Primland Resort Review (Meadows of Dan, Virginia)

It’s hard to believe our babymoon was nearly a year ago! Late last summer, we spent two nights at Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan, Virginia for a last minute, super short baby moon. Between 2020 and our schedules, going on a more adventurous or longer babymoon wasn’t really an option. But we both loved Primland. Plus, it’s only about an hour away from us, which was nice peace of mind when traveling in my third trimester.

Primland Resort Review

The resort is in a pretty remote location, which makes it easy to unwind right away, especially since we both lost cell phone service during part of the drive. (We had no issues with service at the resort, however.) The drive in is peaceful and very wooded – it takes about 20 minutes to get to the resort from the entrance gates. The resort lodge itself is beautiful and the lobby is warm and welcoming. It reminded me a bit of some of the ski resorts in Park City.

We both agreed that the room we stayed in was perhaps the nicest hotel room we’ve stayed in yet. (And we’ve stayed in some GREAT rooms, thanks to Heather, our travel agent.)  The accommodations were perhaps tied with our honeymoon resort and a close second to Ireland! The lodge is incredibly nice, but not stuffy or overdone.

What we did with three days and two nights at Primland

On our first day, we arrived around 4pm, checked in, made decaf coffee and then walked the grounds a bit before settling in for an early dinner on the patio at 19th Pub – more on that below.  (Fake eyelashes were from a photoshoot I had in the morning before we left for Primland!)

On the second day, we relaxed in a major way.

We slept in, ordered room service for breakfast (which we never do when traveling) and ate breakfast in our robes. After breakfast, we played on the putting green for a bit before grabbing a quick lunch (again on the patio!).

After lunch, we headed to spa for massages. I had my massage first (thankfully they had a prenatal option!) and then lounged around in my robe in the relaxation room while Tommy had his massage.

After the spa, we relaxed in our room for a bit and watched the news (we are junkies!), before getting ready for dinner at Elements. If you order a mocktail, be prepared for a drink as big as your head. I can’t wait to go back and really enjoy their wine list – it looked amazing last year!

And after dinner, we went to the Observatory which was so much better than I was expecting!! We were up there on a full moon night and it was still amazing, so I can’t imagine it on a night that’s better for stargazing. The moon and stars photos were taken with the telescope while we were there and then they emailed them to us!

On our last day, we packed up and ate breakfast at Elements before playing 9 holes of golf. We saw wild turkeys and deer while playing, which was fun. And then we hit the road to head back to reality!

Below is an overview of the resort’s rooms, activities, and restaurants! I also have a highlight saved in my Instagram Stories with more videos and photos from our trip. Let me know if you have any questions! And if you’ve been, leave a comment and share – I’d love to hear about your trip.

Amenities

The main amenities we look for when we travel is golf, a spa, good food and a fitness center (or easy access to running trails for me) so I highlighted those specifically in the review below!

Rooms

You can stay in the main lodge, which is organized like a traditional hotel (although much nicer than most!) or you can stay in one of the cottages. The Fairway cottages are on the golf course and they also have three treehouses you can stay in! If you stay in the cottages or have a group you’re traveling with, you’d need to book the entire cottage or you may be sharing the space with other guests. (Although, it sounds like there aren’t shared spaces so privacy shouldn’t be an issue.)

We stayed in the main lodge for convenience’s sake given my very pregnant state. If you stay in the cottage, you’d need to walk (or drive) about a quarter mile (or more) to the resort for dining and many activities. Like I mentioned above, we LOVED our room. It was enormous – a big living room area, a breakfast nook, a huge bathroom and a separate bedroom. (We booked a King Suite, I think?)

Restaurants

They have two restaurants: the 19th Pub and Elements. The 19th Pub has a small menu and a casual vibe. Elements is more upscale, both in terms of menu and experience.

At the 19th Pub, we started with the Pig Candy, which we both loved. (It’s essentially candied bacon.) For dinner, I wanted to trade entrees with Tommy. His burger was so simple but so good. My chicken was just okay.

At Elements, my grouper was DELICIOUS but my husband’s steak was just okay. But the dinner rolls at Elements are UNREAL – be sure to get those!!

For breakfast, you can eat at Elements or do in-room dining (which is essentially the same menu). The pancakes are incredible – almost like cake. Definitely get those! And the house made bagel was delicious, but it had nothing on the pancakes. Since we booked our trip with Heather’s help, we had breakfast included, which is nice since resort food gets expensive, even for simple things like coffee or an Americano. (Tommy and I joke that we never travel without Heather… but seriously, we don’t book travel without consulting Heather!! Someday I’ll actually get to travel with her!! She’s a dear friend now!)

Spa

The spa is small but lovely. In addition to the treatment rooms, there is a fitness center, a pool and locker room amenities (i.e. sauna and steam rooms). The pool required reservations (2020) and the sauna and steam rooms were temporality closed. There are also two small relaxation rooms that are a great spot to relax before and/or after your treatment. After my prenatal massage I lounged in the relaxation room and my therapist brought me hot tea, infused water and house made granola. I sat for an hour and read a book in complete silence, which I loved.

Fitness Center

You access the fitness center through the spa. It was open and didn’t require reservations, but no more than four people were allowed in at a time. (2020) It has a couple treadmills, weights, rowing machine, and ellipticals. You could definitely get in a good workout and the cardio machines look out onto the grounds, which is pretty!

Golf

The golf course is pretty and not too difficult, other than being a bit narrow. The first 9 holes are all par 3 or par 5 so my irons didn’t get pulled out much, which was an interesting way to play! I used my driver, hybrid and wedges for the most part. You could walk it, but it’s quite hilly so I imagine you’d want a cart. Then again, I was 36.5 weeks pregnant when we played the course!

If you play 18 holes, at the half way point, there is an option to grab a bite at the BBQ restaurant.

Activities

We didn’t take advantage of most the available activities, mainly because of my pregnancy and also given our short trip. But we both agree we want to go back and play some more! There are so many options, listed below!

Horse back riding

Kayaking

Tomahawk throwing

Stargazing

Golfing

Sport shooting

Archery

Hiking 

Disc Golf

Fly fishing

RTV Trail Riding

Tree Climbing 

Yoga & Meditation

Kids activities including crafts, yoga, puzzles night and more

All of the activities require reservations but they also have an events calendar with other activities that you can just show up to, like trivia night, live music on the patio, movies on the driving range, and bingo night. There are also a few attractions in the area if you want to leave the resort. I haven’t been to Mabry Mill in years, but it’s a very charming spot and the restaurant has amazing pancakes that I still remember YEARS later! It’s about a 25 minute drive from Primland. You could also drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit wineries, or visit Fairy Stone State Park. (Chateau Morrisette is about 30 minutes and a gorgeous spot! They also have a killer brunch!)

Bottom line

I’d go back in a HEARTBEAT. It was perfect for a couple’s getaway and I think it’d be a great spot to venture for a first post-baby vacation as a family of three. We saw a few families with young kids so it seems family friendly. And I definitely want to try more activities the next time we go! I could also see it being a great spot for a large family vacation.

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