Discover The Auberge Residences at Primland—rare mountain homes where conservation, privacy, and timeless design define life in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
Discover The Auberge Residences at Primland—rare mountain homes where conservation, privacy, and timeless design define life in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
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For nearly five decades, the Primat family has maintained a singular vision for their 12,000-acre mountain estate in Virginia’s Blue Ridge: conservation, privacy, and a return to what matters. Now, for the first time, they’re extending that legacy beyond the doors of The Lodge at Primland, offering ownership to a select few through The Auberge Residences at Primland and The Estates.
This is not a typical real estate launch. This is the first time homeownership of this caliber will be available at the property —a protected landscape where careful development has been measured in generations.
The offering divides into two distinct opportunities, each appealing to different sensibilities about what mountain ownership should look like.
The Auberge Residences represent the turnkey option: 25 finely furnished homes designed by Hart Howerton, the interdisciplinary firm known for creating complete environments rather than standalone structures. These three- to five-bedroom residences mirror the Lodge’s aesthetic—native stone and wood, double-height ceilings, open-concept living spaces anchored by fireplaces. Kitchens come equipped with Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, custom oak cabinetry, and natural stone throughout. Primary suites feature rain and steam showers with custom finishes. Even the light fixtures are locally sourced. Pricing starts at $5.8 million.
The Estates take a different approach: 26 homesites along a miles-long mountaintop ridge, ranging from two to just under five acres. Here, owners work with Hart Howerton’s Architectural & Interiors Guild to build custom homes within carefully established design parameters—a framework meant to ensure that individual expression doesn’t compromise collective value. Pricing begins at $1.2 million for the land.
Auberge Residence owners receive full access to the Lodge’s amenities: the new pool and adjacent bar, the wellbeing retreat, fitness center, yoga deck, and restaurants ranging from Leatherflower’s farm-to-table dining to the Southern fare at Stables Saloon. Estate owners can access the same through club membership.
The broader property offers what you’d expect from 12,000 mountain acres: hiking, mountain biking, sporting clays, archery, hunting, horseback riding, and fishing, all with expert guides. The Donald Steel-designed Highland Course ranks among the region’s most distinguished golf courses. There’s also the Observatory for stargazing—a reminder that some of the property’s most valuable amenities can’t be built.
Didier Primat acquired the property in the 1970s with a specific intent: to create a place of “refined authenticity and serenity,” as his vision has been described. He developed it with unusual restraint, prioritizing conservation over maximization. When Primland joined the Auberge Collection in 2021, it became part of a portfolio known for properties that reflect their locations rather than impose upon them.
“Our guiding principle has always been to honor its natural beauty while sharing it selectively with those who value its privacy and serenity,” says Kevin Primat. The selective sharing is the operative phrase here—25 residences and 26 homesites across 12,000 acres suggests deliberate scarcity rather than market-tested density.
Sotheby’s International Realty is handling the sales, positioning this as “globally significant and deeply rooted in place”—language that acknowledges the reality of today’s luxury real estate market, where international buyers expect both world-class execution and authentic sense of place.
The timing is deliberate. Construction begins this fall, with first deliveries expected in 2026. That timeline allows for considered decision-making from buyers and measured execution from builders—a pace that mirrors the property’s five-decade development arc.
Meadows of Dan sits in the southern end of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, a region that has quietly attracted discerning buyers who value accessibility without crowds. The area lacks the resort density of more developed mountain destinations. You’re not buying into a scene; you’re buying into seclusion that happens to include world-class infrastructure.
The 12,000-acre footprint provides something increasingly difficult to find: buffer. Your neighbors exist, but they’re measured in parcels per thousand acres rather than homes per acre. The Lodge at Primland has operated successfully since joining Auberge Collection in 2021, which means the resort amenities aren’t theoretical—they’re proven, operational, and staffed. This matters more than marketing materials typically acknowledge. You’re buying into existing systems, not promised ones.
The phrase “rare opportunity” appears in nearly every luxury real estate launch. Here, it might actually apply. The combination of factors—the acreage, the conservation commitment, the established resort infrastructure, the restricted number of homes, the family stewardship—creates something legitimately uncommon in the current market.
This isn’t about creating a private enclave from scratch or retrofitting an existing resort with real estate. It’s about opening a protected landscape that has been carefully maintained for 50 years to a small group of owners who will, theoretically, continue that stewardship.
The Auberge Collection connection adds another dimension. The portfolio includes 30 properties globally; each selected for distinctiveness rather than category dominance. Primland’s inclusion in 2021 brought operational excellence and brand recognition without compromising the property’s essential character. For buyers, this translates to reliable service standards and the ability to access other Auberge properties worldwide—a network effect that independent luxury properties can’t replicate.
For buyers seeking mountain property with established infrastructure, genuine seclusion, and access to high-level amenities without the density of a traditional resort community, Primland presents a legitimate option. The question isn’t whether the opportunity is rare—it demonstrably is. The question is whether it aligns with what you’re looking for in mountain ownership.
Construction begins Fall 2025, with first homes expected in 2026. For information: ownprimland.com
