Berry Hill Resort and Conference Center

The property made for a peaceful escape. We walked for miles on the scenic trails, saw old ruins, and didn’t encounter anyone. The tree lined drive is beautiful, the rooms have historic charm, and the spa, heated pool, and saunas were a big part of why we booked. We first found the place last year after visiting a nearby distillery, then planned this birthday and Valentine’s weekend well ahead. The staff were friendly when we arrived, and Amy at the spa was wonderful. The pool and sauna area was in rough shape on our first evening: wet towels and trash were scattered around, the locker rooms had water everywhere, and broken chairs sat in a corner. We spent an hour there and no staff came to tidy it up. Dinner was the biggest letdown. We’d reserved the Valentine’s Day prix fixe weeks earlier through catering manager Taylor, but our 7:30 booking didn’t get seated until 8:15. The restaurant seemed overwhelmed, with guests waiting and some going to Darby's for drinks while they waited. We ended up in a separate back room without music, which felt awkward. Drinks took more than 30 minutes, we had to ask repeatedly for water, and the shared appetizer came with three pieces of beef crostini for two people. The salads arrived an hour later and looked like neglected garnish. Our entrées didn’t show up until 10:15, almost three hours after the reservation. The steaks themselves were tasty and cooked well, but by then the meal was overshadowed. Our waitress seemed to ignore us, maybe because she knew how upset we were. No manager came to explain, apologize, or offer any accommodation. We later heard local regulars had walked in and expected to be fitted in, and staff seated them despite the reservation only setup. It seems that overwhelmed the small kitchen and delayed guests who had planned ahead. That felt disappointing and disrespectful on one of the year’s busiest nights, and like a poor, greedy management decision. We get that problems happen, but some communication and accountability would have helped. We expected an apology or some effort to make up for the wait, even free drinks or a discount. Instead, they acted like nothing was happening. Nothing nearby was open as a backup, so we had to wait or go to bed hungry. This was supposed to be a special birthday retreat, but dinner overshadowed the weekend. It’s a wedding destination, and the staff’s ability to handle a large dinner crowd wasn’t proven this weekend. They badly fumbled the event and took no accountability. Very disappointing.

The self guided tour of the historic mansion was a highlight, and there were plenty of walking trails on the property. We stayed in The Jefferson, one of the mini mansions, and it was quiet, clean, and comfortable. Every staff member we met was friendly and made us feel welcome. There weren’t any big events happening that weekend, so it felt like we had the resort to ourselves, which was a real bonus. I’d recommend Berryhill to friends and family.

For what we paid, this didn’t feel like a resort stay, and we probably won’t come back. The spa was especially disappointing: one of us booked a 75 minute service but got only 50 minutes, and though we were told sorry, no effort was made to replace the lost time. During the other treatment, the therapist stayed seated for much of the appointment. Neither of us was offered water afterward. Our beds were uncomfortable, some wooden furniture in the room was broken, and the TV was low quality. At breakfast the microwave wasn’t working, and there wasn’t one in the room either. There was no decaf coffee option. The front desk said late checkout was “absolutely” possible but didn’t mention the $25 fee. We only discovered the charge after checking out, which felt misleading.

The grounds are lovely, and there are several events to keep a stay interesting, but it didn’t feel like everyone got the same priority. We came for an overnight birthday getaway and spa day for my wife. The spa was wonderful, relaxing, and on time. The views were great, the room was good, and maintenance fixed our clogged sink while we were eating on site. Parking was hard, basically a matter of making your own spot, though we managed. Dining was the bigger problem. At the Darby we were seated right away and my drink came quickly, then nobody took our order for around 45 minutes until my wife asked someone. Her salad arrived with chicken that looked like it had been cooked the day before. She barely ate it. The waitress offered to remove it from the bill, but my wife was still hungry. We went over to the mansion, where the restaurant and library are, and found the library serving appetizers. As we looked at the menu, a hostess told us we couldn’t order because a private party had reserved the whole section. So my wife went without dinner that first night. I wish the occasion had been entirely positive.