Motoring to the entrance of Primland offers plenty of brake-worthy views of rural Southwest Virginia, especially if you do so via the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. But you’re not done ogling the scenery yet: Once you pass that entrance, you’ll wind another twenty minutes, ever deeper into majestically dense forest, before reaching the Lodge, which, like other parts of the property, has recently undergone a significant update in appearance and amenities.
At twelve thousand acres, Primland, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, hearkens back to the sprawling retreats created more than a century ago by families with surnames like Rockefeller and Vanderbilt. Indeed, when the four-story, cedar-sided Lodge finally does come into view, flanked by stone chimneys and terraces against a backdrop of immaculately groomed fairways and forested ridges that ripple to the horizon, the vibe is very much a Gilded Age mingling of rusticity and opulence. Primland, though, is of a younger vintage, the land acquired in 1977 by French oil baron Didier Primat for its bountiful timber processed by an on-site sawmill. When that business slumped within a decade, logging camp structures were converted for hunting, fishing, and other outdoorsy pursuits. In 1990, Primland became an Orvis-endorsed wing-shooting destination; the eighteen-hole Highland Course, with mountain vistas at every turn, welcomed golfers in 2006.
The twenty-six room, LEED-certified main building itself (simply called the Lodge) didn’t debut until 2009 and quickly garnered buzz within upscale travel circles, especially when its luxurious spa began spoiling guests a year later. Primland was apparently not willing to rest on its mountain laurels, however—its recently completed revamp is remarkable.
One of the most striking refreshes greets you upon checking in to the Lodge: The lobby, dubbed the Great Hall, beckons with several richly appointed seating areas clustered around twin stone hearths and a two-story window that delivers a commanding, elevated view toward Dan River Gorge. Executed by the Dallas-based designer Chad Dorsey, the space is a blend of antique and custom furniture accented by hanging quilts. “It’s the heart of the Lodge,” says general manager Will Rentschler. “There are games and books and art to spark conversation. We really wanted to create a comfortable area for starting the morning with a cup of coffee or lingering in front of the fire and enjoying a cocktail after dinner.”
Other modes of accommodation dot Primland’s expanse. Accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle at the terminus of a bouncy dirt road, a quintet of cozily rustic tree-house cottages (designed by French tree-house architectural firm La Cabane Perchée) are practically purpose-built for romantic weekends. Secluded, yes, but it’s hard to feel deprived when breakfast arrives at the door, ready to be enjoyed on a hot tub–equipped deck overlooking the verdant landscape, with a summer songbird soundtrack provided by indigo buntings and scarlet tanagers. On the other end of the spectrum is the newly constructed Hawk Eye, a 3,700-square-foot mountaintop villa with four bedrooms, a sleek gourmet kitchen, heated pool, and guest cottage. (You know, just in case friends drop by.)
Guests from all quadrants tend to gather for dinner at the Lodge’s recently rechristened restaurant, Leatherflower, a cordially swanky space of upholstered banquettes, exposed beams, and floral grass-cloth wall coverings. Primland’s Southern Appalachian setting and the property’s own gardens inspire a menu of surprising updates to the classics, such as sorghum-lacquered quail, striped bass served in country ham broth, and please-stop-me-from-eating-them-all smoked trout hush puppies.
Don’t let indoor comforts keep you from venturing out, though, even if just to amble one of the seven woodland trails that unspool from the Lodge grounds. Traversing the Pinnacle and Lost Chestnut trails is especially recommended if you have a thing for scenic overlooks and hillsides blanketed from spring to summer by blooming rhododendrons and trilliums—just glance over the “bear aware” tip sheet before trekking off. Organized pursuits await at the Outdoor Activities Center, including archery, kayaking, tennis, and horseback riding. As an Orvis double-endorsed wing-shooting and fly-fishing property, Primland also keeps its sporting tradition alive with guided hunts during pheasant, quail, chukar, turkey, and deer seasons. (Licenses can be obtained on-site.)
Amid the well-executed refresh, there remains an unexpected, almost whimsical attraction that’s as old as the Lodge, which it abuts: an astronomy observatory cleverly housed in the top of a silo complete with a retractable dome roof, powerful Celestron telescopes, and a staff astronomer who knows where in the cosmos to point them. “We’ve made the observatory seating more comfortable,” Rentschler says, “but our amazing night skies and lack of light pollution don’t need any improvement.”
