by Paul Heney
Last updated: 8:00 PM ET, Tue October 9, 2018
I've long heard people in my native Cleveland rave about the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, located a few hours away past Pittsburgh. But somehow, I'd never found a reason to visit, until this past week, and I'm glad I finally did.
Nemacolin, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, is a striking sight upon arrival. Located in the lush green hills of Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands region, the resort's main building sits high, like a magnificent French estate lording over the surrounding valleys.
The resort encompasses some 2,000 acres and features 320 luxury guestrooms, suites, townhouses and even private homes.
Everything feels high end here, from the glorious public spaces to the chandeliers and huge soaking tubs in the guestrooms. The food on property (15 restaurants and lounges, count them!) was all tasty, fresh and creative. Even the myriad shops felt like boutiques. And the hotel staff were consistently professional, helpful, courteous and friendly.
The resort also has two Pete Dye-designed golf courses, Shepherd's Rock and Mystic Rock. The activities and options are enough to fill guests' calendars for multiple weeks.
Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the Shooting Academy. There is a Wildlife Academy offering everything from safari tours to dog sledding. An Adventure Center boasts a climbing wall and even zip lines. Oh, and don't forget the resort's Jeep Off-Road Driving Academy.
Nemacolin reminded me a bit of a woodland Disney World. There's just so much to do around every corner, whether you're walking around the main buildings or driving around the property.
Just down the road from the resort is the Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, with 600 slot machines and 28 table games. You won't be surprised to learn that there's an internationally acclaimed spa on site, along with an incredibly stocked fitness facility. I saw machines there that I've never seen in a gym!
The landscaping around Nemacolin is gorgeous and lovingly tended. Even the resort's mini golf course looks like a lush garden wonderland-this is no cheesy dinosaurs and windmill setup. Even the flowers around the entry drive are picture perfect and look straight out of a European palace.
We took the Safari tour while on site, for $90/person. Our guide drove us around the grounds in a large golf cart and we visited the multitude of exotic animals on site. We were able to feed lions, tigers, wolves and mountain lions.
The resort has acquired the animals via numerous ways over the years, and some of them have been rehabilitated. One mountain lion is kept in his own pen, as due to permanent injuries he has, he wouldn't survive in the wild or do well with other animals. We also went to a petting zoo area, with small cows, donkeys and goats.
I was taken by many of the small discoveries I made in wandering the resort buildings.
I found a small museum dedicated to seashells (so random, but fascinating nonetheless). There's a small room describing the history of 84 Lumber (the founder of the company also created the resort). And there's an enormous cylindrical aquarium-one of the world's largest fish tanks-near one of the resort's taverns.
Nemacolin is a lovely surprise amongst the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania. And even after you discover the resort, expect the surprises to keep coming.
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