Salamander Resort & Spa

You don’t have to go very far beyond the upscale western suburbs of Washington, D.C. to find yourself in some of Virginia’s most scenic countryside; here, on a 340-acre estate in the Blue Ridge foothills, is the spectacular Salamander Resort & Spa. One of too few Black-owned hotels, it’s the work of Sheila C. Johnson, the co-founder of the B.E.T. television network, and an accomplished hotelier, on the evidence provided here. It’s a full-spectrum luxury resort with an emphasis on equestrian sports — the stables and horse trails are as much an attraction as the vast spa and the multitude of restaurants.