Though this beautiful resort is only 25 minutes away from my parents' home in Great Falls, I had never even heard of it until I asked them for suggestions for reception venues. My... husband and I live in NYC, and with 95% of his guests coming form overseas, it was important for us to choose a place where our families could make themselves at home for a few days - and they did just that!
Our families began arriving the Tuesday before our Saturday wedding, and immediately made themselves at home in the Stonewall Tavern, which, thanks to the Wiis, pool tables, and dart boards, was an excellent headquarters. You could always find someone in the Stonewall! Also crucial was the full breakfast buffet included in the daily room rate, which everyone enjoyed and used as another opportunity to come together.
Lansdowne's three golf courses were also a huge draw for both of our families, and my husband hosted a golf tournament on the Friday before the wedding for the men, while ladies enjoyed a tour at a local vineyard.
Lansdowne's facilites were overall wonderful - the common areas were beautiful and modern, Spa Minerale was a fantastic retreat, and family members of all ages spent a great deal of time in the aquatics centers. My only complaint would be that the guest rooms, while clean, comfortable and inviting at first glance, were missing modern upgrades that even common hotel chains feature. Lansdowne, you need flat screens!
As for service, I do not have one complaint to put forth regarding Lansdowne's staff. By the end of the week the staff at Stonewall knew every detail about our family! Our catering manager, Lyndsey Forseth, could surely plan a state dinner without breaking a sweat. She had an answer for every concern, big or small, and was so great in helping to finalize our menu, including suggesting the most amazing dessert I ever ate in my life (I wanted to hide under the table with it!) and promising me the bakers could deliver my dream cake - which they did, 5 layers of forest tree delight! When Lyndsey hosted our tasting, it was so remarkable I would have sworn there was no way it could be replicated for 160 guests, but every single guest commented how they'd never had better food at a wedding.
We felt so at home at Lansdowne for the duration of our stay. Definitely indulge in a hot stone massage at Spa Minerale, and don't forget to pick up a smores kit from the front desk and spend some time enjoying the bonfire overlooking the golf course!