Wellness can mean something different to everyone. Some require quiet time in nature to recharge. Others feel best after a yoga session, an excellent meal, or a spa treatment. Whatever your preference, do your mind and body good with a stay at one of these nearby properties.
The Country Estate:
The Inn at Willow Grove
Orange
Drive time from Dulles: About 1 hour and 45 minutes
Privacy and luxury are paramount at this 40-acre, 25-room boutique hotel, where suites include private, standalone cottages with extended terraces and spa-style bathrooms with heated floors and deep soaking tubs. There’s a sophisticated Southern atmosphere to the renovated 18th-century accommodations — perhaps it’s the French-press coffee and housemade beignets delivered in-room every morning, the rocking chairs made for sitting and watching the sun rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains, or the neoclassical architecture of the historic manor house. The glass of prosecco handed to guests at check-in is another welcome touch. And pet parents are permitted two dogs per room, with no weight restrictions.
Relaxation continues at the 3,000-square-foot spa, which includes a seasonal heated saltwater pool and a couples suite for fireside lounging and side-by-side treatments. Private dining nooks are perfect for intimate conversations at the Vintage Restaurant & Pub, a “casual fine dining” eatery that uses locally sourced ingredients.
Guests who wish to leave the property and explore the surrounding area can visit James Madison’s Montpelier, numerous wineries including Barboursville Vineyards, antique shops, and the James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage — all within a short drive from the hotel.
The Nature Resort:
Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa
Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania
Drive time from Dulles: About 3 hours
Stay at this National Historic Landmark — one of the first resort hotels in the country — and you’ll discover the appeal of staying in one spot for a weekend. Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa has been a place to rest and recharge since the early 1800s, when guests first arrived to “take the waters” at its eight mineral springs, believed to restore body and mind.
That restorative instinct continues today, only with more offerings. The Omni offers guided hikes through forests, waterfalls, and springs, some of which are focused on the property’s cultural and geological heritage. There’s also biking and walking trails, birdwatching, fly fishing, axe throwing, archery, off-road vehicle rentals, and golf on one of the top-ranked resort courses in the country.
Come fall, the surrounding Allegheny Mountains erupt in color, making the scenic trails particularly spectacular. In winter, the property takes on a quieter rhythm ideal for spa-focused retreats.
But the heart of Bedford Springs remains its namesake waters. At the Springs Eternal Spa, treatments are inspired by the property’s mineral springs and make use of local herbs and botanicals. Guests can rest between treatments at the serene outdoor spa garden or take a dip in the sparkling outdoor pool and whirlpool set against an unobstructed mountain landscape. A heated indoor pool, fed by springs and built in 1905, is particularly spectacular, as are the private balconies from which to enjoy the fresh mountain air and views.
The City Sanctuary:
The Ivy Hotel
Baltimore, Maryland
Drive time from Dulles: About 2 hours
Can’t decide between the city or the country? The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore’s residential Mount Vernon neighborhood has both the proximity to urban attractions and a peaceful atmosphere that’s rare in city hotels. Soundproofed windows, ivy-covered brickwork, and heavy drapery all contribute to the absence of noise.
Intimate and personalized, the 17-room hotel is a private sanctuary inside a historic mansion, offering bespoke massages, holistic wellness facials (including gentlemen’s facials), afternoon tea service, and chef-made breakfasts that make for a luxurious pampering escape.
Staff members are attentive without being intrusive, greeting guests by name as they enter the building and making them feel at home. It’s a home they’ll want to spend time in, perhaps beginning with a Nirvana Stress Relief Massage or Anti-Stress Facial on the second-floor spa.
And the pampering extends well beyond the spa. As impressive as Baltimore’s dining options are, guests shouldn’t miss meals at the hotel itself, where the cuisine is among the best in the city. Its main restaurant, Magdalena, highlights Chesapeake Bay ingredients in beautifully presented dishes, paired with splurge-worthy wines from its cellar. In the morning, phenomenal lemon soufflé pancakes can be enjoyed at Magdalena or in-suite.
The “highly inclusive” room rate covers high-end amenities including breakfast, cocktails, mini-bar snacks and beverages, valet parking, gratuities, and private car service within a 3-mile radius. All guests need to do is arrive and relax.
The Winery Retreat:
The Farmhouse at Veritas
Afton
Drive time from Dulles: About 3 hours
Many wellness retreats fall into one of two camps: the spa hotel where days revolve around the treatment menu or the structured program with early wake-ups and restricted diets. The Farmhouse at Veritas, an eight-room bed-and-breakfast in the heart of Virginia wine country, occupies a more comfortable middle ground. Daily yoga sessions, guided hikes, flavorful meals, and yes, wine, are all woven into its popular four-day, three-night wine and wellness retreats offered in the fall, spring, and summer. The property, on the grounds of Veritas Winery, feels like a true retreat from city life. It covers 120 acres with rooms designed in charming English Country style, all boasting vineyard or mountain views.
These all-inclusive retreats have an unhurried rhythm to encourage relaxation. A day might start with morning yoga, followed by a guided hike into the Blue Ridge Mountains, then a cellar tour at the winery or a chef-led cooking class, ending with a daily evening wine hour and a four-course dinner with wine pairings. A recent meal featured diver scallops with a brown butter-carrot emulsion, whipped burrata and pomegranata vinaigrette, Black Angus filet mignon with salsa verde and sweet potato hash, and vanilla sponge cake with strawberries, ginger-chai crème anglaise, and pistachio crunch.
Guest comfort is top of mind, from activities to accommodations. Hikes include up to three guides, so participants can go at the pace they prefer without worrying about slowing others down. Three farm-fresh meals a day (including the multicourse wine-paired meals) plus wine hour and snacks, activities, and accommodations are included in the rate: $2,000 per room single-occupancy and $2,500 per room double occupancy.
Travelers short on time might consider a one-night stay timed to one of the property’s food and wine events, such as executive chef Andy Shipman’s interactive Sunday Supper Series. Upcoming themes include a Mid-Atlantic Blue Crab Shakedown in August and a Harvest Celebration with Burgundy Truffles in September.
Feature image of The Inn at Willow Grove by Aaron Watson Photography
This story originally ran in our July issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
