The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of the area. Today, the Greenbrier is situated on 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of land with 710 guest rooms, 20 restaurants and lounges, more than 55 indoor and outdoor activities and sports, and more than 35 retail shops. The Greenbrier was built in 1913 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and was owned for much of its history by that company and its successors, Chessie System and CSX Corporation. After years of losses, CSX had the hotel file for bankruptcy protection in 2009. Justice Family Group, LLC, owned by coal baron Jim Justice, bought the property and guaranteed all debts, resulting in dismissal of the bankruptcy protection. Justice, later the governor of West Virginia, and U.S. Senator, promised to return the hotel to its former status as a five-star resort. In 2026, Kennedy Lewis Investment Management bought a controlling interest in the resort. The most recent U.S. president to stay at the Greenbrier during his term is Dwight D. Eisenhower. Many presidents (28) have stayed at the hotel. The Presidents' Cottage Museum houses exhibits about presidential visits and the history of the Greenbrier. The Greenbrier is the site of a massive underground bunker meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the United States Congress during the Cold War. The bunker was code named "Project Greek Island".