If you’ve never experienced The Greenbrier Resort, it falls somewhere between a Wes Anderson film and Gone with the Wind. In fact, there’s even a chandelier in the resort that is from the actual movie. I’m a big advocate for weekend getaway trips (any trips, really). Luckily for us, there are a lot of great places within a reasonable distance from Pittsburgh that we are able to visit on short notice. The Greenbrier Resort took us 3 hours and 45 minutes (that’s including a short stop) to get to the rolling mountains of West Virginia.

The weekend we arrived, it was the coldest it had been all winter (negative windchills!). The resort is so big that it didn’t bother us one bit being inside all weekend, it sure beat being stuck in our house. Our 22 month old had a great time running through and exploring the resort, there really is no shortage of space here and lots of spaces to explore. Surprisingly, they were much more kid friendly than I had expected. There were plenty of little events geared toward family and children.

You could find kids playing and laughing in the pool, there were children’s menus at every restaurant (even the main dining room), ice skating in the winter months, the secret bunker tour that makes you feel like a spy, a child’s movie at the theater every night, and bowling lanes with a small arcade (although the arcade area could definitely use some sprucing up).

There were painting classes offered the weekend we were there from a local artist. A lot of people liked the painting I had posted on instagram and it was from the class I took that was in this room! I recommend taking a class, especially since you get to sit in this gorgeous light filled room and maybe even pick up a new skill.

Sure, there were things my husband and I didn’t get to enjoy because we made it a family trip with our little one. Mainly the wine and chocolate tasting that we really wanted to do and going to the Casino (I don’t gamble, but the atmosphere here is so fun).

If you’re so inclined, there is the option of in room babysitting or if your child is 3-14 you could take them to the “adventure zone” for a couple hours. Along with lots of other shops, there is a large toy store on site that we were frequent visitors of. They offer storytime and it’s a good place for your little one to make a friend!

Some of my favorite’s from my instagram pictures. Left to Right and Top to Bottom: waiting around for dinner outside the bowling lanes, the chandelier from the spa’s relaxation room, a shot of our room, one of the many seating areas in the resort.

The indoor pool pictured below (that draping!), plus there’s an infinity pool outside for the warmer months.

I touched on this in my post about weekend getaway packing tips, but there are some things to know about the dress code. I know it may be a turnoff to hear “dress code” but hear me out, it’s not extreme at all. If anything, it’s more to keep the integrity of the resort and just makes sense given the atmosphere. Plus, nobody wants to feel like the weirdo in ripped jeans who didn’t get the memo. So remember, make sure for men to bring a jacket if you’ll be having dinner in the main dining room and for access to the casino. For everyone, don’t wear light jeans (dark are fine though) and no shorts at dinner. I believe that’s it!

So you have to have noticed by now all the surprisingly bold patterns and combinations used in this resort. The designer, Dorothy Draper was the first woman interior designer. She really was a true pioneer in the industry and artist who created the “modern baroque” style.

In fact, she is responsible for even making the term “decorator” a real thing and was hired to re-decorate the resort after World War II. As you can see, she definitely didn’t hold back. Carlton Varney (her protégé) runs Dorothy Draper & Company Inc. and oversees the ongoing design of the hotel, including the recent expansion (he’s there on occasion, I met him once!). The grandeur, pattern mixing and bold colors are surely a major part of what makes this a fun, interesting and inspiring place to visit.

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