The Homestead deserves four stars in my opinion be...

The Homestead deserves four stars in my opinion because of the beautiful decor (though there are some areas that show signs of heavy wear and tear), stunning views and unmatched historical importance. The rooms are adequate, but less than what you'd expect in a modern resort. The beds are very comfortable, but most are only full size. Queen size beds in the guest rooms would be nice. We stayed in a Deluxe Room and I believe full size is standard for these rooms.

The food service and dining options need some work. As a word of warning, be sure to book your dinner reservations at least week before you arrive. This seems crazy to me, but if you don't book early, you may end up with no dinner reservation or, if you are lucky, you might get one for 9pm. We were traveling with two children under the age of 6. Eating at 9pm is not an option for us. The first day we checked in at 3pm and called around asking to reservations at 4pm. Clearly a newcomer mistake, but the attitude we got at The Jefferson restaurant was simply rude and unhelpful. The staff at Sam Snead's was more sympathetic, but still said 9pm was their best option. We ended up buying the kids sandwiches at the nearby Subway, which was really disappointing. The Casino Restaurant managed to fit us in at 7:30pm, so at least we did get a table the first night, but by then the kids had already eaten Subway and they fell asleep during dinner. The food at The Casino was just okay.

The next day I called for a reservation when I woke up. The concierge said she would work on it, but 30 mins later she called back and said the best she could do was an 8:30 reservation at The Casino or 9pm at Sam Snead's. No thank you. Not acceptable options with two young children. We ended up ordering room service. It took an hour for it to arrive, but it was the best meal of the trip.

Be warned that they will charge you a 15% daily resort fee based on your room rate regardless of the amenities you use. Resort fees seem to be the norm now at higher end vacation resorts, but be sure to factor it in as part of the overall cost when you book.

Besides the frustrating dining experiences, we enjoyed our stay. Our kids liked the indoor pool, the popcorn and movies each night, the birthday cake offered every afternoon at 2:50 and the kids craft offered.