Lansdowne Resort

Northern Virginia’s Premier Golf and Spa Resort Escape

By: Irvina Lew

Spring arrives early in Virginia, where Lansdowne Resort in Loudoun County is an idyllic destination that occupies a former riverside plantation in Leesburg, just 30 miles outside Washington, D.C., only 12 miles from Dulles International Airport, and about a four-hour drive from Manhattan. The independently owned, AAA Four-Diamond award-winning property offers extensive resort and recreational amenities, including a tempting spa and wide-ranging meeting opportunities all conveniently located within easy access to the capital’s historic and cultural sites and the bucolic pleasures of North Virginia’s rural wine country, with its engaging vineyards and charming villages.

I first visited the resort for a wedding weekend in August 2025. As we arrived at the resort from the nation’s capital, I got a sense of the verdant countryside as we were driven through the master-planned Lansdowne residential golfing community and up the long drive leading to the resort. Once registered, we went to our hosts’ suite, one of thirteen, where they offered an all-day welcome buffet. I took my plate outside to a table on their upper-floor balcony (the center section of the hotel soars to nine-stories) and viewed the natural undulations of the picturesque 500-acre, Potomac River Valley golf course setting. I could see a stand-alone pavilion and surrounding pools, one with a large, curved slide. I hadn’t yet discovered the paved golf cart path and walkway through the adjacent Virginia Elizabeth Mills Riverfront Park—the 122-acre forest buffer that meanders across small streams, wetlands and alongside the Potomac River, a path that entices walkers and golfers alike to appreciate wildlife and the beauty of nature.

Later, we relaxed in our own spacious room, one of 296, which had a contemporary décor and a window wall with a similar view. (Corner rooms, we later discovered, have two sets of windows and a broader view.) Our room provided two queen size beds, a chair with ottoman, a| 55” HD LCD flat-screen TV and an oversized workstation with high-speed Wi-Fi. There’s a mini refrigerator, coffee & tea maker, a safe, plus a well-lit vanity and a nicely equipped bathroom. Amenities include bathrobes, hair dryer and iron & ironing board.  

In-house dining options vary enough not to have to leave the resort for meals and include the casual kiosk-style Riverside Hearth, which views the landscape. Here, lettuce, herbs and microgreens are hydroponically grown in their kitchen garden and eggs are cooked-to-order. Piedmont’s Pub serves casual fare and locally distilled spirits, craft brews and wines. And, for dinner, the tavern fare at Coton & Rye—named for the property that stood on this very land in the late 1700s—features fresh-from-local-farm ingredients incorporated into Old Dominion recipes. Harmony Market, adjacent to the registration desk, sells a selection of snacks and beverages.

Piedmonts in The Clubhouse at Lansdowne Resort, with its floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and sun-dappled terrace serves modern American fare overlooking the Greg Norman Golf Course and Potomac River; the building also houses a casual pub called Turnberry’s, which is situated between holes 9 and 10 on the Greg Norman Course. (In warm weather, the family-friendly Current’s Pool & Grill, supplies sit-down bites and grab-and-go fare.)

For pampering and relaxation, the 12,000-square-foot Spa Minérale boasts an expansive spa menu of services that change seasonally and take place in 12 Personal Treatment Rooms and two Twin Treatment Rooms. Guests have access to the Steam Rooms, Dry Saunas, Whirlpools, Relaxation Lounges and the Hair & Nail Salon. Spa guests can also take advantage of preferential mid-week pricing for favorites that include Spa Minérale’s Signature Relaxation Massage, Therapeutic Deep Tissue, and Hot Stone Massage, as well as popular body treatments such as Satin Skin, CBD Bliss, and Herbal Detox. Guests can also refresh their skincare routine with advanced facials, including HydraFacial, GLO2 Oxygenation Facial, and Custom Signature Facials.  

 

I took advantage of the hotel’s indoor lap pool and its adjacent, large whirlpool tub on three occasions. This “wet” area is reached through the high-tech fitness facility and accesses one of the three outdoor pools, part of an outdoor Aquatic Complex that even offers private cabanas. Two lighted outdoor tennis courts and three pickleball courts add to the recreational options.

For New Yorkers seeking a destination meeting place or party venue, the Lansdowne conference center caters to a business clientele with 55,000 square feet of meeting space and has earned the distinction as the best in the DC-area. Among the variety of indoor venues, including a state-of-the-art Thinking Center, there’s a 9,525 square foot ballroom, (which I happened to see decorated for a large, formal and very Chi-Chi wedding), plus an open-air 3,500-square-foot covered pavilion nestled into the idyllic setting. 

Lansdowne Resort is extraordinarily well-located with tempting Golf, Spa, Seasonal or Wine Country Packages that provide guests personalized opportunities according to their interests.  

For more information on Lansdowne Resort visit: lansdowneresort.com 

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