Omni parent acquires Greenbrier debt

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia — A subsidiary of TRT Holdings, the parent company of Dallas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts, has acquired more than $200 million in past-due loans tied to the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, according to multiple reports.

The resort is still owned and operated by the Justice family, led by West Virginia Senator and former governor Jim Justice. The Justices purchased the property out of bankruptcy in 2009 for roughly $20 million.

A spokesperson for Omni confirmed to MetroNews in West Virginia that a subsidiary of TRT Holdings acquired the first-lien debt for the resort as part of TRT’s “broader business of investing across a diverse portfolio of assets.”

Carter Bank & Trust of Martinsville, Virginia, previously held the loans. While owning the debt does not mean TRT Holdings owns the resort, it now has significant leverage over its financial future.

The Greenbrier Resort dates back to 1778 and was once meant to serve as an emergency shelter for Congress, if necessary, during the Cold War. A total of 28 presidents have stayed at the hotel, which has over 700 rooms, suites and estate homes.

In 2024, while Justice was running for Senate in West Virginia, the hotel was supposed to be sold by auction because of a loan default, but that was avoided when Justice reached an agreement with Beltway Capital.

Justice has repeatedly dismissed rumors that the property would sell. There were rumors in 2024 that Omni would take over the Greenbrier, but Justice denied the move at the time.

“With regard to Omni, that’s just smoke and mirrors. That’s just absolutely no way,” he said during an exchange with reporters. “No way. There is no way that Omni is buying a part of The Greenbrier, going to run The Greenbrier.”

Omni owns and operates three properties in Virginia, including The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa in nearby Hot Springs.