G-20 guests to stay at Nemacolin Woodlands
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Farmington will play a role in the Group of 20 economic summit slated for late September in Pittsburgh when it hosts some of the world leaders that will attend the summit. Chris Plummer, assistant general manager of Nemacolin Woodlands, said Wednesday that the event is still in the planning stages, but he confirmed that the resort has been contacted and has blocked out many rooms for people attending the economic summit. Plummer said he can’t confirm who is staying at the five-star resort, but added that the G-20 summit is “probably the biggest event Pittsburgh has ever seen from a global standpoint.”
The G-20 summit, being hosted by President Barack Obama, is planned for Sept. 24 and 25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The convention center boasts a LEED Gold Certification from the U.S Green Building Council for leadership in energy and environmental design.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said last month that Pittsburgh was selected because of its comeback from the demise of the steel industry and a new commitment to green technology for economic development.
More than 3,500 international delegates and journalists are expected to attend the summit.
Plummer said resort officials are not anticipating any protestors, as have attended past summits in Washington, D.C., and London, but they are equipped to handle any security issues that would arise.
“We were selected because of our exposure with special security requests and guests of this nature,” Plummer said.
Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have been to Nemacolin Woodlands.
As the largest employer in Fayette County, Plummer said Nemacolin Woodlands would benefit from G-20 visitors.
“We are ecstatic for the resort and the region, which is long overdue to exposure of this magnitude,” Plummer said.
The G-20 is made up of the finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The European Union, which is represented by the rotating council presidency and the European Central Bank, is the 20th member of the G-20.
Those staying at Nemacolin Woodlands will see perhaps the most opulence Fayette County has to offer. The resort was sold at auction in 1987 to Joseph A. Hardy Sr., founder of 84 Lumber Co., who set about transforming the property into today’s showpiece.
Located on 2,000 acres along Route 40, the resort is run by Hardy and his daughter, Maggie Hardy Magerko, the owner and president. The cornerstone of the resort is the hotel, the Chateau LaFayette. Inspired by the classic hotels of Europe, it features coffered ceilings, crystal chandeliers and two-story Paladin windows. The original section of the resort, the Lodge, is an English Tudor exterior design, and the interior design is English country cottage. Overall, the resort has 287 rooms, meeting and banquet facilities with 23,000 square feet, two ballrooms, 23 meeting rooms, a 200-seat lecture hall and a 3,900-foot airstrip.
The resort also features numerous restaurants, a spa, two golf courses, a petting zoo, shooting academy, equestrian center, 14 retail shops, the Wild Side entertainment center and a new animal retreat, as well as numerous other outdoor activities.