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Photo courtesy of Primland
Primland aerial view
Primland aerial view
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Photo by Samantha Shimer
A cozy spot to relax at Primland
A cozy spot to relax at Primland
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Photo by Samantha Shimer
A relaxing spot at Primland
A relaxing spot at Primland
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Flowers at Red Truck Bakery
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Primland
PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA SHIMER
If you're trying to get away from it all, make plans to head south to Meadows of Dan in southern Virginia to Primland, a luxury resort that offers loads of activities and incredible views.
We took a long weekend recently to visit this special place.
We fortified our six-hour drive with a stop for coffee and bourbon cake at Red Truck Bakery in Marshall. (On the way home, we made a visit to Cranberry's Grocery & Eatery in Staunton. Be sure to try the cheese grits casserole with chili sauce and bacon.)
On the weekend we visited, it was rather foggy, which made it a little difficult to see but nonetheless there were gorgeous views everywhere you looked. Enter the gates at Primland, and you’ll drive another six miles up the Blue Ridge Mountains, passing breathtaking views and tall pines before rounding the corner to a view of the lodge, which sits at 3,000 feet above sea level.
STAYING AT PRIMLAND
Appearing to float above the clouds, Primland is simultaneously rustic and luxurious –– greeting guests with an impressive lodge that features cozy sitting areas, large roaring fires, fun board games and big windows featuring picturesque views of the golf course and Blue Ridge Mountain range.
You'll have your pick of staying in a room at the lodge, or in a cottage or "treehouse." We stayed in a very comfortable room in the lodge with a kitchenette, a sitting area, dining room and more.
The resort was created by the late French-Swiss billionaire Didier Primat, whose family built the petro giant Schlumberger.
During our recent visit, Primland welcomed guests for a weekend spa retreat complete with early morning yoga, a variety of juices and exclusive time to meditate in the pool and enjoy a variety of spa treatments. (While this was a spa-specific weekend, elements of it can be recreated for any trip, just ask ahead.)
Take your most deserving girlfriend and whether they’re in the mood for a rugged, “return to nature” weekend or looking to bask in five-star luxury complete with massages and great wine –– they’re in for a treat.
MIND + BODY
When we arrived, we settled into a beautiful suite overlooking the golf course and then met Primland’s spa director, Sabrina Antoine, who indulged us in every question related to wellness and skincare over a cozy dinner in Primland’s intimate restaurant, Elements. (She noted that all of the wood paneling in the restaurant was harvested from trees on the property.)
Sabrina joined Primland this past February, after a stint at the Four Seasons –– and is looking forward to the creative freedom that Primland has offered her. The daughter of an esthetician and hotelier, she has a game plan to revitalize Primland’s spa with new ideas such as planning weekend wellness retreats. She explained over dinner that the wellness movement and businesses like Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP are changing how hotels are thinking about their spas. It isn’t just about a great massage or facial –– clients are looking to be transformed on the inside, too.
Over the span of two days, we woke up early for a yoga class in the Lodge’s library with 360-degree views, meditated in the pool and drank enough produce to leave us glowing from the inside out.
ACTIVITIES
Primland offers just about everything. Skeet shooting, golf, ax-throwing and taking four-wheelers off-roading (yes, we did this, and loved it!) are just a few of the activities offered by the resort. When we went off-roading, we signed a waiver and were given helmets and followed an instructor over hill and dale, up rugged, rock-strewn woods for two hours of fun.
Afterward we enjoyed an al fresco dinner — a delicious salmon salad and grilled chicken sandwich — at the 19th Hole Pub patio, where we watched the sun set over the mountains.
It's a long drive to Primland so be sure to plan to stay for more than a quick weekend — if you leave on a Monday you'll likely have less traffic heading home.
