DC4MS

Private Escapes – Reynolds Plantation, Georgia Home Review

I recently had the opportunity to visit the 4,700 square foot Private Escapes Platinum membership home with 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms in Reynolds Plantation, Georgia during a beautiful spring day. This home is located in a private gated community just off Georgia’s historic Antebellum Trail, about 75 miles east of downtown Atlanta via I-20.

Reynolds Plantation is a pristine wooded 10,000 acre sanctuary that has a master planned golf and lake community with enough activities to keep most active families entertained for weeks at a time. There are five championship golf courses, miles of walking trails, three clubhouses, a myriad of boating and fishing activities on Lake Oconee, and even a AAA five-diamond award winning Ritz-Carlton Lodge with first class spa and elegant dining within walking distance of the Private Escapes home.

Several weeks before my visit, I received several phone calls and e-mails from Eugena Bellamy, a membership specialist at Private Escapes, to inquire what activities and dining options I was interested in participating in. While I would have loved to take her up on any of the dozen or so suggestions she offered, I was traveling without my wife or kids and this was only visiting for one night. After our discussions, Eugena sent me a Destination Guide to Reynolds Plantation and my own personalized Escape Plan that contained my itinerary, directions to the home, contact information, and several suggestions on places to dine.

When I arrived at the main gate for Reynolds Plantation, I checked in at the security gate, received a visitor pass, drove into the Sugar Run subdivision and easily found the Private Escapes home just as described in the Escape Plan, just off the tee box of the signature 17th hole of The Oconee golf course. The location of the home is unique in that there are no immediate neighbors on either side. I later found out from the local real estate office that this lot was not on the original master plan and was created specifically for Private Escapes. I also discovered that this location was one of the closest home locations to the Ritz-Carlton Lodge and would be an easy walk.

As I drove up the winding driveway to the home, I was greeted by Margaret Stanford, the local host, whom I contacted via cell phone about 30 minutes before I arrived. Margaret and her husband exhibited a typical “Southern Hospitality” that most of the residents here have and were very refreshing after spending the day traveling. Margaret had most of the lights in the home turned on, soft music piped throughout the home, fresh flowers and fruit placed on the kitchen table, and even stocked the refrigerator with Diet Coke, water, and a frozen pizza in case I was too tired to go out. She proceeded to walk me around the home for a brief orientation, pointed out some local highlights on a fold-out map, and then offered to drive me around the area to some of the clubhouses and surrounding communities. All in all, she spent well over one hour with me educating me on all the various local highlights and suggesting dining locations and activities.

My first impression as I walked into the home was - ”cozy” as I immediately felt welcome, relaxed, and excited all at the same time. I immediately noticed a fresh fragrance that seemed to permeate the entire house and the wonderful southern plantation décor that was inviting and comfortable, but not overdone. There was an umbrella stand to the right of the entrance with two golf umbrellas in case the weather changed unexpectedly and a nice sized guest bathroom. To the left of the main entrance was a sitting bench where guests could remove their shoes with comfort. In the middle of the entrance way was a round table with a floral decoration, a few coffee table books on the area, and a glass jar of chocolates.

Most of the first floor had dark stained wooden floors, soft pastel colored walls, local inspired artwork, decorative knick-knacks that filled the empty spaces and high quality furnishings. It gives the impression of a designer furnished home, yet everything was comfortable, but not too fussy. The main entryway immediately leads into the main living room that is about 600 square feet in size and had a large vaulted ceiling with wooden beams. There is a very inviting view out of the large 15 foot glass windows into the spacious backyard, dozens of pine trees, and a glimpse of golfers on The Oconee’s 17th tee box.

The main living room is a perfect place for entertaining guests and has several comfortable sitting areas, a Sony XBR HDTV mounted above a large fireplace, and an awesome Yamaha surround system with several speakers mounted in the walls, ceiling, and subwoofer hidden in the wall unit. The entertainment center was well stocked with a DVD player, iPod input, amplifier, 16 of the latest released movie DVDs, 4 music CDs and a single remote control that operated everything. Fortunately, there is even a basic instruction guide on how to turn everything on and off. The entire house was also equipped with wireless high speed Internet access that, unlike many homes, required a password to access.

On one of the end tables was a guest book that had dozens of member testimonials written about previous guest experiences at Reynolds Plantation and it was apparent that this home has been enjoyed by large families, small families, couples looking for a romantic escape, boys-only golfing trips, and girls-only spa trips. One member even included an artistic drawing of their experience to this scenic place. The entertainment center also contained dozens of books, magazines, a collection of adult and children board games, and several items that looked like they came from a local antique shop.

The open room located directly behind the main living room was something that every guy dreams about - a single room in the main area of the house that is decorated with only one item of furniture - a full sized Fisher billiards table with leather pockets. This is something I have never been able to convince my wife that we need in our own home as she much prefers a grand piano as an incredibly expensive but seldom used showcase piece of furniture. This single feature will impress most men far more than any other feature in the home.

The kitchen had typical granite countertops and designer wooden cabinets. Most of the appliances were GE Profile stainless steel and were in great condition. There was a large wooden topped center island with three bar stools that would be a great sitting area for breakfast. The cabinets of the kitchen were well stocked with everyday items that you may need such as spices, tea, microwave popcorn, hot chocolate, paper towels, dozens of plates, glassware for every possible occasion, Starbucks House Blend coffee, every imaginable kitchen tool, a Rachael Ray book of recipes, two bottles of wine, and even a Kodak disposable camera loaded with film.

The dining room had seating for eight guests, a vaulted ceiling, and a large fireplace on one of the walls. When I opened the china cabinet I was pleasantly surprised to find a set of 12 Private Escapes monogrammed Villeroy & Boch fine china. I loved that speakers mounted in the ceiling that played the same music throughout the home, but the sound was especially good in this room. The dining room also offered a smaller, yet equally good view of the backyard and golf course in the background.

The master bedroom was spacious, but not overly large with a king size bed and was painted with a shade of red on all the walls. The furniture had a weathered red appearance, the single sitting chair was in red, and even the bed sheets were in a red fabric. Although it may sound like this room has too much red color, the carpet was a shade of beige and the ceiling was white, in reality, the room was quite pleasant and had a significant different look and feel from the rest of the home. There is a Sony flat panel television and DVD player on a dresser and an iHome clock radio on the nightstand. Two large walk in closets were stocked with wooden hangers and one of them had a 14”x14”x6” wall safe.

The master bathroom was inviting with two granite sinks, a large slate lined frameless shower, a MTI non-jetted tub, and a nice view of the front yard. Guests should be careful to draw the curtains in the morning to avoid giving anyone in the front driveway a potentially embarrassing show. A nice feature that is duplicated in all five bathrooms is the 100% thick cotton Bella terry towels complete with a PE monogram. The bathrooms are also well stocked with Aveda shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap.

The wooden floored staircase leads guests to the second floor where there is a loft area and two bedrooms with two bathrooms. The best feature of the loft is the open view into the great room below and a fantastic view of the backyard and golf course. This is probably the best view from inside the house and is very enjoyable.

The sitting area has a couch, a few chairs, television cabinet and a Microsoft Xbox 360 with 7 different games of various sporting titles. The second guest bedroom has a shared bathroom with the loft area and is painted in a light turquoise color with high quality wooden furniture, queen sized bed Sony flat panel television and a DVD player. There is a walk in closet and the room also has a very nice view out of all the windows. The third bedroom was also located upstairs and had two twin beds, was painted a medium shade of sky blue and was equipped similar to the second bedroom.

The fourth bedroom was also referred to as the mother-in-law suite because it was located on the other side of the house, just past the full sized laundry room, and above the garage. A narrow stairwell leads guests up to a bedroom that is even larger than the master bedroom, but has a much smaller bathroom. This room is painted yellow and has a queen bed, nice views from three sides of the room and two incredibly comfortable leather sitting chairs that appeared brand new. The bedroom also had a Sony television, DVD player and several dressers.

The oversized two car garage is ultra clean with painted yellow walls and six large windows overlooking the very private wooded backyard. The garage is stocked with four Giant (Boulder edition) bicycles, four helmets, four tennis racquet's, three fishing poles, and two bicycle locks (that look unused).

Several of the interior features that I really enjoyed and something that I hope is standard in all of the Private Escapes homes (and for all Destination Club properties) are the Energy Star Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs in all the light fixtures, nightlights, labeling of all the dozens of light switched throughout the home, strategic placement of several wall mounted emergency flashlight that are constantly being charged in case of emergency, fold up emergency ladders in the bedrooms of the second story bedrooms, and labeling of the phone number on all the telephones. This single Private Escapes property had well over 100 CFLs installed and is sends a strong message to all the guests about the easy of installing energy saving features into homes that we all should consider incorporating into our own homes.

Although the inside of the house is quite impressive, I personally feel some of the outside features are what makes this place unique. There are all sorts of community rules like driveways have to be curved, landscaping has to be perfect, color of homes have to be staggered, that make the entire Reynolds Plantation look like a scene out of a movie. The Private Escapes home has loads of curb appeal and when the sun it setting, it seems to glow. The front porch has a sitting area with four old fashioned rocking chairs and there was even a bird nest with three baby birds that recently hatched (something my children would have been thrilled to witness).

As I walked around the home, the grass had a perfect shade of green and I could not find one single week in the entire yard. Pine needles are used generously around the home as mulch and give the home a natural feel. There are probably over 100 trees on this property and the backyard is spacious with a hammock attached to two trees that would be enjoyed by children and adults as well.

There are four seating areas in the backyard with a main central open covered porch directly outside the great room that is framed by two much smaller screened porches off the master bedroom and billiards room. I am sure some months may require guests to utilize the screened porches, but the spring was not one of those times. The deck by the dining room had an outdoor dining table with a stainless steel grill and was set to the side of the house. One lasting impression was the tranquility and peacefulness of this backyard location. The area is incredibly quiet during the day and the only sound comes from birds and an occasional golfer driving the fairway.

Although my visit was short, I was very impressed with the quality and features of this destination club property. Visiting this property was like walking into a perfectly decorated signature model home that was very well done for this price range (estimated $1.3m) and was 100% complete. I could not find any major faults with this home and this location would be perfect for a variety of purposes from a large family gathering to a short weekend golfing trip with some good friends.

I was amazed that Private Escapes was the only Destination Club that owned a home in Reynolds Plantation, when in fact, they actually own two. I was not able to preview the Premiere member home located in the Carolyn's Place development as it was occupied, but it seemed like a smaller version of the Platinum member home on a slightly smaller lot. This location may not have the same name recognition as Hilton Head, Kiawah Island, or Augusta, but in many ways this place is far superior for people looking for a hidden jewel nestled in a private place that provides a true escape from the realities of city life.

DC4MS

Here is a copy of the Private Escapes Destination Guide to Reynolds Plantation.

I decided not to upload the far superior Personal Escape plan as it contained too many private phone numbers and information that should not be shared.

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Attached Files

Destination Guide Reynolds Plantation.doc (779.0 KB, 9 views)

vineyarder

Excellent review!

Seems like an ideal place to host a big family Thanksgiving get-together... and I've heard great things about the Spa at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds Plantation...

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Living in a vacuum sucks!

Kagehitokiri

great report.

odd RC only has 7 villas, and doesnt have resort residences.

willmyclubmakeit

Did you think this home would be fine for a guys golfing trip? Was there enough privacy so that 4 guys do not have to share beds/rooms?

DC4MS

yes, this would be an awesome golfing trip for 4 guys.

1 in first floor master bedroom with king bed (red room)
1 in upstairs guest room with queen bed (turquoise room)
1 in upstairs guest room with 2 double beds (blue room)
1 in huge bedroom above the garage (yellow room)

I would suggest putting the guest that snores the loudest in the bedroom above the garage.

Here is a photo gallery of the home
The Clubs - Destinations

Here is a floorplan of the property
The Clubs - Destinations