HOT SPRINGS, Virginia—The Omni Homestead Resort, located on more than 2,000 acres, has officially begun an over $120 million property-wide renovation. Marking the latest chapter in the history of the resort, the restoration will include façade work, a new event facility, an associate housing complex, updated guestrooms, refreshed public spaces, infrastructure improvements, and new amenities.
“These projects are more than just improvements to the resort. It’s an investment in our associates and our community,” said Mark Spadoni, managing director. “We are very excited about these plans and are especially pleased to be doing so in a manner that preserves our resort’s history, extending its legacy for generations of families to come.”
Façade improvements, including brick repointing, painting, and window restoration will begin in late October. Guestrooms in the main building, tower, east, west, and garden wings will all be updated with a comfortable design in keeping with the vintage style. Martha’s Market, the property’s grab-and-go café, will be remodeled with a new coffee counter, ice cream display, and bistro-style design opening to the updated Washington Library. The Lobby Bar will expand into the Georgian Room with a new speakeasy-style lounge.
“We have amazing plans for this resort but first, we want to keep it looking historic. This renovation is about restoring a piece of American history. This iconic resort, in the hills of Virginia, is going to be restored to its grandeur that it once was,” added Peter Strebel, president of Omni Hotels and Resorts. “We have hired some of the top historic preservation and rehabilitation teams to ensure that we preserve this grand dame. Complete Property Services (CPS) not only has an incredible pedigree and long-established track record of excellent work, but we also share their commitment to giving back to their community. Just as our Say Goodnight to Hunger program provides meals to those in need in the communities where our hotels and resorts are located, CPS has been supporting Feeding Tampa Bay (part of Feeding America), Feeding Children Everywhere and Habitat for Humanity. Their team recently packed more than 20,000 meals for Feeding Tampa Bay, and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with them on this project, and other efforts in the future.”
CPS of Tampa has been tapped to restore the resort’s facade including the restoration of 978 original wood windows and hundreds of doors. The firm will also repair all stucco, terracotta, limestone, and brick masonry on the hotel and spa exterior surfaces, as well as the roof above the Great Hall. In addition, balcony deck work will be completed on the garden wing, tower terraces, west wing porches, and Presidential Suite balconies. In all, the exterior work will take 16 months to complete using a CPS crew of 20-30 trained historic restoration technicians, along with local construction trades. The Homestead project team will be led by Joe Poznoski, senior project manager, and a 22-year veteran of the company Leta Hardy, vice president. Designed by Arnold & Associates with architectural and interior design support from Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo (WATG), both companies will also oversee the project.
“We have been fortunate to work on some incredible projects, but this one is especially meaningful, and we are humbled to have been selected to preserve this iconic resort. Our entire CPS team is proud to be performing this restoration as we appreciate its importance to the guests, associates, and community. It is not every day that you get to work on such a historical property,” said Hardy, vice president of CPS.
The Omni Homestead Resort is known for locally inspired cuisine, and renovations to the dining venues are a pillar of The Omni Homestead Resort’s plans. The theater will be converted into a small bar with dinner-theater style seating, while the Casino Building will see the main-floor Pro Shop converted into a fast-casual picnic-style dining experience. Jefferson’s, Rubino’s at The Cascades, and The Dining Room will have features such as new hardwood flooring, chandelier fixtures, and tile accents.
As a top meeting site in Virginia and Washington D.C., The Omni Homestead Resort will be adding 4,000 square feet of meeting space to the resort’s existing 72,000 square feet of function space. A new event pavilion, located at the north end of the old course driving range, will be for weddings and special events. With a capacity for 225, the new venue will have the full capability to create a hybrid indoor/outdoor experience with views of the tower, east, and west wings. It will also feature a bridal suite and prep kitchen. The design of the space is modeled from the pre-1902 buildings on the property with wood-clad walls, brick pathways, stained concrete floors, and lantern-like light fixtures.
Another component of the project is the construction of a new associate housing building. Located in downtown Hot Springs, the building will include 50 two-person units, community living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry, and fitness facility, as well as a half-court basketball court and an outdoor picnic area with grills. Construction will begin in early 2022 and be completed in spring 2023.
