Chamber News

Harold Primat Cuts The Ribbon for Primland's Grand Opening

Harold Primat (son of the founder Didier Primat) President of Primland, cut the ribbon opening The Lodge at Primland. “Today’s the day where the dream has turned into reality.�

Didier Primat’s son, Harold Primat, said moments before he cut a ribbon to open the lodge. “We’re thinking strongly of him. What you see today is his vision.� “It is a wonderful day for Primland, Patrick County and Virginia,� said Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Collinsville. “Can you imagine a five-diamond hotel in Patrick County? It’s marvelous.� That vision includes 26 guest rooms, a state-of-the art boardroom that seats 17, a theater, ballroom, dining room, indoor pool, fitness center, spa and golf shop. On the lodge’s left side is a silo-shaped structure that includes the 1,800-square-foot, two-story Pinnacles Suite, on top of which perches an observatory complete with a telescope that can peer light years into space. Bérengère Primat-Serval, president of Primwest (and daugher of Didier Primat) was one of the speakers representing the Primat family at the event. Images from the telescope can be transmitted into the theater and each guest room, said Tim Buegas, director of sales and marketing. The lodge’s 19th pub features walls of reclaimed chestnut and a flat-screen television, and overlooks the 18th green and 10th tee of The Highland Course at Primland. The course was named the best new public course in America ($75 and up) in 2008 by Golf Digest and has received numerous other accolades. Everything at the lodge was built with the environment in mind, including the use of radiant floor heat throughout the 72,000 square foot Lodge and the front entrance, and roof tiles made of recycled plastic. An underground parking deck saves suface land, and wood from tobacco barns on the property was reused in the lodge. The golf course is watered with runoff and purified wastewater that is collected and pumped back into the irrigation system. About 125 people, including members of the Primat family, state and local officials, several of Primland’s best customers and others, attended the grand opening. Crystal Harris, chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, called the lodge “simply breathtaking.� It is “hard to believe that locked in this rural county is a resort of this magnitude,� Harris said. Primland now employs more than 100 people, Harris said, noting that “most of the current staff is from Patrick County and the local area.� Local and regional companies were used to build the lodge. Ground was broken in June 2006 with John S. Clark of Mount Airy, N.C., as general contractor and F. L. Blum Construction Company complete the Spa. Primland’s owners aim to make the lodge a Five-Diamond destination, which is the highest rating given to lodgings and restaurants by AAA. Only 105 places in the world have achieved the ranking, and none has the LEED environmental certification Primland boasts, officials said. State Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Ridgeway, and a representative of U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, also spoke. Preston Bryant, state secretary of natural resources, called Primland, with its scenic spaces and environmentally friendly design, the “embodiment� of what he does every day. “Virginia is changing fast,� Bryant said. “ ... We are seeing places develop today we could never have envisioned. But Patrick County, because of the generosity and vision of (the Primat) family, will see that this natural beauty in this part of Virginia is forever preserved.� Yann Arthus-Bertrand, a renowned aerial photographer and friend of the Primat family, also praised the resort. An environmental activist, Arthus-Bertrand recently released a documentary about the effects of human activity on the planet called “Home.� Praising the high environmental standards to which the lodge was built, the Frenchman said he hopes the resort will “create a model where sports and strict conservation of biodiversity go together.� The outside of the lodge is made of stone and cedar, with plenty of windows to let the outdoors in. Many rooms are decorated with aboriginal art from Australia, and at least one hallway is lined with photos Primland scenery put onto canvas. The boardroom features white onyx marble from Italy. Sandy Gardiner and Scott Gardiner of the Gardiner Consultancy, who handle media relations for Primland, said the family is not releasing how much it spent on the lodge construction. Several local officials praised the Primats for their willingness to help the county, and Tom Bishop, executive director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, said the lodge is sure to bring in additional tourism dollars. “The rest of the world is going to find out� what a treasure Primland is, Bishop said. “It’s not just something to think about locally. This is beyond that.� In addition to golf, the resort offers wingshooting for quail, pheasant and partridge, white tail deer hunts and spring gobbler hunting, all guided by staff. Fishermen can cast for rainbow, brown or brook trout in the headwaters of the Dan River. Ninety miles of trails are available for horseback riding, mountain biking and ATV rides. For those who don’t want to stay in the lodge, there are three fairway cottages and 12 mountain homes and cabins on the property. The Stables Saloon, about a mile from the lodge, also serves breakfast and dinner. The Woodland Grill serves lunch to hunters and their guests in season. With the lodge open, Primland officials are focused on marketing it for corporate retreats, seminars, weddings, hunting or golf excursions and more. Although the nation is in the midst of a recession, Sandy Gardiner said he does not expect that to hurt Primland. “We’re opening at a time when business is not as good as it was a couple of years ago, but this is a unique property,� he said. “It has the ability to sell itself.� Officials are focusing on attracting guests from a 500-mile radius, from Cincinnati to Washington, Richmond to Atlanta, Gardiner said. As of its opening day, the lodge already had “a number of bookings for September,� he added. Rooms in the lodge range in price from $199 a night for Piedmont rooms to $1,200 a night for the Pinnacles Suite. Harold Primat said the future of Primland might include residences, cooking lessons from the resort’s chef and much more. “We want to maximize things as time goes on,� he said. Noting the various phases Primland has gone through — from timber business to hunting retreat to golf destination to luxury resort — he said, “It’s changing so much over the years. But it’s always for the better.� Source: Martinsville Bulletin, Aug. 31, 2009