Stately, Sexy Keswick Hall in loving Virginia
Romance amid the horse farms
Virginia’s Stately Hideaway
Deep in the land of statesmen, founding fathers and plantation gentry is a place Thomas Jefferson might have skipped but honeymooners might consider otherwise. If Virginia is for lovers, then Keswick Hall at Monticello is an interesting amalgam of stately propriety and romance on a 600-acre spread of rolling green hills and undulating golf links.
Remote, romantic and ready to serve, Keswick Hall has a new promo afloat aimed not at honeymooners, not a babymooners, but at ringmooners – those dating couples ready to deal with the “I wills” rather than the I do’s and I dids. The Engagement Package here is a two-night stay with a special itinerary designed for romance as well as providing the newly engaged couple with information and advice on a battery of questions that spring forth as soon as “Yes, I will marry you” is uttered.
On the practical side, there is a cooking demonstration and hands-on class with Executive Chef Craig Hartman; a wedding planning consultation where couples can address every possible concern; a session on floral techniques and design for creating personal bridal bouquets; a tour of the Estate’s newly-planted vineyard for a wine blending activity; and wine tasting with the award-winning onsite sommelier.
For romance, there’s time set for a couples massage; special lunches and dinners; a hot air balloon ride showcasing the verdant Virginian countryside –with a breakfast picnic basket; on board; and an afternoon at leisure for exploring the Keswick Estate and playing golf at the Arnold Palmer-designed course; plus nature trails, swimming pools and tennis courts pick up any slack in duo activities. (There are three swimming pools on the site, including one infinity pool, a fitness center with yoga classes, a croquet lawn and a tennis pavilion with five clay and hard courts. Even guided fly-fishing trips can be arranged). Horseback riding, skeet shooting, hiking and mountain biking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and whitewater rafting on the James River are also on the list.
The location here is in the heart of horse & hound country outside Charlottesville and minutes from Jefferson’s Monticello. Some may know it as the Villa Crawford. The circa 1912 mansion that today forms one wing of the grand Italianate Keswick Hall has been a 48-room luxury hotel since 1993 and, in 1999, was acquired by Orient-Express Hotels. But the property maintains all the traditions of Southern gentility within. The Crawford Lounge, formerly the entrance hall for Villa Crawford, is an ideal setting for cocktails or afternoon tea. Then there are the Morning Room, the cozy Villa Crawford and the Snooker Room where guests can linger in sunlit corners and enjoy afternoon tea, or a midnight game with glass or two of sherry. The library runs a roaring fire most nights with shelves full of books about Virginia to peruse. Naturally, furnishings follow function in these rooms so employ plenty of original antiques and period pieces. No two guest rooms are alike. And many rooms indulge themes, such as aviation, fishing, maps, music and tennis. This is the kind of place where canopied four-poster beds plumped with comforters and feather pillows, bergere club chairs, personal collectibles, hand-painted armoires, and overstuffed ottomans are de rigueur.
And food has its place – at Fossett’s (named in honor of Thomas Jefferson’s chief cook at Monticello, Edith Fossett: 1787-1854). The restaurant opened in June 2004 with warm interiors and expansive views and terrace seating overlooking the fairways. The food presents approachable, contemporary, seasonal and innovative takes on American Regional cuisine. The property produces its own wine label: Edith’s Chardonnay, embodying what’s possible among the top picks of Virginia’s wine country.
Couples can break open a bottle and celebrate the life to come in Keswick Hall’s Engagement Package, which starts at $1,510 for the two-night stay with all the special inclusions and memories.
Keswick Hall
(888) 778-2565
www.keswick.com