Monday, May 19, 2014

Travel :: The Greenbrier Interiors Pt. 2


As I mentioned last week, I recently visited The Greenbrier with my mom and her best friend for Mother's Day weekend.  The hotel has always had a special place in our hearts...my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there, my mom's best friend had her honeymoon there, and my mom has celebrated birthdays and anniversaries there.  It was my second time at the hotel {we went once after my college graduation}, however my mom and her friend had both been about 5-10 times each.  

Before we went to the hotel I emailed them letting them know how excited we were about our visit and told them the reason we were going {to celebrate my mom being in remission from cancer}.  I didn't expect anything, I just really wanted to let them know how special the hotel has been for our family and to ask if there were any special events going on for Mother's Day.  I had absolutely no idea how above and beyond they would go to make our experience the best yet.

We were greeted at the hotel gate by the attendant welcoming my mom {who spent the first 20 years of her life in WV} home.  Pulling up to the hotel is an experience in itself.  It’s hard not to just stand and stare mouth agape, the hotel is just that beautiful!  We were greeted with smiles and thrilled to see Frank {who has worked at the hotel for 56 years} at the door.  I cannot stress enough how AMAZING the people that work there are.  They are kind, courteous, and professional...it's clear how much they love their jobs!

From there we walked through the beautiful lobby to the front desk.  My mom was again, welcomed home, and we were given a complimentary glass of champagne.  Along with our room key we were given a handwritten note welcoming us to the hotel. We were taken up to our room by a bellman named Maynard who must have spent 30 minutes talking with us and showing us his favorite parts of the hotel.  We were thrilled to see we had been upgraded to a beautiful corner suite and even more excited to find the most gorgeous fresh flower arrangement, another handwritten card, and a big box of the Greenbrier's Chocolate Truffles with my mom's name on them!  It was absolutely amazing.

The rest of our stay was equally magical.  We indulged in facials in the gorgeous spa {my skin has never looked better!}  We spent hours upon hours wandering the massive hotel and the sprawling grounds {more on that later}.  There are seven restaurants in the property, but my absolute favorite is the original Main Dining room, which has live entertainment nightly and fantastic dishes like Lemon Thyme Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast with Rolled Truffle Angel Hair Pasta and Jumbo Lump Crab Dressed with Citrus Crème Fraiche.  And of course if you are there you MUST order the famous Greenbrier Peaches...I got them every night!

10 comments:

  1. Sounds like such a wonderful experience! Esp for your mom!! I still can't get over the beautiful photos

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  2. That pool looks so inviting! I want to dive right in! And those chocolates look sublime! Sounds magical Molly!


    www.taffetaandtulips.com

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  3. It's so nice when customer service goes above and beyond just to make your day that extra bit more special! (That was a clumsy sentence!) Did your mum cry? Mine would have done haha! Love that pool and the ice cream parlour :O amazing xxx
    Lucy @ la-lingua.blogspot.com

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  4. Christine DinsmoreMay 19, 2014 at 11:59 AM

    this place sounds more amazing every time. the way that the hotel runs and treats people and the fact that people who work there love their jobs, well that's what keeps people coming back., even more than the decor i am sure. i love that kind charm and integrity. i think it shows through in the pictures - one gets a feeling it's that kind of a place. it's so wonderful they made it extra special for your mom.

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  5. What an elegant hotel! Perfect for Mother's Day. I love the tropical details.

    http://liveitinerantly.com/

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  6. Vanessa Steil-Living in SteilMay 19, 2014 at 1:27 PM

    Thanks for sharing more photos! It sounds like you and your mom had a wonderful time. I am glad the staff were able to make the trip so special and memorable for both of you!

    It is a hotel that everyone should experience at least once in their lives! It's truly a magical place.

    Vanessa
    www.livinginsteil.com

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  7. Molly, thanks for the wonderful post. It was indeed a magical weekend and I loved sharing it with you and Punky. Your pictures are gorgeous and captured the essence of the Greenbrier. I especially like the one in the main dining room. Wow!

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  8. Yay Greenbrier part 2!! Look at those rooms, chocolates and ice-cream shop. Honestly my eyes feel overwhelmed with all the beauty and colour!! <3 What a charming place + the history is just so wonderful too!! Hope your week is off to a fab start, girly!! xoxo

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  9. You're killing it as usual with these photos. Watch me go pin every single one onto my "covet" board!

    x Lily
    http://whilemyboyfriendsaway.blogspot.com/

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