Boar’s Head Resort may rest on a 1734 land grant, but Charlottesville’s historic inn exudes modern, Southern swank.
The Virginia estate recently underwent some impressive improvements, including the addition of an adventure tour company and an 18-hole Davis Love III-designed golf course. And inside the rooms, bedside touch screens buzz orders directly to The Mill Room, the most elegant of the resort’s four dining outlets.
The family pool and expansive fitness center please intergenerational travelers, but couples love the more secluded adults-only pool near The Spa at Boar’s Head, a sanctuary specializing in treatments featuring local ingredients — for those times when the Blue Ridge Mountain air just isn’t refreshing enough. Celebrants have 600 manicured acres for photo ops, including outside the Colonial revival-style Birdwood mansion, a name with ties to Thomas Jefferson. Seventeen meeting rooms and two ballrooms make get-togethers seamless yet upscale.
Be sure to explore the verdant, lake-dotted grounds (if you’re adventurous, do it in a hot-air balloon that lifts off from the property) before returning to your room for sips of Monticello AVA petit verdot.
- You can’t beat this Virginia retreat’s scenic location. Boar’s Head Resort has a trail leading to the forested Shenandoah National Park, which courses the Blue Ridge Mountains and provides a tranquil hideaway to commune with nature.
- At 33,000 square feet, the McArthur Squash Center nicely complements the Boar’s Head Sports Club, which offers more than 45 weekly fitness classes, aquatics facilities and 26 tennis courts, including meticulously maintained clay courts.
- Service is The Mill Room’s secret sauce. Waiters — name tags denote their tenure — lovingly pour Barboursville Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve and a dozen more Virginia wines by the glass at the Charlottesville hotel restaurant.
- Boar’s Head Outfitters’ Adventure Outpost is your one-stop shop for outdoor fun. Stand-up paddle boarding, mountain biking and geo-catching are just a few of the experiences available year-round.
- Unwind with a Virginia wine country-inspired treatment at The Spa at Boar’s Head. The Signature Monticello Garden Massage features a unique oil blend made from heirloom herbs grown in Thomas Jefferson’s gardens.
- May, when University of Virginia hosts graduation fetes, and October, as basketball season ratchets up, are prime bookings. It may be harder to secure a room during these months, since University of Virginia Foundation-owned and -operated Boar’s Head is UVA’s official hotel.
- Follow History Hall to the lakeside rooms and view
antiques documenting the luxury hotel’s history, including a walnut cabinet
hanging with original metal room keys.
- Get a taste of wine country with a visit to nearby Barboursville Vineyards, a picturesque estate perched above the ruins of Thomas Jefferson-designed Barbourville mansion. Simply ask the concierge to help you plan your escape.
- Memorial Day fireworks kick off Boar’s Head Resort’s Summer Celebration Series, when family-friendly movies and live music take place on the greens. On hot nights, screenings move to the Sports Club pool with eats from Deep End Bar & Grill.
- If you need a ride, the hotel will shuttle you around in its Lexus house car.
- Accommodations reflect the Virginia wine country experience. Artisan maps and overstuffed furnishings bask in the added sunlight, giving the spaces the feel of an airy regal retreat.
- The classic 175 guest rooms and suites were recently refurbished in warm buttercup tones punctuated by cobalt and greens. Relaxed window treatments coax the garden tableau indoors.
- Ask for the Albemarle Suite (room 602) for a view of the resort’s expansive grounds from your private patio. Rise early to enjoy a bucolic backdrop with your morning coffee.
- Refreshed in 2018, The Mill Room is as popular as ever. Chef Dale Ford’s lobster bisque and grass-fed filet mignon betray his love for French cuisine, but he throws his Southern chops into plates like shrimp and grits, and Chesapeake crab cakes.
- The Mill Room’s menu leans heavily on food artisans within a 45-mile radius. Start your day with local eggs canoodling Surry County ham gravy and Wade’s Mill grits, or the vegetarian hash with root vegetables, apples and kale.
- The patio at the seasonally open Birdwood Grill is the spot for salads topped with Virginia peaches. A fire pit overlooks the golf course and captivating views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Inside Boar’s Head Sports Club, the newly opened Racquets Restaurant serves up quick breakfast, lunch and dinner plates between sets. Fuel up on fresh tuna tacos or hearty brisket nachos with beer cheese sauce.
- Relish expertly mixed watermelon margaritas at The Deep End Bar & Grill overlooking the Sports Club pool. A full menu of classic summer fare (look out for the Load’d Sundaes) is available under its upper deck umbrellas.
Babysitting services
Bar
Fitness classes
Golf
Gym
House car
Meeting rooms
Outdoor pool
Pet friendly
Restaurants
Spa
Tennis
