I went to the Omni Bedford Springs a few weekends ago. The purpose of my trip was to treat myself to a relaxing weekend, to spoil myself a bit. I chose this particular resort due to its location. It was only an hour and forty five minute drive from my apartment which meant it was the perfect destination for a quick trip. Unfortunately, my experience was not very resort-like. I had never booked something like this before but I was expecting a 5-star resort experience. I will break it down below on how I felt about the various parts of the resort and start with the positives.
Location
I loved the location. It was beautiful and quiet. There were mountain views from the bedrooms. There were plenty of beautiful trails and springs to see.
Spa
The spa was very nice and relaxing. All of the employees were attentive. Even though they were fully booked, they let me schedule a treatment last minute. They provided robes, slippers and a waiting area with drinks. You also get to dip in the mineral pool for free with your spa appointment.
Pool
The pool was beautiful, very picturesque. It was also heated and there were plenty of appointments available to take a dip.
Activities
The brochure listed a bunch of activities. I mentioned the spa already. The only other thing I did was, go on a hike. It was nice to know that you didn’t have to venture far to be in nature. There were several options of hiking levels. I chose a moderate one which ended with a view of a waterfall.
Room
This is where the trouble started. I excitedly checked into my room and explored it. At first glance, everything looked great. However, when I went to the bathroom, I saw that there was hair on the sink as well as standing water. A pillow on my bed also had hair. I instantly felt uncomfortable and called guest services. They were to send someone up to my room to clean it. However, once I hung up I realized that wasn’t enough so I called them back and got transferred to a manager. I told him that I had paid a lot of money for this room and that the standard for what I paid was not there. He apologized and moved me into another room.
The new room was better. Yet again, I saw a bobby pin on the floor of the bathroom and it just made me uneasy again. Everything else seemed fine but I just couldn’t get it out of my head how “not clean” the room probably was. Again, I could let this all slide if I didn’t pay for a “resort” experience.
At night, every time the air came on, it made a loud noise which woke me up. (note: I am a light sleeper so that could be me overreacting??)
On the last day, one of the sink handles also came off.
The best thing about the room was the view from the balcony.
Food
This was also disappointing. On my first night, I ordered a grilled cheese and fries. None of it tasted fresh. I understand that the restaurant made it, then it needed time to get to me. However, I do know what a freshly made grilled cheese that has been sitting out for 10ish minutes tastes like. It felt like everything was reheated.
The next morning, I ordered room service again. My eggs were good enough. However, the potatoes that came with it were TERRIBLE. I can’t even describe the taste. They felt fake. The orange juice was listed as “freshly squeezed” It definitely was not fresh.
The best thing I probably ate was the brisket cheeseburger from Tillie’s at the Clubhouse. Maybe it was because I dined there? Whatever the case, I was disappointed with the food and it shouldn’t matter if I’m ordering room service or dining at the restaurant.
Overall
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this particular Omni to anyone. I did respond with an email to the resort with my issues. They reimbursed me $122 for the food and cleaning fee. I appreciate they did that, however, I don’t think it was enough. I rarely treat myself like this and had high hopes as Omni is a renowned resort chain. If I wanted a less than mediocre experience, I could have gone to any other random hotel.
Despite the negatives, I don’t regret my visit. I learned a lot about myself and enjoyed the location. I stayed outside of my room most of the time.
