Formerly: The Homestead · The Homestead Hotel
Hot Springs, Virginia · Founded 1766 · Building: 1902–1929, following the 1901 fire
A Virginia mineral-springs resort tracing its lineage to 1766, rebuilt in stages after the 1901 fire and now operated by Omni.
The Omni Homestead Resort traces its origins to Captain Thomas Bullitt's 1766 18-room log hotel near Virginia's mineral springs. A 1901 fire destroyed the earlier wooden hotel buildings, and the present brick complex emerged in stages from the Great Hall's 1902 completion through later wings and a central tower completed in 1929. Omni Hotels & Resorts acquired the 2,300-acre resort property in 2013 and has invested heavily in recent restoration work.
Captain Thomas Bullitt builds an 18-room log hotel near the mineral springs, beginning the Homestead resort tradition.
Source: National Trust for Historic Preservation, "The Story Behind the Comprehensive Rehabilitation of the Omni Homestead Resort"; Historic Hotels of America, "History of The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa"
Thomas Jefferson spends time at the mineral springs; later resort histories associate his 1818 stay with a three-week visit to take the waters.
Source: Historic Hotels of America, Omni Homestead Resort history; Links Magazine, March 12, 2025
The Old Course opens for play. Resort and golf sources describe its first tee as the oldest continuously used tee in the United States, a comparative claim not independently verified in this audit.
Source: Links Magazine, March 12, 2025; The Omni Homestead Old Course listing
A fire that begins in the pastry kitchen destroys the existing hotel buildings, prompting immediate plans for a new main hotel.
Source: Omni Homestead Resort, "History"; National Trust for Historic Preservation, January 8, 2024
The Great Hall of the post-fire main hotel is completed and opens as the first major phase of reconstruction.
Source: National Trust for Historic Preservation, January 8, 2024; Omni Homestead Resort, "History"
Additional wings are added to the post-fire hotel complex.
Source: Historical accounts of the Homestead reconstruction chronology
Further hotel expansion adds another major wing to the rebuilt resort complex.
Source: Historical accounts of the Homestead reconstruction chronology
The central tower is completed, concluding the principal 1901–1929 building campaign of the current hotel complex.
Source: National Trust for Historic Preservation, January 8, 2024; historical reconstruction chronology
During the Second World War, the Homestead is used by the U.S. government for military accommodation and detention of Axis diplomats.
Source: Walter P Moore, "Renovating the Iconic Omni Homestead Resort"
The Homestead receives National Historic Landmark designation.
Source: National Trust for Historic Preservation, January 8, 2024
Omni Hotels & Resorts completes its acquisition of The Homestead and reflags it as The Omni Homestead Resort.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts, July 1, 2013; Virginia Business, July 1, 2013
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
Omni and Historic Hotels of America state that 23 U.S. presidents have visited or stayed at the resort. The audit did not inspect guest registers, presidential itineraries, or a complete presidential list, so the count is retained as an attributed institutional claim rather than independently documented fact.
The Old Course opened in 1892, and resort/golf sources describe its first tee as the nation's oldest continuously used tee. This audit did not retrieve a USGA record or complete a nationwide comparison of tee histories, so the superlative remains plausible rather than documented.
National Trust and Historic Hotels of America histories identify Captain Thomas Bullitt's 1766 18-room log hotel near the mineral springs as the start of the Homestead's resort lineage. This does not mean that any 1766 hotel structure remains in the present main building.
The original 1766 hotel was a log structure. A fire destroyed the earlier wooden resort buildings in 1901, and the current brick complex was constructed in phases from 1902 through 1929.
A rehabilitation account of the resort says it housed military personnel and served as an internment site for Axis diplomats under U.S. State Department direction during the Second World War. This audit did not establish exact dates, detainee numbers, or the full legal framework of the detention operation.
Jefferson's association with the mineral springs and an 1818 stay is well known, but this audit found no reliable architectural record proving that he designed the nearby octagonal bathhouse. The design attribution should not be published as fact.
The main brick building of The Homestead has stood since 1766.
The 1766 hotel was a log structure. Fire destroyed the older wooden resort buildings in 1901, and the present brick hotel complex was constructed in phases from 1902 to 1929.
Source: National Trust for Historic Preservation, January 8, 2024; Omni Homestead Resort, "History"
The present Omni Homestead Resort was acquired by Omni in 1993.
Omni Hotels & Resorts completed its purchase of The Homestead in 2013 and reflagged it as The Omni Homestead Resort.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts, July 1, 2013; Virginia Business, July 1, 2013
Thomas Jefferson designed the nearby octagonal Warm Springs bathhouse.
Jefferson visited the mineral springs, but this audit found no reliable architectural evidence proving that he designed the bathhouse. The claim should be treated as unverified local tradition.
Source: Historic Hotels of America, Omni Homestead Resort history; Links Magazine, March 12, 2025
The Homestead has survived by making its mineral-springs setting, recreation, and historic identity into a working resort model rather than relying on a single original building. Fire transformed its architecture in 1901, and later additions continued into 1929. During the Second World War it served U.S. government needs, including accommodation and detention functions, before returning to resort operations. Omni's 2013 acquisition and more than $150 million in renovation since 2021 show the sustained investment required to keep the large historic complex active.
The Homestead traces its resort history to a Captain Thomas Bullitt lodge built in 1766. The current main brick hotel complex is much newer: an earlier wooden hotel burned in 1901, the Great Hall was completed in 1902, and major additions continued through 1929.
The resort and Historic Hotels of America say 23 U.S. presidents have visited or stayed at the Homestead. This audit did not verify every name through guest registers and presidential records, so the figure should be presented as the resort's documented institutional count rather than a fully audited list.
Omni Hotels & Resorts acquired The Homestead in 2013 and operates it as The Omni Homestead Resort. National Trust preservation reporting identifies Omni's 2013 acquisition of the 2,300-acre property.
The Old Course opened in 1892. Resort and golf sources specifically claim that its first tee is the oldest continuously used tee in the United States; that is narrower than claiming the entire course is America's oldest, and this audit did not independently verify the national comparative superlative.
7696 Sam Snead Highway, Hot Springs, VA 24445
(540) 839-1766
Confirm current access, reservations, seasonal hours, and admission rules for the resort, golf facilities, spa, and Warm Springs Pools before visiting.