The Greenbrier

Guests have been taking the sulphur waters at White Sulphur Springs since 1778, and the resort that grew around them became the summering place of Southern society and more than two dozen American presidents. The current Georgian-style hotel presides over a 11,000-acre Allegheny estate, its interiors an explosion of Dorothy Draper's saturated florals and rhododendron-bright colour that remains one of the most distinctive decorative schemes in American hospitality.

The property's strangest chapter is now its most famous: beneath one wing lies the declassified Cold War bunker built in secret to house the United States Congress in the event of nuclear attack, concealed for three decades until 1992 and now open for guided tours. Above ground, the roster runs to championship golf on courses that have hosted Ryder and Solheim Cup play, a celebrated spa built on the springs, off-road driving, falconry and forest sports in every season.

Rooms and suites vary widely across the great house and estate cottages, unified by Draper and Carleton Varney colourwork rather than minimalist calm — this is a resort with personality, not a neutral backdrop. Dining spans the chandeliered main room, steakhouse and café culture, with a dress code that preserves a sense of occasion. Families, golfers and Americana enthusiasts get the most from its particular, patriotic theatre.