By VGP Blogger, Rachel B
I had a brief retreat last week at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia. The winter weather in the DC area made it a good week to be cozy in their many conference rooms and working, despite the fact that the large property itself (500 acres) is well known for its golfing and wedding venue. It is also nearby Virginia wine country and only 8 miles from Dulles Airport. Given the freezing temps and blizzard that kicked us out early, I can’t speak to the outdoor facilities but I will say it was an excellent place for a conference.
Copyright: Lansdowne Resort
I can see how the resort itself would be a good spot for warm or cold weather. It had the feel of a lodge and had a few fireplaces throughout the lobby. It was a very large complex, with 20 or so conference rooms that I noticed. I must say that the staff at Lansdowne went above and beyond in service. Our 40 person conference was cut short because of a snowstorm and Lansdowne was very quick and flexible to help us with our travel arrangements.
What really stood out at Lansdowne to our group was the food. The meeting areas had very nice food stations with many coffee, tea and snack options. They had healthy options like dried fruit, fresh smoothies, and yogurt as well as homemade sweet treats such as cookies and breads. Breakfast and lunch was included in our package at Riverside Hearth. For breakfast, there were the standard eggs and bacon offerings along with quiches, frittatas, fresh fruit, baked goods, house-made granola, yogurt parfaits and smoothies. You could also request made-to-order eggs, omelets, waffles and pancakes. At lunch, they had fresh vegetables, house-made dressings, and homemade soups. A variety of hot entrees were available each day, including basics as well as some ethnic food and fabulous vegetarian options.
My group spent one night’s free time at Stonewalls Tavern, the signature bar at the resort. This was a large, casual spot with a massive fireplace and sports bar atmosphere. There was a pool table, Nintendo Wii, and many TV’s to catch the Olympics that were on during our trip.
The hotel rooms were a bit outdated but were clean and sufficient for a short stay. They had a natural, lodge feel as well. The bed itself did not compare with those at a Hilton or Starwood property. The sheets were scratchy and uncomfortable with two tiny pillows. That was my biggest complaint about the room itself
Lansdowne is home to Spa Minérale, which I did unfortunately not have time to visit. I wasn’t too intrigued though by the brochure in our hotel which was very outdated and gave little details on the spa offerings.
That property is often used by United Airlines to put up passengers who misconnect on international flights. I have stayed there twice in the last year and found the rooms very comfortable and spacious. I was quite suppressed that UA bussed a whole plane there and arranged for late night buffet food service for the entire flight. They did a good job.
@Joshua Pickles, wow, I’ve never known of an airline arranging for food for the whole flight. That’s cool.