Nemacolin

So much has been written about Nemacolin, what can I add? This is one of America’s great resorts, and yes it comes at a price. But you get what you pay for. With a huge staff available to cater to your every need and desire, you should pay more. It’s worth every penny. We had a blast on a three-day visit in January, despite deep snow and bitter cold temperatures. From the moment we arrived on the property, we knew we would have a great time. Coming in January naturally meant several activities were closed for the winter, and others had reduced hours (all of which we helpfully posted on their website which made advance planning easy). We opted for a King Suite in the Lodge, and it was lovely, with one of the most comfortable hotel beds we have ever had and a great bathroom with tub and separate shower, and a nice living room. The indoor property is large, and when it was below zero outside we walked extensively indoors, past shops, eateries and the spa. We had it nearly to ourselves. Many people had cancelled due to a snow and ice storm, and it made Nemacolin even more special for us. On one night, only 10 of 56 rooms in the Lodge were occupied. The staff were simply amazing, and couldn’t have been more helpful. All were so memorable that I feel I should mention them all by name. On arrival, Morgan the valet greeted us and unloaded and then parked the car. Front desk staff like Dewa in the Lodge and concierge Lisa in the Chateau answered our every question. Our butler Justin gave us a great tour of the property while we sipped complimentary champagne. We fell in love with the Patisserie and picked up lattes and breakfast there each day. Under the direction of Paige, Karen and April, we were never disappointed. In the restaurants, Dennis was an excellent server in Fawn and Fable, where we had a great meal of lamb chops and a to die for New York strip. We ate dinner on the second night at Gusto, and enjoyed branzini and an amazing tiramisu; Katie knew the menu well. Ashley, who handles high tea in the Bleu Room was charming and knew a great deal about tea, and made the affair special (there was only one other couple there when we went). Not needing a full dinner after the huge offerings at tea, we found ourselves one of two couples eating dinner in the Circle Bar, where Zoe took great care of us. There we met Sean, Vice President of Food and Beverage, and had a fascinating talk. He introduced us to Director of Wine, Melanie, who was a delight to talk to and told us so much about wine in a resort that has Pennsylvania’s largest wine cellar. Despite sub zero wind chill, we walked a lot, including to the Peak, where Kay Lynn helped us with cosmic bowling and axe throwing (the “Frostbite Warning” sign kept us out of the outdoor pool). One day we asked concierge Lisa to arrange a tour of the property for us, and within 3 minutes, driver Randy arrived with a shuttle and gave us a thorough tour of about 40 minutes. (Note: We should have done this our first morning. It was a great orientation to the 2200-acre property). He recommend we tour the airplane hanger, with three vintage airplanes. As one of the few places on campus that is open only by request, he called Security who arrived in minutes to open it and visit it with us. From there we walked to the Auto Toy Store to see the Hardy family’s collection of fine automobiles. Another shuttle driver, Dawn, was so fun, having a bubble machine in her shuttle! On another day we went to the gallery at “Reflections”. On a sunny cold morning, we found the snow covered hills more attractive than the avant guard modern art. We also visited the Golf Academy, lonely on a snowy day, and learned what they could teach our family members who are learning or perfecting their games. And on our final day, we went for an Italian cooking class at Gusto, where sous chef Eddie and server Jodel made it fun and enjoyable. Why did I mention all these staff by name: because they were so good! Will we come back? Of course, but like anyplace you visit, we think this first stay will be our most memorable.

The glorious location and accommodations, the superb customer experience and excellent fine dining.

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Amazing resort!

First time, and service was great! We visited with our family (2 kids, 9 and 14) and adults aged 35 to 80. We had a great time and stayed on Christmas Eve at the Chateau. The decorations were beautiful, and the food was delicious. We had the Christmas brunch at Fawn and Fable and though expensive, everyone got to eat what they wanted so it was very convenient. We also did the clay pigeon shooting and the art class (wool felting), and both were fun. Though we didn’t visit the pool, we did walk around the spa and fitness center and it was very “fancy” as my kids said. We would definitely return, and while pricey, it felt luxurious.

This December marked our fourth consecutive year visiting Nemacolin as a family. While we’ve loved this resort in the past, we’ll likely skip next year or visit outside the Christmas season. We continue to visit during Christmas because the holiday lights, village, and overall vibe are fantastic. You absolutely pay a premium this time of year, but historically I justified it because of the unique experiences Nemacolin offered. I truly believe this can be a 5-star resort—but this year I rated it 3 stars because too many small details were missed, especially considering the extremely high prices for rooms and on-property spending. In prior years I would have rated this closer to 4.5 stars. What Nemacolin Does Extremely Well • The heated outdoor pool and hot tub at The Peak are incredible. Swimming outdoors in winter is such a unique experience. You can watch skiers (when open), sit by fire pits, enjoy the huge TV, grab warm towels from the saunas, and order drinks from attentive wait staff. This area alone has been a major reason we keep coming back. • Food quality is generally excellent, though expensive. o Gusto (Italian) is outstanding—easily 5 stars. o The steakhouse had been hit-or-miss in past years, but this year it was the best we’ve experienced, so something is improving there. o Pool food (pizza, chili, giant pretzels) is consistently excellent. • Ambiance is beautiful. The decorations throughout the resort are well done, bar areas feel clean and modern, and the lobby is gorgeous. • Unique activities you don’t find everywhere: snow tubing, small-scale Ski resort (Ski amenity not resort), the zoo, Hardy Gym for kids, rope climbing, and other random but fun experiences that we’ve enjoyed over the years. Why This Visit Was Disappointing Unfortunately, this year felt like Nemacolin cut corners across multiple areas, and when I raised these concerns with management, there was no meaningful response or accountability. • No more Christmas trees in the rooms. This used to be such a special and memorable touch. Now you can add one for $400. Management said this was done for “inclusivity,” which doesn’t make much sense when the entire resort is covered in Christmas decorations. It felt far more like a cost-cutting decision. • The lazy river pool is no longer open in winter. The Peak has two large pools, and for the past three winters the lazy river was heated and open. That is no longer the case, which reduces the winter pool experience. • No more heated bathrobes readily available at the saunas. Previously, warm robes were available when exiting the pool. Now you must ask a server (if they have them), and even then they sit out and get cold quickly. When we asked, they were completely out. Again, this felt like another cost-saving move. • The free Santa and Elf experience is gone, and Christmas Village hours are very limited. They’ve added a Santa breakfast instead, which costs $700+ for a family of five. This used to be a major highlight of visiting during Christmas, and now it’s harder to access and no longer complimentary. When I called ahead to plan our stay, no one mentioned this change, so we discovered it only after arrival. • No more free Hot Chocolate for kids in Lobby Tips If You Decide to Book • Go straight to The Peak if your room isn’t ready. There are changing rooms, and you can drive right up. By the time you’re done, your room is often ready. • Book dining reservations immediately after booking your stay. This has been frustrating every year. You’ll be told reservations aren’t available, yet restaurants appear far from full. Call early and push for clarity. Also ask detailed questions about activities—some even require reservations despite being “free.” • Confirm your room details very carefully. Across four visits: o Visit 1: Booked the Lodge based on remodeled photos; room was not remodeled (they acknowledged the mistake). o Visit 2: Booked the Chateau, arrived to find it closed and was moved to the Lodge with no prior notice. o Visit 3: Perfect experience. o Visit 4: Thought I booked the same room as visit 3; front desk admitted they could see why I was confused but said we technically received what we paid for. Call ahead and get clarity—don’t assume. Final Thoughts Nemacolin is a truly unique resort with some outstanding amenities. It can be a 5-star experience. But when you’re charging 5-star prices and repeatedly missing small but meaningful details, it’s hard to justify a top rating. I decided to write this long review because I genuinely felt management did not care when these issues were raised. We’ll likely return at some point, but we plan to take at least a year off and try something new.

My wife and I are frequent visitors and usually very much enjoy our visits. This visit was different. As I waited in the spa’s men’s lounge for my massage, the chair I sat in broke. The wooden support on the right side shattered and threw me to the right. I hurt my leg and shoulder. I think their chairs should safely hold a 190 pound man. I was twice promised that they would send me pictures of the chair but I never got them. I also wrote a letter. I never got a response, not even someone asking me how I was. After going there regularly for 20 years, we deserved better.

Nemacolin is absolutely perfect. Everything there is top notch from the water bottles, refill stations everywhere to the electronic toilet which was awesome to the electronics in the room. The room in the Chateau was beautiful and so clean. Lots of wonderful amenities also. We enjoyed walking around the entire facility. There is so much to see including the beautiful sculptures tucked everywhere. They were setting up the Christmas lights while we were there which looked like they would be absolutely amazing. The spa and spa treatments were fabulous. Food is amazing. I absolutely loved our getaway and will start saving up for my next trip there. I did think it was very expensive but well worth the experience.

The absolute best luxury resort and my wonderful husband surprised me with this opportunity for a milestone birthday! The staff and service is IMPECCABLE. Chateau property is incredible. You receive the same outstanding service whether golfing, at the Circle Bar, dining at Fawn and Fable or getting support from your nightly butler including the parking valet team and front desk. We will totally be back - stunning overall.

During our stay the atmosphere was amazing and the dining was fantastic. Staff were friendly and helpful. The dining staff were knowledgeable and entertaining. Overall experience was top notch. Looking forward to booking our next visit.

Nemacolin is a beautiful resort. It is expensive but you know that going in. For the most part our trip was lovely. We stayed at Falling Rock as we were there to play golf. Check in for us wasn’t the greatest. Just didn’t feel high end to us. No explanation of included items such as breakfast and the Holistic Center. No explanation of the property in general or a map given. As our room wasn’t ready we went o grab a bite to eat. I needed to order something to be delivered and while I was ordering my account was hacked. Turns out their internet connection was not secure resulting in numerous false charges to our CC card. Had to cancel our card. Not a great start. Our butlers Anthony and Andrew were wonderful. The housekeeping staff is amazing! Food at Aqueous was good. We only ate there for lunch and breakfast. We were a bit disappointed in the golf staff. Course is beautiful but prior to arriving we were told that Shepherds Rock was closed during our stay. Found out it was open at least one of the days we were there. Oh well. So we played 2 days at Mystic which is a lovely course. However, on the first day my husband was unable to play the final three holes because a large group was sent out on the 16th and 18th holes while we were on 15. Option was to quit or wait for 2 foursomes to play ahead of us. Sorry that is just wrong. Paid for 18 holes and not able to complete them. The second day we were told there was a frost delay and to go to the range. We saw two groups practicing. Got back to the starter who instead of sending the 2 of us out ahead of the two foursomes made us wait resulting in a front 9 of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Fortunately for us the 2 groups took a break at the halfway house so we were able to jump ahead and finish the back 9 in an 1 1/2. If we stayed behind those two group it would have been over a five hour round as we watched that group come in from our balcony. Not the relaxing enjoyable round we had hoped for. My husband did the jeep off-roading and loved it. I had a massage with Tammy at the spa and she was wonderful. We also took the cooking class at Gusto which was enjoyable though think it was overpriced. Chef Eddie as well as the kind gentleman who took care of us were both great. Fawn and Fable was excellent in terms of food and service. Shout out to John and Violet who made our night so enjoyable. Make sure to review your bill periodically as we had some charges that needed to be removed. Overall nice stay.