Salamander Resort & Spa opened late last month in Virginia.
The equestrian-inspired resort occupies 340 acres (1389 hectares) in Middleburg, an hour outside of Washington, D.C., Salamander says it is the only new luxury destination resort to open this year in the U.S.
Salamander Hotels & Resorts Founder and CEO Sheila C. Johnson owns the property. Her nearby farm served as the architectural inspiration for the 168-key resort. The design architect is WATG, based in Irvine, California, and the architect of record is Architecture, Inc. of Reston, Virginia. Thomas Pheasant supplied the inspiration for the interior design; Kent Interior Design of Atlanta provided interior design completion.
The rooms have an interpretation of a traditional canopy bed, a sitting area with a sofa, a dining table for two, and a writing desk; many also have a working fireplace. All guestrooms have a balcony or terrace. Guest bathrooms offer marble showers with body jets, soaking tubs, dual sinks, and a television. The 17 suites include a 1,680-sq-ft (156-sq-m) Owner’s Suite, decorated with antiques and collectables from Johnson’s collection.
The property has a residential theme that is intended to give guests the sense that the building evolved over centuries. The four floors are themed by season and decorated with Johnson’s photography. The Living Room, the first space guests encounter upon entering Salamander Resort & Spa, has two grand fireplaces, furniture grouped for conversation, and wide, distressed oak plank flooring. A large stone terrace and a 100,000-sq-ft (9,290-sq-m) Grand Lawn are located outside the Living Room.
The culinary team that oversees the resort’s food and beverage offerings includes Culinary Director Todd Gray, Executive Chef Sean McKee, Chef de Cuisine Chris Edwards and Pastry Chef Jason Reaves. Harrimans Grill, which overlooks the Bull Run Mountain Range, serves steaks, chops and other dishes that are intended to celebrate Virginia’s Piedmont region. The Gold Cup Wine Bar, designed like a winery tasting room with a brick floor and wood-beamed ceiling, serves wine flights from around the world. The two-acre culinary garden includes a dining area and features in cooking classes, which also take place in the cooking studio with a retractable wall into the resort’s working kitchen and three video cameras.
The Salamander Spa includes 14 rooms with private stone treatment terraces and fireplaces; the couples’ suite has a private patio and hot tub. The locker rooms offer whirlpools, aromatic steam rooms, stone tepidarium chairs and experiential showers. The spa’s courtyard features an infinity pool, private cabanas, a whirlpool, a fire pit and a dining cafe. The spa also offers a salon and a fitness facility with an indoor pool, cardio and weight room, and movement studios for classes such as yoga and tai chi.
The resort includes a full-service equestrian center with a riding ring, nine paddocks, and miles of trails. Guests can board their own horses in the 22-stall stable; riding instruction and clinics are also available. Additional activities include tours of the nearby vineyards, nature tours, an outdoor family pool, tennis courts, and nearby historical sites.
The resort also offers facilities for corporate and association meetings, as well as weddings, with venues such as the Middleburg Grand Ballroom and a variety of stone courtyards.
Salamander Hotels & Resorts, founded in 2005, operates Innisbrook, Reunion and Hammock Beach resorts in Florida.
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