greenbrier

Stars Celebrate Greenbrier Casino Opening

Jennifer Garner, Jessica Simpson and Brooke Shields were just a few of the celebrities that showed up at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia on Friday for the grand opening of its new Casino Club. The Roanoke Times reports that Barbara Eden, Raquel Welch, Jennifer Garner's husband Ben Affleck and basketball stars Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal were also in attendance to celebrate the latest addition to the multimillion dollar resort.

Last year we first learned that new owner Jim Justice some big plans for the resort including luxury train trips from Washington, D.C., to the Greenbrier and a $25 million, 75,000-square-foot casino. The Casino at The Greenbrier was originally planned to open in April. Justice bought the Greenbrier out of bankruptcy for $20.1 million last year. The star-studded opening which included a gourmet dinner, a concert by Lionel Richie, and an evening of gambling at the Monte Carlo-style casino was said to cost around $2 million. The event was open to the public for $850 per person not including an overnight stay. Garner, a West Virginia native, said that the resort's new life is important for the state. The casino offers table games, craps, roulette, poker tables and slot machines. The underground club is located beneath the front entrance and is only open to overnight guests or by other special arrangement.

Tags: ben affleck, brooke shields, casino royale, charles barkley, gambling, greenbrier, jennifer garner, jessica simpson, Raquel Welch, shaquille oneal, west virginia

Greenbrier Plans Casinos, Luxury Train

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I came across an intriguing update on the Greenbrier hotel. The luxury hotel in West Virginia has had quite a tumultuous year but new owner Jim Justice some big plans for the resort. During an interview on "Decision Makers," a public affairs program on West Virginia Media television stations, he said that he wants to offer luxury train trips from Washington, D.C., to the Greenbrier. This is no quick jaunt, the trip takes five hours and 15 minutes but it would pass through some incredibly beautiful mountainous terrain and could heighten that feeling of stepping into another world that occurs when arriving at the Greenbrier.

Justice's plan is to create the "Greenbrier Express" which would be a a 210-passenger train with the luxuriously old-fashioned style of the resort. Passengers would board at Union Station in D.C. and once they arrived in Greenbrier County, they would be taken via horse-drawn carriage to the resort. Justice would like to use a passenger train which has the last steam engine manufactured in America and can hold up to 210 passengers.

He hopes to have the train up and running by next summer. He is also working on plans for a $25 million, 75,000-square-foot casino. The smaller Tavern Casino will open on October 1,and will offer table games, including blackjack, roulette and three card poker as well as slot machines. The Casino at The Greenbrier will open next April and have a Monte Carlo-style casino, as well as retail and dining areas in an underground complex. Champagne will be passed nightly at 8:00 p.m., offering a toast of luck to all guests.

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Tags: greenbrier, hotel, resort, west virginia, WestVirginia

The Latest Twist In The Greenbrier Saga

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

There's probably a book in the story of the Greenbrier hotel, a complicated tale rich in history and drama. The saga took a new turn when it was revealed that the Justice Family Group picked up the equity of the West Virginia hotel for $20 million this week. The Wall Street Journal reports that the new owners will ask the bankruptcy court to dismiss the property's Chapter 11 proceedings. In March, Greenbrier's previous owner, rail operator CSX Corp. had announced that the hotel's assets would be sold to Marriott. This week's deal is a sale of the bankrupt company itself and the Justice family hopes to reverse the bankruptcy and give the Greenbrier a fresh start.

The Greenbrier has a long way to go. The resort has struggled in recent months despite its rich history and many amenities. The resort is also rather expensive to maintain. Marriott is said to still be interested in the hotel and has said it has a contract to purchase the hotel and it still intends to do so.

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Tags: greenbrier

$649,000 In Linens Alone, A Peek Into Life At Greenbrier

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ahead of its federal bankruptcy hearing the Greenbrier Resort has released financial statements that give an interesting look at the resort. The records reveal personal property totaling nearly $44 million and real property worth $97.6 million. But it's the details that delight. The Beretta white onyx shotguns worth $6,666, the $205 fudge warmer, the $3,740 pig cooker and two white-tail deer heads worth a total of $500 give a picture of the idiosyncratic nature of this resort which has entertained presidents, royalty and the rich for generations. The fact that this is a resort with a collection of linens worth $649,000 and a fleet of golf carts worth nearly $253,000 is no surprise to those who have enjoyed its uniquely aristocratic charms.

Attorneys for the 6,500-acre resort will appear before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens in Richmond on Wednesday and railroad company CSX Crop is looking to move forward on the planned deal with Marriott. The deal should help ensure that Greenbrier stays afloat without losing its self-contained, world-apart style.

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Tags: greenbrier, marriott, resort

The Greenbrier Files Chapter 11, Makes A Deal With Marriott

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

Back in January, I wrote about the trouble befalling the historic Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. The luxury resort, which is a National Historic landmark property, lost $35 million last year and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid heavy debt.

The Greenbrier, which is owned by railroad company CSX has worked out a deal with the Marriott hotel chain. CSX will lend Marriott $50 million to operate the luxurious four-star resort for two years and then Marriott will repay that loan and give CSX between $60 million and $130 million within seven years depending on the resort's financial performance. The deal allows the resort to stay open and saves it from a worse fate, it could have ended up in Donald Trump's hands.

Tags: greenbrier, marriott, resort

The Troubles Facing The Greenbrier Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The historic Greenbrier resort is the latest luxury casualty. CSX which owns the Greenbrier, has asked Goldman Sachs for advice on what to do about the high-end resort which lost $35 million last year. The West Virginia resort is a National Historic landmark property which features golf courses, fine dining, 721 rooms including 33 suites and 96 guest and estate houses, meeting rooms, a complete conference center facility and a 40,000-square-foot spa. But in the last year it's been plagued with union trouble and the faltering economy isn't helping its fortunes. The Motley Fool speculates that the best option for the Greenbrier may be a bankruptcy sale. Chris Jones of The Motley Fool calls the historic resort which has entertained presidents, celebrities and all sorts of dignitaries the "purchase of a lifetime." CSX announced on Friday that they would "furlough" hundreds of workers over the next two weeks ending up in a reduction of nearly half the staff.

One possible move to make money for the resort is gambling. In November, voters approved a measure to let the resort add casino gambling. Unions supported the measure hoping it could create revenue that would help keep health care and other benefits for Greenbrier workers.

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Tags: greenbrier, resort

Summit Village At The Greenbrier Sporting Club

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The latest addition to the posh Greenbrier resort in West Virginia is the Summit Village at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. The private gated resort home community is adjacent to the resort and offers amazing views from 3,300 feet up in the Allegheny mountains. The village consists of 56 home sites. The Summit Lodge offers a casual fine-dining restaurant, a bar and a lounge. Next to the lodge is the bar-like activities center which has an indoor basketball court with cushioned maple floors and locker rooms. The community also has an outdoor infinity-edge pool with views of the Greenbrier Valley and an outdoor amphitheater. The Greenbrier Sporting Club includes a golf course, spa, members' lodge with a restaurant, equestrian facilities and access to all of the amenities at the Greenbrier resort. The home sites range from 0.75 to 7.5 acres and cost from $650,000 to $1.2 million. There is currently a five-bedroom house on .75 acres in the village for sale for $3.9 million.

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Tags: gated community, greenbrier, private community, summit village at the greenbrier sporting club, west virginia

Valentine's Day Package at The Greenbrier

by Rick Reed (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

The Greenbrier in West Virginia is offering a Valentine's Weekend package (02/10/2006 - 02/12/2006) which features dinner and dancing each evening and a jazz breakfast with the band Trio Grand on Sunday morning. Guests will also receive romantic gifts each evening including handmade chocolates, a bottle of sparkling wine, cheeses, chocolate and champagne tasting on Saturday. The package also includes a $150 activity voucher for any of the 50 recreational activities such as the award-winning spa. You may however want to bring your own adult beverage. "Under West Virginia State Law, an individual partaking of alcoholic beverages must be a club member."