Eternal springs
One of the country’s first golf courses, the Old Course dates to 1895 and spans the work of golf course architects Spencer Oldham, A.W. Tillinghast and Donald Ross.
According to the resort, “legend has it that daring sons of visiting dignitaries would plunge into the two-story pool from its upper level.” It’s fed by one of the property’s springs.
The property features concierge services, a 24-hour business center and a kids program, among other amenities.
Guest rooms feature down comforters, Wi-Fi and flat-screen televisions. Some rooms boast balconies with rocking chairs, marble floors and work desks. There also are pet-friendly accommodations.
Roughly a two-hour drive to the east sits a historical resort that time, though it has surely tried, has failed to touch. The Omni Bedford Springs Resort had its beginnings in 1796 as a medicinal destination, when Dr. John Anderson discovered the eight springs, each purported to have different curative properties – including sulfur and magnesium, the latter touted as being good for digestion.
American Indians, of course, had known about the springs for many years prior to Anderson, but it was his ownership of the 2,200 acres that allowed word to spread globally – quite a feat for that era.
“Folks began to come from all over to take advantage of the medicinal properties of these springs, so eventually the hotel developed out of that,” says the property’s director of sales and marketing, John Hess.
Over time, it grew into a luxury resort. From 1941 to 1943, the U.S. Navy occupied the property and used it as a training facility for radio operators. Then, from 1943 to 1945, Japanese diplomats who were captured in Germany during World War II were housed at the resort.
Twelve presidents have stayed at the property over the years, and while President George W. Bush didn’t actually stay overnight, he did play golf there.
In fact, in addition to the springs, its golf course is a major attraction in and of itself.
“The golf course was originally built in the late 1800s, and it’s been redesigned by several famous individuals, including Donald Ross. It was most recently re-envisioned by Ronald Forse of Forse designs,” Hess says. “Golf is huge for us. We are right now in the middle of a $2.5 million project – building a new clubhouse for the golf course.”
The clubhouse is slated to open June 1, and will feature a new, yet-to-be-named restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the 18-hole course.
Walking through the historic resort, through its intricate indoor pool area with small marble tiles adorning the floor and walls, it’s hard to imagine that what one sees today was almost lost forever, due to a flood in the 1980s.
“Shortly after the flood, the owners ran out of money and the resort closed down,” Hess says. “The golf course remained open during that time period. In the early 2000s, a group of investors got together and spent more than $120 million to basically rebuild the property, not quite from the ground up, but just about. So we’ve been open for nine years now, and it’s been a pretty exciting adventure to see some of these things take place.”
The restorations have been so well done that it’s almost impossible to tell what’s original and what’s not.
While the outdoor activities that the Omni Bedford Springs offers – including golf, an outdoor pool, 200-year-old hiking trails and UTV tours – aren’t able to be enjoyed year-round, it’s still worth the trip during the colder months.
For Valentine’s Day, for example, the resort is offering a themed wine dinner Feb. 10. Should you choose to actually celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14 – it falls on a Tuesday this year – there will be a prix fixe menu in the Crystal Room and overnight accommodations for just $199.
“There is a sense of place here – to me, it’s like magic,” Hess says. “It’s a feeling you get when you walk on the property and you see the photography of folks from times long gone by that have been here, and you can just get a sense for the rich history. It takes you to another time and place and brings another level of relaxation that is very difficult to find in our modern world.”
One very important tip if you go: plug 2198 Sweet Root Road, Bedford, into your GPS. Should you use its mailing address on Business Route 220, you’ll end up going out of your way and having to turn around.
For more information or to make reservations, visit www.omnihotels.com/hotels/bedford-springs.