Marriott Ranch

I went with a group for a horse trail ride and dinner. The people who are in charge of the ride were kind and helpful and polite. My complaint is with the synthetic leather saddles they use. Because they are synthetic leather, the stirrups have no give, and my knees and ankles were miserably tweaked for the entire ride. And I am a flexible person who does yoga and other physical endeavors that enable me to be pretty flexible. Also, I can only imagine how miserable the poor horses are with a piece of synthetic leather strapped to their sweaty torsos.
We also had a delicious prepared meal for us halfway through the ride. The food was good. My complaint about this part of the experience is that we probably drank dozens of bottles of beer and bottled water, and the caterers do not recycle the glass and plastic (I asked). Because I love nature and animals, this type of irresponsibility towards the environment bothers me. I also think it is hypocritical that people who make their living from the beauty and sustainability of nature can’t be bothered to recycle. This outfit probably goes through thousands of bottles per year in their business, too. What a shame.

We hosted our wedding at the Marriott Ranch on Easter weekend, I cannot say enough good things about the Ranch and the staff there. We had originally tried to plan our wedding for a small private home nearby, when it was clear that would not work, the folks at the Marriott Ranch stepped up to took on the task. They catered multiple events throughout our wedding weekend for us, everything was wonderful and we have received so many compliments on the food. The staff did so much to ensure our guests where happy and comfortable, they made our wedding day run smoothly, and gave us great advice along the way.
The scenery itself was amazing, the weather worked out great for us to have the ceremony on the front lawn of the Manor house. It truly was the perfect place for us to get married in front of all our friends and family.
We plan to return to stay for a weekend soon, it is such a beautiful place!

I came to Marriott Ranch for an event. I have to say that although I stepped in a fresh cow pie in the parking lot I did have a fun time. What amazed me was that Marriott did something like this. The scenery is great and what probably pulls people to live in Virginia. The mess hall was nice, but it would have been nice if the tables that were more on the outside were cleaned and checked for cobwebs. I was able to do a free horseback riding here and although we didn’t venture into the forest it was ok. The horses are not the most calm. They can be a bit rebellious and also try to bite the behinds of the horses in front of them. If you are the type of person who has never been on a horse or is a little leery of horses I would not recommend this place to you. Other than that this is a great place for an work event and would definitely recommend this place to others. Make sure to watch your step!

This review is for the Marriot Ranch stables, where you can purchase a 90 minute guided trail ride on horseback.
Good: Scenery was beautiful, the horses were well mannered, and for the most part, we had a good time for a paltry $ 45 a head.
Bad: Our «trail guide» did little more than lead our equine caravan through the woods, which while fun and at a good pace for beginners, really didn’t contribute or «guide» anything else. After 60 minutes the ride gets a bit redundant. Maybe some history on the Marriot’s legendary plot of land from your guide, a quick water break, or something to add a dimension to the ride would greatly improve the experience.
Ugly: Our guide also spend the first 10 minutes talking on her cell phone. Maybe it was for work… didn’t seem like. When she did speak with our group, she was curt, even lecturing one of us about leaving the horses more room, «you probably wouldn’t want someone in your space!» That after being told at the stables that the horses ride head to tail. Just seemed like conflicting info, which for beginners like us, seems dangerous considering these are 400+lb beasts with minds of their own.

This review is for horseback riding only:
From our pleasant interaction with Hubie on the phone making the reservation, a positive tone was set! We had Friday afternoon reservations. We were greeted promptly upon arrival, and checked in quickly.
Our trail guides, Megan and Rachel, were extremely friendly. We enjoyed getting to talk to them during our ride, as they answered all of our questions about the ranch and horses. We were impressed also at their experience working with horses. The length of the ride was nice, and the horses were sure-​footed, allowing us to relax.
We made an afternoon of it, visiting the nearby vineyards after, thanks to helpful directions from Hubie. We will definitely be back!

First time riding a horse. I would definitely like to ride again, but not here. The girls are mean, cold and act as though the guests were cramping their style. They are snobbish and rather bitchy. The instructions on how to ride a horse were fast and poor. When my horse started acting up, instead of providing guidance, I was yelled at and told to keep my horse away from the instructors horse. The instructors horse was new and apparently my horse wasn’t very accepting of the new horses. Why on earth would you bring a new unexperienced horse on a trail ride with unexperienced guests. I can only hope that they treat their horses better than guests. I live in the area and was very surprised by their attitudes. I can tell that the instructors are not from around the area as people from this area are very nice and sweet. I will not be returning nor recommending this to anyone.

My friends and I went for horseback riding at their stables. The horses were more pleasant creatures than the girls working on that ranch.
Absolutely aggressive and cold, as if they are taking us on a ride for free!
Note to owner and staff: if you are running a business that is 100% customer facing, you need to adopt a better attitude and slap a smile on your faces while doing your PAID job. Being rude and aloof to your customers will deter them from coming back or even referring other people to your horrible business.
I have to say that the gorgeous Fall scenery and the cute horses dampened the horrendous effect of customer service at that place.
NOT going back.

I didn’t really enjoy it as much I would have it people weren’t so rude and annoying. I’d first like to mention that I used to ride horses (for fun!), so learning to steer and stop the horse wasn’t the issue for me, but for the people who didn’t know how to ride a horse, the leaders didn’t even give good instructions about steering horses. Also, you don’t wear helmets. These horses know what to do, but you need to also be aware that if you don’t know how to steer a horse correctly, you could end up in the bushes if they think you are trusting them 100% to go the right way and follow the line. As for the horses themselves, I feel a bit bad for them, because my horse was getting nipped in the butt by the horse behind me and my horse was nipper too, so I needed to slow my horse down so it wouldn’t nip the horse in front of us. However, it’s a bit annoying when someone «tries» to help you, when you know what you’re doing and trying to focus on not going off the trail, have your horse nipping another horse and making sure you don’t get shaken off the horse. My horse was suffering quite a bit, because he was constantly sneezing from the flies going up his nose, and was shaking off the flies and twice he did two big shakes, which the first time I wasn’t ready and almost fell off, since I wasn’t used to a horse being bitten so much by flies, since they get a special spray to prevent a lot of flies from biting him. As for the most part, these leaders are bored out of their minds, because clearly they have the experience and just walking on a horse makes them irritated I guess. I would not come back here, since it’s funny that they make you sign off on a waver stating that if anything bad happens to you while you’re on the horse, they will not be held reliable and because I don’t like sassy leaders who don’t help much. Tsk.
also, if you tip them, it can only be in cash

My brother got married at the Marriott Ranch last weekend and it was one of the best experiences of my life. The staff at Marriott Ranch helped it to be just that. The bride, and her bridesmaids (including myself) stayed in the Manor house for 2 nights. The groom and groomsmen were supposed to stay in the carriage house on the property, but last year it burned down. Marriott Ranch was more than helpful and accommodating and arranged for the guys to stay at an Inn about 3 miles down the road with a shuttle service.
The two days I spent on the property were some of the best I’ve had at an Inn or hotel. The hospitality was superb, the food was excellent, and the staff was more than accommodating with any request. They were some of the most hardworking staff I have ever encountered and I’m in the hospitality business. The Manor house is beautiful and I’m so pleased I had the privilege to stay there. I can’t wait to go back. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone for a wedding or just a long weekend.

I hear the ranch is doing some LivingSocial deals now, but they really need to get themselves out there and market more to the D.C.-metro area. We stumbled across the Marriott Ranch via Google search when looking at nearby places for a weekend getaway out of the city that wouldn’t be a complete drain because of the long drive. Believe it or not, this beautiful, serene getaway is less than an hour drive from Fairfax (take the Marshall exit from I-​66).
The ranch is just a fun, relaxing experience from the beginning. When you turn in the main driveway leading up to the manor house, you’ll likely have to stop the car for a couple of minutes and wait for a cow to get out of the road. We were lucky enough to see a couple of calves up close for feeding time.
The checkin process was quick. A nice older lady gave me the key as she showed me around the manor house and the surrounding grounds. We stayed in the Fairfield Suite, which was very nice and allows you all of the bed-​and-​breakfast amenities of the manor house without living in a room off a hallway with a bunch of other tenants (a few of the suites, including Fairfield, are in the carriage houses out back, only a few steps from the manor house front door).
Need a snack or somewhere to relax with a good book? The kitchen has a full stock of popcorn, granola bars, cereal, chips, etc., along with water, wine, beer, champagne and such that you are allowed relatively unlimited access to at any time during your stay (I say relatively because I imagine at some point they might try to herd you out of the kitchen, but I never actually saw this happen, even on my third or fourth trip for pretzels). The innkeeper hosts a wine and cheese reception from 4 to 6 p.m. in the the piano room each evening — I have no idea where they got the goat cheese I had, but it was absolutely earthshattering in its deliciousness.
Each morning, beginning at 8 a.m., you get a three-​course breakfast. This was perhaps the part of the stay I was originally the most excited about, but it’s also the reason for my review being four stars instead of five. The first course — pastries… to die for. They make some of the best pastries I’ve ever had. I am especially a big fan of the zucchini muffins and the blueberry scones. The second course: fruit. A good variety, and different, both mornings. I liked the second morning best because of the perfectly ripe blackberries and delectably tart pineapple.
But the third course is where the breakfast sort of struggles. We had pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs one morning. There’s no option to get an egg fried or poached, for example, they just bring out the meal of the day to you. The bacon was good, but I really prefer turkey bacon myself. The pancakes were the best thing we had in the third course both days, but I would’ve expected — with all the other high-​end stuff coming out of this kitchen — something other than plain old white flour pancakes. Buckwheat or something, perhaps? Blueberries in them? I dunno. Seemed like a cop-​out. The second morning’s third course also fell flat — grits, sausage patty, sausage link and — yet again — scrambled eggs. I typically love grits, but these had cheese mixed in… so much so that it was very overpowering and overwhelmingly heavy. The sausage patty was dry, and the link had a weird flavoring to it. The eggs — well again, yay, you can make scrambled eggs! Congrats?
So what do you do at the ranch when you’re not enjoying filling up your tummy? How about a spot of tea in J.W. Marriott’s library? Checking out the various historical memorabilia from the Marshall family? (Yes, as in John and James Marshall.) Enjoying the countryside vistas and wildlife?
Well, there’s also satellite TV, comfortable beds and a smokehouse where you can enjoy a cigar, play a game of poker or warm up by the fire. The ranch is surrounded by wineries and boasts its own horse stables about two miles from the manor house. We also went on a two-​hour trail ride, and the staff there was very friendly, professional and helpful — which was good for me, as a beginner horse rider.
Overall, the ranch is a moderately priced, quiet getaway from the traffic and noise of the D.C. area. It’s a great place to enjoy a book, take in the farm life and get served a good meal by friendly folks. Heck, if they had WiFi I would’ve stayed another day and teleworked from the beauty of Hume, Va. I highly recommend Marriott Ranch… and here’s your pro tip: Be on the lookout for dishes of Andes chocolates stashed around the manor house.

Two and a half stars. Rustic backdrop. They claimed to have zero in the way of first aid kits, which seems really bizarre. I’m not asking for a horse tranquilizer in lieu of Advil, but no DIY ice packs? Staff members ranged from vaguely cordial to aloof. Gravel parking lot, picnic tables in front of the inn.
Got thrown off a horse in the fields a quarter mile from the stables when the horse in front of mine kicked backwards, causing mine to rear up. While they wouldn’t refund our money they gave us a voucher for another ride that expired a year from date. I’d maybe come back for the scenery, but the single-​file trail rides are best for advanced beginners and up.

I was a recent wedding guest at a Marriott Ranch Wedding Reception. Coming from Baltimore, I wasn’t thrilled about the 2h15 minute drive, but once I got off the highway and started toward Hume, I was breath-​taken by the beautiful scenery of an Appalachian autumn. The sole road lead to the Marriott Ranch is nestled at the base of a gorgeous red and orange mountain. The landscape and colonial mini-​mansion are perfect for a magical rustic getaway.
I doubted the lovely bride’s choice of venue, but immediately recognized my mistake. The Ranch is gorgeous and perfect for a fall wedding. Since it was quite chilly, the guests gathered indoors in the foyer and living room of the Bed and Breakfast. Its a tight space, but manageable for a wedding of ~70. The ceremony took place out back framed by a leafless gentle giant of an oak tree and the mountain-​scape. The reception took place in the heated «barnlike» building. The space is elegant and rustic. The windows let guests take in the rolling hills, while the large fireplace and numerous heat lamps keep everyone toasty warm. The wedding started with wine and cheese and pass hors d’oeuvres. All were superb! The main course was delicious! I selected the peppercorn flank steak, while others feasted on a pecan-​encrusted sea bass. The rolls and vegetable sides were also very farm-​to-​table in freshness and appearance. Very satisfied, the guests moved to the dance floor. The DJ may have needed some help, but it was all good fun.
I loved this venue and would drive the 2+ hrs to visit there again in a heartbeat. I doubt a bride-​to-​be could find a better «Rustic romantic» location for her wedding than Marriott Ranch.

My husband and I went for the horseback riding and were extremely disappointed. While the Marriott property itself was gorgeous and serene, it was the horseback riding staff that left us completely disappointed. The man who took our money did just that — took our money (without a «thank you» I might add), and I’m pretty sure nobody even uttered the words «Welcome to the Marriott Ranch!» There were 10 customers in our trail ride, a guide at the front, and two teenagers riding behind us who worked at the ranch. We were all the way in the back of the line, and the entire time, all 90 minutes, all we heard was the continuous conversation between these two kids. I can only assume the boy was about 13, and the girl was maybe 16… maybe 17? Nobody was talking during the ride since we were all single-​file, and so instead of even trying to enjoy the peacefulness of the woods, all we heard was about high school drama, high school bomb threats, whether or not they wanted to work that day, how they yelled at a Troop of Boy Scouts during a trail ride when a storm came through, how stupid some of the riders are… should I go on? It was awful. I have to say the peak of their rudeness came at the very end of the ride when one of them YELLED at another rider «DON’T HOLD THEM BACK THEN KICK THEM!» I can’t even put the rudeness of their tone into a typed review, but I was absolutely astounded that a teenager would ever address an adult… especially a paying customer… in such a manner.
I love horses, and the Marriott Ranch is a beautiful place to ride. However, the staff just made the entire ride awkward. Even when we were done, a *very* nice man helped me off my horse, but that was it. Nobody said «Thanks for coming, folks» or «Visit us again!» NOTHING. We just walked to our cars and left.
I won’t ever ride here again, and that’s unfortunate. Because the horses are so beautiful, and so well behaved and sweet… but the staff makes it not worth going.

We went on a work outing to the Marriott Ranch and highly recommend it. Our activities included horseback riding (through a pasture with long-​horned cows and even a few newborn calves!), skeet shooting, a roping demonstration, and free time for games like horse shoes and shuffleboard. The lunch was tasty and the weather couldn’t have been more beautiful for a day trip to the country. Everyone who worked there was friendly and took their job seriously. Being a bit skittish about horseback riding and shooting a rifle, I appreciated how calm the staff was and it helped dissipate any fear. Maybe they were a little too careful on the trail as we kept stopping to wait for others in the group to catch up, which was frustrating. Better if they broke us into smaller groups since it was when we kept stopping that the horses were prone to acting up.) As far as room for improvement, the ranch should install a few places to sit in te field while playing the lawn games (benches, tree stumps, hay stacks — anything would do). Also, it would be a five-​star rating if there were hammocks in the field!

***this review is ONLY for their horseback riding, we did NOT stay at their B&B***
We did enjoy our horseback riding but there were several things that I didn’t particularly care for during our experience. First and foremost, the rest of our trip was unbelievably amazing, so the subpar customer service of this place left us a bit dissapointed.
First, when our innkeeper originally called for our times and reservation, I was thankful for him doing this as we were new to the area and horseback riding. When we called to confirm our reservation, the lady on the phone was very disconnected, short with us, and when we asked for some options and ideas she responded with «well,…what do you want to do?» Duh,…I’m asking you becuase I don’t know!!!
Nonetheless, we reserved, for a good deal of $ 35/​pp at their discounted middle of the week rate.
When we came to do our ride, I was even more dissapointed with the covnersation I had with the woman previously because I came to find that this place is SPRAWLING and someone that works there, you would think, would warn a newbie, or at least give further direction to them. We went to the inn, and found out the stables were some where off on the other side of the property, which turned out to be far enough to make us late.
When we got there, the man at the counter was pleasant and comical, did our paperwork and sent us out back. The woman that took us on our tour was visibly a nice person, but was a bit distant and seemed almost like «not this again»…as if she had done one too many trail rides. Nonetheless, she did a great job and answered all our question, but left us hoping for just a little bit more friendliness and good customer service.
But the ride was great, horses beautiful, and the property is very beautiful. We heard coyotes, saw wild turkeys, a snake and rode through a butterfly swarm… that sounds scary bc I can’t think of a better word than swarm, but it was actually beautiful, like something out of Avatar.
If you are a beginner, thisi s where all the locals will send you, but don’t expect the friendliness and love you will get at the wineries and B&Bs,…not surprised this place is run by a corporate behemoth.

I’ve never sought Marriott properties when I travel; their motel quality is just too inconsistent. The Marriott Ranch, however, is a very different story. A company I was with held an Eastern Region family weekend here, at this Marriott flagship location, and it was a great experience.
The locale is a gorgeous 4,000k+ acre ranch in the northern Virginia foothills. Beautiful mountain scenery surrounds these rolling hillsides, and the ranch is far removed from roads or neighboring estates (some of whom are vineyards).
There was literally something for everyone. A balloon-​twisting clown and pony rides cheerfully occupied the youngest set. Horseback riding, soccer, softball, volleyball, horseshoes and quiet conversation areas in the shade each contributed to an enjoyable afternoon for the rest of us.
Food was cooked and served community-​style. The typical hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, corn, ribs and chicken were on the grill. Each was of a good quality, nicely seasoned and cooked proficiently. A nice assortment of green and other salads was offered on a nearby table. Desserts and beverages rounded out a very nice, minimally embellished lunch.
Our bus from NJ had spent the night before in a Marriott near Dulles Airport. Most of the adults had packed what they believed to be «more than enough» beer for the weekend– plus some extra for sharing– into coolers. There was barely enough room for luggage, but we did manage to avoid the difficult decision of «which stays, and which goes.»
As we crossed the MD-​VA border, every ounce of beer and every human of legal drinking age were gone, and mostly passed-​out. Every school aged child was either bored silly or consumed by their headsets and electronics. The toddlers were pretty much running the show, with a few non-​drinkers watching them.
This was the backdrop for our day at Marriott Ranch, and as we met with colleagues from the other offices in the Region, there was plenty to discuss.
The Ranch experience was wonderful.

I love horseback riding and was looking forward to going to this ranch with a Living Social Adventure deal. The ranch itself was gorgeous. It was huge and the trail ride we went on was just breathtaking.
The staff. not so nice. I didn’t appreciate after asking a simple question getting a snotty one answer back and an eye roll.
The ride. boring like another reviewer stated. It was all walk but the view made it ok because I just sat back and looked around and tried to zone out the two employees behind me talking very loudly about pretty much everything. that was very annoying.
Looking at the prices I would probably not go back without a coupon or some sort. but probably even with a coupon I wouldn’t go back.

As someone who’s parents has worked for Marriott for a very long time, I had positive thoughts about this place before visiting. Taking a 1.5 hour LivingSocial horseback riding trail ride was boring and uncomfortable. I’ve done many horseback riding trips/​trailrides in MD, Mexico, Jamaica, and Australia and as a horseback rider, I have to say that by far this was the worst horseback «excursion» you could take. The staff were not very nice at all and the trail I was bored out of my mind. I understand they have many beginner riders here all the time and are being cautious and stern with everyone, but they went alittle above and beyond that with being snotty and rude. I don’t think I’d ever be back based on this experience and cost (it is much more costly than other places I’ve checked out).

As a former collegiate horseback rider, I loved having the opportunity to visit the Marriott Ranch for a company picnic.
As I drove West on 66 and turned off onto the 2-​lane road leading to the Farm, I could sense the air freshen slightly and I suddenly wished I was driving a red Porsche spyder with the wind whipping through my hair (imagining zero humidity and zero frizz, of course!). Upon arrival to the Ranch I was impressed by its rustic charm and mountain views. The food, catered by Marriott, was pretty tasty… featuring ribs and BBQ chicken fresh off the grill and we had wine brought in from Oasis Winery down the road. Everyone helped themselves to 2 – 3 helpings… so I don’t think I was the only one who enjoyed the food!
Beyond eating, the Marriott Ranch offered a variety of outdoor activities… From guided trail rides (on horseback) and hayrides (for those unwilling to mount a horse) to field games and a moon bounce… there was something for everyone.
I highly recommend the Ranch for special occasions and look forward to returning for more horseback riding. The staff was very attentive and seemed to have as much fun as we did!!! A nice getaway without having to travel too far.

We stayed in the ranch house along with two friends. This place is a little rustic, but the price and views make up for it. It is a little gem in the country. Funny this place was owned by the Marriott family. We stayed two nights and did much of the central Virginia wine country. When we woke up on Saturday morning, there were about one hundred trailers in the pasture adjacent to our cottage. They were going on a trail ride. They saddled up and off they rode. This place has over 4,200 acres.