The Lodge at Primland, Auberge Collection — Hotel in Stuart

I had been eyeballing Primland for a few years before we actually made the trip. I'm naturally drawn to mountain environments and my wife and I are seasoned travelers. We've previously been to plenty of comparable getaways, such as many Ritz-Carlton properties, Biltmore, The Umstead, various Relais & Chateau properties, and others.

Primland ranks near the top of this list. The Pinnacle King room we stayed in was large and had a bathroom the size of most entire hotel rooms, it was exquisitely cleaned and featured an absolutely incredible view of the Dan River Gorge/Kibler Valley below. The linens were comfortable and the room was quiet. Even the AC units are quieter Mitsubishi Electrics.

There is something infectious about waking up, coffee in hand, walking out onto the private balcony, and hearing absolutely nothing but nature. It is intoxicating in all the right ways, and - honestly - spiritual-adjacent.

The Pinnacle cottages are also within walking distance of the Lodge (~7 minutes), which is one primary reason why I chose them over the Tree House options - which are incredible (and indeed high up in the trees) - but which are also notably more secluded (for better or worse), requiring a 4x4 vehicle to reach them, several minutes of a drive out from the lodge. They're also quite a bit smaller in size than the Pinnacle rooms, but that's not surprising given that they're effectively built into the trees.

The Lodge, meanwhile, is stunning in its architecture, with massive, sprawling windows overlooking the mountains in the main areas, large fireplaces, and high-quality furniture and fabrics everywhere - extraordinarily upscale. It features a spa (decent, but not huge like some competitors), two restaurants (Leatherflower and the Laurel Bar), a patio with fire pit and plenty of chairs, an indoor pool, a golf shop, a small game room and fitness room, and even an observatory with a state-of-the-art telescope. The resort offers complimentary shuttle service, or there's plenty of parking both at the cabins an underneath the Lodge in the garage area (just two EV charging spots however).

There are lots of activities to enjoy here, including: a beautiful golf course, guided hikes (complimentary group + private paid), aerial ropes course, ATV tours, clay shooting, archery, horseback riding, fly fishing, birdwatching tours, numerous hiking trails, nightly stargazing at the observatory, and much more. We chose to do a guided hike (the resident naturalist, Tim, is absolutely fantastic by the way), ATV tour (this was harrowing - but invigorating!), and stargazing. Apart from this, we used the fitness room (it has a Tonal system!), spa facilities, and pool.

Although I hadn't focused on food much when planning this trip, we were both pleasantly surprised by the quality of what was on offer at Primland. Three meals at Leatherflower and the Laurel Bar each did not disappoint. For starters, the server named Cricket waited on us all three visits to Laurel, and she's a top employee. She quickly learned our favorite drinks and dishes and was extremely friendly. Both menus (Leatherflower and Laurel) are modestly-sized, but practically everything we tried from either was above average to excellent. The restaurants incorporate ingredients from the local on-premises gardens/local farmers.

We did have a couple of minor hang-ups with respect to 1) our room key deactivating prior to our late checkout (I had to walk all the way back to the Lodge to resolve this - they didn't have any drivers available, so my wife waited in the stairwell until I returned) and 2) an incorrect golf shop charge on our bill - but other than that, this was a smooth experience.

Overall? Purely thanks to the setting, it was paradise. It's unforgettable, and photos don't do it justice. The staff were attentive, helpful, and friendly, but the real stars here are the resident experts/waitresses/guides/valets, etc. These people clearly love their jobs and are real gems - and hopefully they are recognized as such!

We will be back...

My wife and I wanted to get away for one night and since we had stayed at this resort in the past, we could not think of a better place. We stayed here from 1/23/21-1/24/21. On our other stays here, I cannot express how amazing the experience was. You basically do not have to lift a finger and the property was always immaculate. This time, it was a whole different story. It all started when we pulled up. We were greeted by the doorman who opened the car door for my wife. I indicated that I left the keys on the dash for him to park the car yet he informed me that, because of Covid, he was not able to park the car, nor did he help us with our bags. OK, minor, yet annoying.

Upon parking my car, and my wife checking in and we went to have lunch. After lunch my wife and I wanted to use the pool and hot tub at which point we were informed that we needed reservations to use the pool and also that they were only open until 5PM each day. When the front desk transferred me to the Spa to set a reservation to use the pool I was informed that there were no reservations left for that day or the next. As I was never informed that you had to have a reservation to use the basic facilities I transferred to the front desk to voice my concern. They told me that I should have gone online to read their Covid protocols which outlined their policy. As I set my reservation by phone I let them know that it was never outlined to me and that I would never have stayed at the hotel if I could not use the basic amenities. I asked for the manager to call me.

Now, let me explain, I have stayed at this resort at least 3-4 other times and I could not find anything out of place which always impressed me. As I was waiting for Brian (Manager) to call me I sat in my room watching some TV as we wanted to relax. I walked around the room and what I saw in my room surprised me. On almost every wood desk or side table there were water rings from previous guests glasses. Someone had spilled their drink on the wall which was not cleaned up. The powder desk had an iron burn mark on it. The windows would not close securely as the lock was broken and one of the turn handles was broken off. A small plaster piece had come off the ceiling and you could see the plaster tape. The blinds were broken. A part of the shower door was coming off. My sink drained so slowly that I had to use the other one yet that one had such low cold water pressure that it was almost unusable for cold water. The other thing that caught me off guard is next to the toilet was a toilet brush, something that I have never seen in ANY hotel that I have stayed in as it is really not something that I want to see based on previous guests using it for their own use..

When the manager called me back I voiced my concerns about the lack of being able to use the pool along with the general upkeep of the room. He was very nice yet did not offer to relocate me. He asked me what my plans were for the evening and I let him know that we were not sure as there really was not a lot to do on the property now that the pool and hot tub were off limits. He told me that I could use the theater room yet in reading the check in paperwork it stated that that room now needed reservations and cost $50 for a few hours of use (something that they had never requested a reservation for or asked for payment for on our past stays). Brian agreed that we should have been notified about the pool and that he would treat us to dinner downstairs. Dinner was a nice offer, which we took him up on, yet all in all, I was very upset that we paid north of $450 a night for a resort that you could not really use, not to mention the room mess. The next morning, as my wife was getting a massage, I walked the property. What used to be a pristine resort is now looking dated. Carpets are frayed, accent wood needs to be stained, railings are broken.General upkeep of this property has dramatically slipped. ...

Primland is absolutely beautiful. We checked in for a 4 day stay during the end of Oct beginning of November for our anniversary. We stayed in a Blue Ridge Suite. Overall our stay was disappointing. We arrived early as we had Spa appointments and pool reservations. After our Spa treatments we went to the pool but it is very small and folks were already in the small space. Being uncomfortable we did not participate. Our room wasn't ready until 3:55. As our Spa appointments were over at 1:15 we had to sit around and wait until the room was open. We toured as much as we could and ate at the Pub for lunch. Extremely over priced for what you get. By the time the room was ready we were bored stiff. Most excursions were already booked solid and other activities they advertise on their website had been canceled due to COVID. The suite was extremely nice. It had a separate living area, mini fridge, sink, Keurig with coffee, half and half and sugar options. The bathroom was beautiful with a shower and separate soaking tub. For dinner, we went to the Elements restaurant. It was nice but very stale. I get COVID has drastically reduced services but it was a ghost town. No decorations on the tables, no atmosphere and no energy whatsoever. Again, for the prices that are being charged, it was very disappointing. The food was good, probably one of the best filets we've ever had but the stoic ambiance made it awkward. After dinner we returned to our room. Which wound up turning into a nightmare. It was so hot in our room, with no relief. We called the desk multiple times requesting a fan, to no avail. No one came to our room to check the heat or air. We turned the thermostat down to 65 but it would not cool. As our bedroom window was broken we could not open to get any fresh air. We had to move to the living room and open the balcony door to let air in. A storm blew through and brought 30 mph+ winds. While the balcony door was open the howling of the winds prevented us from sleeping. Very disappointing for the price you pay. The extras at the hotel were diminished due to COVID. No theater, no room cleaning, limited availability on excursions, hot tub drained, sauna and steam room, out of order, etc. It is every bit of 15 minutes to the resort lobby from the front gate. To drive into town is a good 20 to 25 minutes and even then it's a ghost town. No other restaurants in the area so you are forced to drive a while or eat the over priced food at the resort. After our terrible night in our room we checked out. We couldn't see staying another 3 nights and paying $$$$$ for dinner each night in a non-energetic atmosphere. In addition, to the excursions being booked solid we weren't going to continue to sit in a room that was extremely hot. No refunds what so ever. We were charged full price even though we were unhappy, didn't use the services for the next 3 days and didn't feel we were truly getting the experience that it's hyped to be. Overall we were not impressed. As a matter of fact we were so disappointed. Our advice : the resort should consider lowering the cost, especially if they are not delivering top notch service and amenities that they advertise. If you are considering staying, take a fan and some extra snacks. In addition be prepared for most excursions to be booked due to limited capacity. Have a back up plan if things to do, if you check out early they will not work with you, at all. Very disappointing. Won't...