Reclaiming glory

Mark Spadoni took on the role of managing director at The Omni Homestead Resort to help restore the iconic hotel, which turns 256 years old this year.

“It’s a great responsibility,” he says. “We want to maintain the past but make it relevant to moving forward. The goal is to set it up for the next 100 years.”

Founded in 1766, The Omni Homestead Resort is one of the nation’s oldest continuously operated resort hotels. TRT Holdings Inc., the private equity firm that owns Omni Hotels & Resorts, purchased The Homestead in 2013, knowing the property needed renovation and restoration.

“We recognize the historical importance and future potential of such an outstanding property,” says Clint Gulick, senior development project manager for TRT Holdings Inc. “By repairing ancient and failing infrastructure and restoring the interior and exterior components of the building, we can give The Homestead a fresh start and restore her historic beauty.”

Work on the resort’s exterior began in November 2021 and is expected to be completed in early 2023. It includes the restoration of 978 original wood windows and hundreds of doors, as well as repairs to all stucco, terracotta, limestone and brick masonry. In addition, work will be completed on the terraces and balconies in the garden and west wings, the tower and presidential suites, restoring them to their original luster.

Plans also call for building a new 4,000-square-foot pavilion for weddings and special events. “With everything we are doing, we want to make sure we don’t do anything that takes away from the property,” Spadoni says. “All of the new buildings are designed to match the existing buildings.”

As for the renovation plans, it’s more than just making everything look nice. “You can take something old and modernize it, but we are taking something in need of repair and making it watertight and updating the structural integrity so we can bring it back to its previous grandeur,” says Leta Hardy, vice president of Complete Property Services, the Tampa, Florida-based company chosen to do the exterior work on the resort. “Every part of the exterior is being touched, even the hands on the clock.”

Restoration of the 978 original guest room windows includes sealing the windows and installing storm windows. “The windows will maintain the same look and feel,” Hardy says. “Guests won’t see the extra pane of glass.”

Guestrooms in the main building, as well as the tower, east, west and garden wings, will all be updated with a design in keeping with the vintage style. Martha’s Market, the property’s grab-and-go café, will be entirely remodeled and will open into the updated Washington Library. The Lobby Bar will expand into the Georgian Room with a new speakeasy-style lounge.

Interior work is scheduled to begin by the end of March. “The five different wings will all be done independently,” Spadoni says. “We will stay open during the renovation, but there will be minimal inconvenience to guests. Hopefully we will have all the guest rooms in service before summer season 2023.”

Another key component of the project is the construction of a new residential building for employees, some of whom are coming to Bath County on temporary work visas. Located in downtown Hot Springs, the building will include 50 two-person units and community facilities, as well as a basketball court and a picnic area. Construction of the building began earlier this year and is set to be completed in spring 2023.

Another project associated with The Homestead — the Warm Springs Pools, formerly named for Thomas Jefferson — are under renovation by Roanoke’s Lionberger Construction Co., which expects to finish the job late this year.

Working on the oldest section of the main hotel is exciting, Hardy says. “No one has modernized the building, so anything our workers touch was done by the original craftsperson.” 

The Homestead is a “community itself,” says Amy Steen-Humble, senior interior design manager for TRT Holdings. “By restoring this national treasure, we’re restoring the community and allowing new faces to come along. Virginia has more history than any other state in the U.S., and we’re proud to contribute to its preservation.