few times at the Greenbrier, in West Virginia. Comparing the Primland to the Greenbrier, Primland just couldn’t hold it. It has a nice lodge, but their clay targets are not very inspired. Mainly, the staff member we had was very corporate and not friendly. I basically had to ask for a look of the clays at each station, and she was not really there to ensure we had a good time. She should’ve been firing them off to her three times before any of us shot, since clearly we were not pros at clay targets. I did not enjoy my shooting outing, which is unfortunate because the resort in general so nice.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Primland for a nice getaway. But to me, the larger question is whether I would recommend it for people coming from further away than North Carolina; I still would. This resort has a very intimate and exclusive feeling to it, which I really enjoyed and it’s not something you can get that just at an expensive hotel.

Good & some bad… Beautiful property, courteous management, luxe cabins, and neat features.
UPDATE: Upon sending an email to inform the spa manager of our experience, the out-​of-​order amenities, and our inquiry 12 hours before our spa treatments which proved untrue, we were very pleasantly replied to. She assured me this is not acceptable by their standards. Also, understanding things break (i.e. sauna), she agreed when we asked if these features were available the girl at the spa should have let us know it was only available for men… I do think there is an opportunity to improve service here, and communication (plus our long wait time to be greeted) needs work.
However, I hope to give Primland another try soon, this includes the spa. I know it doesn’t have the same amenities as my favorite spa in the world (Grove Park Inn, which has a ‘grotto’-like-spa unlike anywhere else), upon our return, we hope to find the service and experience improves — which I believe it will. Also, I think this would be a wonderful place for a couple who wants a his-​and-​hers day during golf season. He could golf their world class course, while she enjoys various spa services. Personally, we were looking for a quiet and overall serene experience (the quiet co-​ed ‘relaxation room’ was anything but quiet or relaxing). Guests need educated to be QUIET in the relaxation room — several couples came in talking loudly, laughing, being rude ruining our ‘relaxation time.’ Also, for the grossness that greeted us in our private cabin (open/​half eaten & crumbled cake on the counter — AND — half eaten and melted ice cream IN our ice maker (gross!)) — we received an acceptable apology from the front desk manager. Again, when we return (we hope to), we will again try the fairway cottages/​cabins and hope to have a cleaner and better cabin worthy of over $ 600/​night.
For context, this was our first visit here, and it was a kick-​off surprise for my 30^th birthday (it had implications that also negatively affected a surprise party back at our house — we left much earlier because of a poor spa experience and having already checked out, arrived too early for my surprise party). If we have the opportunity to stay again, we will stay in a cabin again, retry the spa, and will be sure to utilize the golf course… upon which time, I promise to UPDATE my UPDATE. Details of our experience are below, but since I believe this isn’t the norm here, I gave it 3 stars thanks to the polite communication from the spa manager.
They need to improve handicap accessibility (was told we must park in underground deck and bellhop said I still had to take two flights of stairs up from deck — I’m in a full leg brace post surgery with handicap permit), very limited handicap parking — ONE spot for those with handicap permits, and we were asked to move our car from the front entrance — even handicapped (not enough spots even for guests)!!
The biggest disappointment was the spa. For a «resort,» an excellent spa is a must. In my opinion, a spa requires more than just private massage rooms — it’s an experience, the atmosphere as a whole, and one should leave feeling they got great value — irrespective of prices. The spa was overpriced and highly insufficient (no sauna for women, steam room broken, overhead showers defective). The day before our visit, they should have told us of the issues when we went down to check it out and adjust our treatments. It was a special celebration and we would have cancelled our nearly $ 300 (2 massages) treatments.
Highly disappointed in the spa. Anyone who has ever visited a nice resort spa (like Grove Park Inn) would agree, you pay for the spa AND the amenities — NOT an average massage in a cold room. Nearly terrible overall experience. A spa should offer an EXPERIENCE, not just a «treatment.»
THE GOOD: Wonderful astronomy program — a must do! Pretty entrance, great bar, and you MUST visit the nearby winery for a tour & dinner! The cabins are beautiful! Unique activities throughout!
THE BAD: Were promised early check in when we arrived so we stayed for lunch only to leave & come back later. Liz went out of her way to make it right; which we appreciated. We did not communicate our spa issues the day of to anyone but the girl in the spa, who only offered a lackluster apology. Made our displeasure clear, tried to see if I could add on a service with similar offering but was told no such service/​treatment existed with steam or sauna. For spa-​enthusiasts, these features are a must have. We just had a locker room and a private and expensive massage in a basic room — which I can get at home for ½ the price.
For the price, comparing with GPI, the cabins are SUPERIOR! Spa was not so great and doesn’t have the offerings of Asheville. If we return, I would stay multiple nights in a cabin, golf, retry the spa, do Sunday Brunch, and exploring. Due to cost, it’ll have to wait until we can save up. At which time, I PROMISE to RE-​Review in detai

I just came back from my vacation here and wow — what a trip!
Meadows of Dan is pretty far off from the airports, so expect at least a 2 hour drive from wherever you touchdown. However, the drive is very scenic, as you go through mountains, valleys, small downtown areas, and more.
The resort is exceptionally large. From the north gate, it takes about 15 minutes to reach the lodge. Once again, you treated to a beautiful scenic route, with plenty of wildlife to see (we saw wild pheasants pretty much every day).
My experience with Primland was fantastic. Never have I encountered so many people who genuinely cared about my happiness throughout my style. Each and every staff member was courteous, professional, and went above and beyond to make sure that we had the best time possible.
Between, massages at the Spa, horseback riding, ATV driving, clay shooting, tree climbing, dining at Elements and the Pub, and the Chef’s table, this was easily one of my best experiences at a resort. It is hard to pick favorites, but for activities, the tree climbing with Bob was wonderful. The chef’s table with Chef Gunnar was simply incredible, and his talent and generosity was greatly appreciated.
I truly understand what people say about «Southern Hospitality» after my experience with Primland. If you are looking for a getaway from the city, but still want modern luxury look no further.

This is a tough one. Its a grand place. Very nice and everyone is very professional, but at the same time personable. You get what you pay for, in a good way. All of the rooms in the Lodge are very nicely done. Great wood décor and everything. Very Spa’esque when you’re in your room. The blinds are all auto up/​down. The bathroom was nice, the only problem was the sliding glass door for the shower is the same door for the toilet (they are side by side). So when you slide the door closed to use the bathroom, it opens the shower up. So its not easy sharing a bathroom with more than 2 people.
The Lodge was nice. Dinner required jackets, or at least we thought. A handful of people walked in without a jacket. There were some kids there. Not sure why, its not a very kid friendly area. They had xbox/​ps3/​wii in the games room, which also had billiards and ping pong (which turned out to be the 2^nd funnest thing there).
The fog/​rain rolled in on Saturday and pretty much shut the whole place down (as far as activities go). We had a golf tee time and were told the fog doesnt last long. So we waited and waited, turning down other activities because we thought the fog would go away. It never did. Turns out it is a frequent thing, but no one ever tells you. We knew about the rain forecast and expected to beat the rain with our tee time. Well we would have if the fog didnt stay around. If we would have known that the fog hits a lot, we would have planned accordingly with other activities down the mountain. You cant blame them, nor mother nature, but it would have been nice to know.
It’s 12 000 acres, yes… 12 Thousand. So the nearest town is 35 – 45 minutes away. They’ve got the place on lock when it comes to doing things. It’s either their way or the highway.
Sunday was a nicer day, much nicer. We did the atv tour. it was very very fun. 2.5−3 hours of trails around the property. its amazing how big that place is.
All in all, it was fun. But not sure if it’s worth it if you’re not into golf. Its apparently a very highly rated course, but tough. The spa was nice I suppose (ladies never complained).

The other reviewers are saving me a lot of writing time: I agree 100% about the absolutely amazing experience. We felt like being in heaven for one week. We often go to «fancy» resorts and we are used to being treated well. Primland seems to go even further than whatever we have experienced elsewhere. Is it the S’mores at sunset next to the fire pit? Is it the very knowledgeable folks showing you the stars and galaxies in the observatory? Or the so friendly, always smiling and helpful staff?
One thing for sure: we rarely go back twice to the same places, but we will go back at Primland!

This place was so awesome and it really shows that the staff takes great pride in the outstanding customer service! Highly recommend this resort to anyone thinking about going. They really go above and beyond rates were very reasonable as well considering the luxury they are offering as well. Did the 2 hour ATV tour even though it was sleet and snow (notthebest riding weather) we really enjoyed everything about this place and will be back again! Thank you Primland for such a memorable getaway.

You wake up every morning to a spectacular panorama of the Virginia mountain countryside and it’s all yours to frolic in. Whether you play golf, tennis, hunt, fish, shoot trap/​skeet, ride horses, ride ATVs, hike, bike you can do it here. You have 12,000 advertised (but closer to 14,000) acres to enjoy, so that panorama you wake up to in the morning really is all Primland. We had a blast shooting clays and ATVing up and down the mountains from one overlook to another of the property.
For indoor activities you have a gorgeous spa, a well-​equipped gym, a theater, a game room with multiple game systems and pool and ping pong, a nice indoor pool and jacuzzi that opens out onto a deck with a fire pit. There is even an observatory with an in-​house astronomer for tours of the night sky. Whaa? So cool! We were bummed the clouds rolled in right before our sky tour.
The Lodge is sooo luxurious with décor that captures the mountain feel without resorting to wagon wheels or cigar store Indians. The linens are Frette, the bath products are L’Occitane, the lighting and shades are controlled by the fully-​automated Lutron system, and not only is the facility gorgeous it’s LEED certified! The cabins are more dated, but they also present a great value if you are planning to spend more time outdoors than in — as you should at Primland! Many have spectacular views of their own.
Our dining experiences at Elements and the 19^th Pub were both great. The wine list was excellent.
All of that is great, but the best part is really the staff. They combine impeccable training and skill with genuine glowing personalities. We were overwhelmed by their kindness and generosity throughout our stay.
I can’t wait to go back.

I won 2 nights stay here from NPR and it was amazing. We came in from the south entrance where their hunting area is and took a winding road up to the resort. There is another entrance on the north side with a long narrow road to get to the resort as well. They have an awesome spa are wich we were lucky to get 2 free ones! YOu must bring a bathing suit here. Do NOT forget the steam room nor the sauna. One of the restaurants requires a jacket and I recommend a tie as well.
The corner blue ridge room was like an apartment. It was huge! There were preset light controls (welcome, away, watching tv, evening…) The bathtub did not fit in my car sadly enough. YOu can fit 2 people in there and both be under the water.
The architecture is amazing with lots of wood and slate.
Oh did I forget to mention the chocolates that they leave next to your bed at night after they close all the shades.
Check out the tour of the universe while you are there. THey will show you some galaxies and planets that are amazing!!!
There is a golf course and tons of activities such as hunting deer and pheasants, atv, skeet shooting. The BRP is very close and a must in that area.
Did I mention that it’s super expensive…

Where to start? Though the *resort* has only been open for a bit more than a year, the *preserve* has been there a while. Decades, apparently. It seems that some well-​off (way more money than I have, or am likely to ever have) person decided to buy a big chunk of land out in the middle of nowhere. And it is a nice piece of land, to be sure. The only downside is that it can be challenging to even get to the entrances, as it is up in the hills of Virginia. When you get to the roads of Primland itself, it may downright frightening in the winter (see Blue Ridge Parkway review).
Now the land is beautiful — one of the benefits of being out in the middle of nowhere. But that remote placement comes at a price: You do not have much in the way of options for dining, as they are all on the property, and some are not even open out-​of-​season. Also, bring your wallet. One way to address this is to stop at a grocery store and pick up some goods (think sandwiches, cheese and other munchies, because the rooms do not have microwaves). Naturally you will not want to spend a week doing this, but it is a bit better than huge bills for dining. You can also ask for refills of the mini-​fridge, fruit and chocolates — they do so at no extra charge.
Unfortunately, no one tells you this, which leads to one of the downfalls of Primland. I can understand why they would not tell you this — but even though they are really friendly, even greeting you by name at the outer gate and as you pull up, they are less than forthcoming in other ways: The complimentary snacks, the movie theater (which is nice) that does not work, the «stargazing» which is really an astronomy lesson, etc.
While the place is nice, and the isolation is wonderful, especially off-​season when almost no one else is there, you are really limited in the options for things to do, since the activities offered by the resort are shut down, as are most of the towns in the area. That is a shame, since during the season, you would have more people around, and the activities would be there, but you would lose some of the «getaway» feeling. It would be nice if there was a way to get the activities without having to share, you know? Still, a very nice place — it just needs a small bump to put them over the top is all.

Wow! This place just opened in late 2009, and is already almost fully booked. It is a stunning luxury resort on 14,000 acres in Virginia’s Blue Mountains, with only 30 or so rooms and a dozen private luxury cabins. It has a high end spa, indoor pool, gourmet restaurants, serious golf course, its own astronomical observatory (!), and amazing on-​property activities including riding, hunting (quail, grouse, deer, etc.), fishing, and the most amazing ATV excursions on the east coast. The suites are 5 diamond level, and the service is top notch southern hospitality.
I’d suggest that if you’re in the market for this type of thing (ie, +\- $ 500 a night) you get down here asap before anyone else realizes it’s open!