Living in LoCo
Camelot Rising in Middleburg
Erica Garman at 1:51 p.m., September 26, 2008 (5 comments)
The frame of the 168-room Salamander Resort and Spa rises off a dirt road about a quarter of a mile from North Pendleton Street in Middleburg.
Construction workers at the site of the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg. (Photo by Erica Garman)
Renowned billionaire and Mystics-owner, Sheila Johnson, whose company Salamander Hospitality is building the resort, didn't initially receive the warm welcome for her project that she'd expected.
After announcing her plans for the exclusive retreat on over 300 acres of open land north of town, Middleburg fought Johnson's project, fearing it would take away from the district's quaint character.
Eventually, however, Johnson received the needed approvals to build, all the while assuring town leaders and residents that the resort would prove itself to be a positive addition to town.
Everything will be top-notch at the Salamander Resort and Spa, said Prem Devadas, president of Salamander Hospitality.
The resort will feature luxurious rooms, each with a private balcony, a 23,000-square-foot spa and a full equestrian facility where guests can board horses during their stay.
An artists' rendering of the Salamander Resort & Spa (Photo courtesy of Salamander Hospitality)
The resort will cater to a posh crowd, yes, but Devadas said a large portion of their clientele will include corporate groups who require refined and full-service meeting and conference space.
Salamander Hospitality also wants to highlight the best of the area's offerings.
The wine bar will feature Virginia wines and the dining facilities will support local farmers through high-end, sustainable dining. Recently, Todd Gray, award-winning chef and co-owner of D.C.'s Equinox Restaurant, partnered with Salamander, and will serve as the resort's culinary director.
"With Todd's expertise, we'll bring in the best chefs from the D.C. area - and around the country - to our dedicated 'show-kitchen,' where guests can experience theatre dining," Devadas said.
Salamander Resort and Spa is scheduled to open in March 2010, he said, and project leaders have applied for LEED-certification, which will make it one of the first resorts with the accreditation.
So, will Middleburg neighbors (who lay claim to former resident-socialites Jackie O. and Pamela Harriman) be pleased with the resort's outcome? Are you excited to see such a resort come to Loudoun?
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No problems with this Main Street American as long as the folks who patronize this place are paying their fair share of the federal economic bailout, which means that whoever we elect closes those tax loopholes once and for all that have allowed the wealthiest to avoid paying taxes.
Posted by boomerbaby54 (anonymous) on September 29, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Given the county's average income many of people living here are in the 30% that pay 80% of the taxes in the US. Now if only our representatives could get that tax money to be spent on our pressing needs rather than funding the southern part of VA -- that frequently contribute much less -- we would be doing something about closing tax loopholes. It feels like NOVA is constantly bailing out the rest of VA.
Posted by rplm337 (anonymous) on September 30, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me clear up a preconception about Middleburg. The average income of true Middleburgers, last time I looked, was about $30,000. Unlikely that many of them will get to enjoy the "resort" delights. Meanwhile the other Salamander businesses in town seem to be staying open only by virtue of Salamander's lack of need for cash flow. They're not exactly leading any town business boom.
So far all this resort has done is give us traffic problems in town from the construction traffic. When you sit for 15 minutes at the town's one stop light watching a huge truck loaded with construction materials do a two-feet-forward-three-feet-back routine over and over and over, it gets wearing.
Given that the town council, which caved under incredible pressure, gave Salamander permission for the resort as well as 50 houses and a 30,000 square foot commercial bonus, it's likely that the resort property, if successful, will turn downtown Middleburg into the wrong side of the tracks.
Which it used to be before the Kennedys and the Harrimans put it on the map anyway.
Sorry, but I think Salamander resort is all the wrong things: too big, in the wrong place, and in the manner of Gordon Gecko. It's one more step in making this unique place just like everywhere else.
I'd much rather have seen a cultural, environmental, or educational use of the property. Which is what the town's Salamander-sponsored workshops indicated as well. Salamander went through the motions of sponsoring and conducting those workshops and then completely ignored the results.
So, whatever it is, I'm just going to try to ignore it.
Posted by homekelly (anonymous) on October 14, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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