THE ART OF BELONGING At Salamander Middleburg, Sheila Johnson’s singular vision brings together equestrian heritage, pastoral beauty, exceptional dining, and deeply personal hospitality in the Virginia countryside. Written by Lee Milward Photos courtesy of Salamander Resort
Traveling along Route 50 just outside Washington, DC, the gridlock eases, office parks give way to pasture, and the quiet of the bucolic landscape elicits a deep, welcoming exhale. Verdant gentle hills roll toward the horizon; their verdant broad fields stitched together like a quilt by the fence line. Dotted throughout, centuries-old stone houses and barns stand as reminders of Virginia’s long agricultural history. By the time Salamander Middleburg’s gates come into view, the city already feels distant. What awaits isn’t simply another luxury resort, but a place with the warmth and familiarity of an old friend. That was Sheila Johnson’s experience long before Salamander existed. She first
came to Middleburg for the riding, drawn by the quiet rhythm of Virginia’s horse country. What she discovered was 340 pastoral acres that immediately felt personal. Rather than keep that feeling to herself, she created a resort designed to share it. Johnson’s philosophy reveals itself in thoughtful ways, and tangibly from the moment of arrival. The lobby is called the Living Room because Johnson believes hospitality should feel welcoming rather than transactional. As she puts it, guests should feel like family, not visitors. Artwork throughout the resort comes from her personal collection, lending the interiors the character of a lived-in home rather than a carefully staged hotel. Guest rooms feature fireplaces prepared for cool evenings and balconies overlooking the
rolling countryside. I spent my first afternoon wandering between the terrace and my room with nowhere to be, content to admire uninterrupted views of immaculate pastures. Mornings quickly became my favorite time, when mist lingered over the hills and the day still held endless possibility. Guests are greeted with a proclamation of the property’s guiding principles in a personal welcome message: “Diversity of thought, and of people. Empowering women. Humanity. Supporting the arts. Truth. Because at Salamander, we’re real.” For me, reading them reframed the experience, reminding me that Salamander reflects the vision of one woman determined to build a resort rooted in authenticity rather than convention. slmag.net
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The Living Room
The land on which the resort sits holds a remarkable history. Long before Salamander, it belonged to diplomat Pamela Harriman, and Jacqueline Kennedy was among those who rode these trails during visits to Middleburg. Rather than erase that legacy, Johnson embraced it, drawing inspiration from her nearby horse farm so the architecture would feel inseparable from its surroundings. Harrimans restaurant continues to honor Pamela Harriman’s name, linking one steward of the property to another. The resort’s accolades are considerable. Salamander is one of only a handful of properties in the United States to earn a Forbes Five-Star rating for its accommodations, restaurant, and spa, while Condé Nast Traveler consistently ranks it among the South’s finest resorts. Impressive as those distinctions are, the resort’s character is evident long before you hear about its awards. As someone raised in the saddle in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, Salamander’s equestrian program was a 34 slmag.net
major draw, and it became the axis of my daily experiences. The 25-acre Equestrian Center includes a 14,000-square-foot stable with 22 stalls, nine paddocks, and an outdoor arena. Guests may bring their own horses for full-service boarding, complete with daily care, turnout, grooming, bathing, and braiding. Riding these trails, which wind through postand-rail fencing and open countryside, felt less like a resort activity than a return to a familiar way of life. Dining centers on Harrimans, where Virginia Piedmont ingredients are handled with confidence and care. The nearby Middleburg AVA continues to produce increasingly impressive Cabernet Francs, making local wines an easy pairing. For a more relaxed evening, Gold Cup Wine Bar offers eclectic small plates alongside an extensive wine list, while the Culinary Garden supplies the kitchen with seasonal produce. Guests seeking a more immersive experience can reserve the Chef ’s Table inside the Cooking Studio.
The Library
Estate Double Queen Guestroom
Grand Estate King Guestroom
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Cupcake, Salamander’s resident miniature horse and equine brand ambassador is a favorite among guests of all ages.
Equestrian pursuits at the Salamander Middleburg resort are centered around a stateof-the-art, 25-acre Equestrian Center that offers trail rides, professional riding lessons, and unique unmounted horsemanship programs.
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The spa encourages you to surrender your schedule altogether. Following a heavenly Salamander Signature Massage, time seemed blissfully irrelevant as I continued the relaxed interlude beside the intimate spa pool. For guests seeking activity rather than stillness, the wellness program includes customized fitness experiences designed to prepare participants for challenges ranging from personal milestones to mountain summits. Johnson envisioned the spa as a place for personal discovery as much as relaxation, but even without booking a treatment, that philosophy is easy to embrace over a game of croquet or a leisurely round of life-sized chess on the lawn. You can also luxuriate in leisure at the new Champions Pool, although the name belies the grandness of the oneacre complex, anchored by an upper-level family pool connected to a lower adultsonly pool by a 40-foot-long infinity-edge waterfall. Two years in the making and artfully integrated into the surrounding Virginia countryside, the space boasts handcrafted stonework, lush landscaping and a large firepit. Private cabanas and plush loungers invite lingering, while thoughtful touches—including chilled towels, sunglass cleaning, frozen candied grapes and freshly prepared smoothies—elevate an afternoon by the water. When hunger or happy hour calls, The Stirrup Cup, a 2,000-square-foot open-air bar and dining destination, serves seasonal fare, handcrafted cocktails and thoughtfully selected wines from the resort’s Five-Star culinary team. At the Champions Pool opening this past April, Johnson remarked, “My hope is that it becomes a place filled with laughter, connection and memorable moments—a place where the water sparkles, conversations flow and the Salamander spirit shines.” Of all my memories from Salamander, one stands apart. During the afternoon meet-and-greet in the Living Room, I was introduced to Cupcake, the resort’s miniature horse ambassador. Dressed in sparkling hoof boots and colorful ribbons,
Photos this page by Lee Milward
she clip-clopped confidently among guests, patiently posing for photographs while accepting guests’ admiration with practiced grace. While she may be the smallest resident on the property, she’s undoubtedly one of its biggest stars. B e y o n d t h e re s o r t l i e s o n e o f Virginia’s most charming small towns. Founded in 1787 by Revolutionary War officer Leven Powell, Middleburg still revolves around a single traffic light. More than 160 of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and generations of local families continue to operate antique shops, boutiques, galleries, and cafés. Saturdays bring a farmers’ market to the village green, while each spring the Virginia Gold Cup draws thousands dressed in their finest for one of the country’s premier steeplechase events. Wa n d e r i n g t h e t ow n , I f o u n d beautifully curated shops filled with antiques, equestrian treasures, and clothing chosen with the same understated elegance that defines the surrounding countryside. Nothing feels manufactured for tourists. Middleburg remains exactly what it
has long been: a town built on horses, hospitality, and tradition. Johnson tells every guest that her goal is simple: personalized service, genuine hospitality, and a stay worth remembering. By my final morning, it was clear those weren’t marketing promises but guiding principles. As I made my way back to DC for the flight home, Route 50 unfolded in reverse as the gates closed behind me, followed by the fence lines, stone walls, and green pastures. Before long, Washington’s traffic reclaimed the horizon. Along the way, I thought about Cupcake making her afternoon rounds, guests gathering on the veranda before dinner at Harrimans, and the horses settling quietly into their stalls for the evening, coming to an understanding of what Sheila Johnson must have felt when she first stood on Salamander’s 340 acres. Before there were suites, restaurants, or a Forbes Five-Star resort, there was simply a landscape that inspired an extraordinary vision. She transformed it into a place where strangers arrive as guests and leave feeling as though they’ve discovered somewhere they belong. sl slmag.net
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