Winter at The Omni Homestead Resort offers a slice of snowy mountain heaven with gentle ski slopes, romantic nights on the ice rink and decadent spa services for one or two.
Note: The story below appears in our Jan./Feb. 2015 issue. For the full story download our FREE iOS app or view our digital edition for FREE today!
I have never been particularly good at relaxing, but I have finally found something to coax me into utter passivity. I am lying face down on crisp white sheets, eyes closed, hair gathered gently above my neck as a spa therapist expertly scrubs the neglected skin of my back into baby softness with a vanilla sugar exfoliant. Next it’s my calves and thighs, then my so often overlooked feet. It is over almost too quickly, but I am not disappointed when she turns on the hot, massaging spray of a 16-jet Swiss mineral shower to leave my body glistening with its new skin.
But this isn’t all. She coats my skin with an apricot-scented body mask and wraps me in warm towels to open my pores and hydrate my winter-battered skin. Then when this is done, her deft hands begin caressing my muscles into limpness with apricot cream, releasing all the deep aches of my writer’s hands with her supple fingers that know all the perfect pressure points for putting mind and body at ease. This Apricot and Sweet Vanilla Wrap is only one among many signature treatments offered at The Omni Homestead in Hot Springs.
And while it’s true most visitors flock here in winter for the snow sports, I’m particularly smitten with being pampered at the resort’s 1892 spa, surrounded by its trim English gardens and bubbling hot mineral pool (for dipping feet in warmer weather).
From the moment I am received at the front desk until I have finally been divested of my fluffy robe and rubber slippers, my every need is anticipated before I can even ask.
This is living, and I highly recommend it.
There are countless spa therapies offered here for men, women and children, ranging from body polishes and clay treatments for hair and scalp to deep tissue massage and chocolate milk baths for the little one’s feet.
And all spa guests can partake of steam and sauna facilities as well as the historic 74-foot spring-fed pool, which maintains a temperature of about 89 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. Guests can also visit the nearby Jefferson Pools, where the original 1761 men’s bathhouse still stands over a pool of bubbling mineral water, and take a relaxing journey into spa history.
Originally constructed in 1766, The Omni Homestead is a 2,000-acre resort and 483-room hotel situated in the isolated mountains of Bath County. The area now known as Hot Springs was famous for its warm mineral baths long before The Homestead, however. Before the construction of the hotel, visitors frequented the area for its warm mineral baths. Among the more famous guests of the Jefferson Pools were Thomas Jefferson and later Robert E. Lee.
Though well-known for its three mountain golf courses, in winter, it’s the skiing and other snow sports that draw guests eager to break out of cabin fever and get outdoors.
The resort offers pretty much every winter activity under the sun. The resort has nine downhill runs for skiers as well as a terrain park and halfpipe area for snowboarders. The resort’s many gentle slopes make it an ideal ski spot for families and for beginning skiers.
My personal favorite for winter fun, however, is the Olympic-size skating rink, and children flock to the snow tubing area. Those who prefer the quiet of the winter woods can sign up for a cross-country ski tour, hot cider included. Snowmobile instruction and tours are also available.
And after a day of play in the snow, warm up with S’mores around the fire pit on the lawn of The Casino.
During the winter months, The Omni Homestead offers a variety of special packages, including ones with lift tickets as well as a package where the whole family can learn to ski in a weekend.