The Equestrian Hotel at WEC Review

If travel plans beckon you to Ocala, Florida, and you desire a little luxury, book a stay at the World Equestrian Center’s hotel called. . . The Equestrian Hotel. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to be a guest for five nights at The Equestrian Hotel. Spoiler alert: it was an equestrian bucket list experience.

Perhaps you have seen the social media images of a sprawling white hotel adjacent to a Grand Prix arena–that’s The Equestrian Hotel. I might have squealed when I opened the door of my double king suite, and noticed the show ring was below my room, just outside the window! I could watch horses from the bed! But before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk about first impressions.

A doorman greeted me when I wheeled my carryon into the lobby. The grand fireplace, fox hunt and racing art, dog portraits and massive floral bouquets arrested my attention. I was ready to move in, making The Equestrian Hotel my permanent home. 🙂

First Impressions of The Equestrian Hotel Room

Aside from the phenomenal arena view, the next feature that grabbed my attention in the room was the claw foot tub in the main bathroom (the king suite has a powder room too).

The bathroom was a sea of marble contrasted with fluffy white towels and the kind of elegant lighting that makes you look younger and more awake than you really are. The shower had a traditional shower head and a secondary European style hand held spray unit. More on that later.

The king suite had a dining area with a round table and seating for four, along with a larger-than-most-hotel-rooms sized refrigerator.

The mattresses were extremely comfortable–firm, but not hard. Classic tufted headboards and white linens paired well with the the solitary accent pillow, adorned with a leather saddle motif. Black leather benches were at the foot of both beds–a handy place to plop my small suitcase as well as put on my shoes.

The massive closet revealed twin terrycloth robes emblazoned with the hotel’s logo and more space than I would ever need for my clothing. I was grateful for that robe when there was an unexpected knock on the door (keep reading for that awkward moment).

Pricing for the rooms at the time of this writing range from $314 a night (before taxes) for a standard king to $3,500 for a vice presidential suite. (In case you’re wondering, this is not a sponsored post. My stay was not comped.) See current rates here.

The Fitness Center & Pool

I can honestly say the fitness center, open 24 hours, was the nicest I’ve ever seen in a hotel. I used one of the treadmills, a spin bike, free-weights and a foam roller.

Click here to read why I love spin for equestrians.

Much to my delight, I had the space to myself. I felt like it was my private gym. There was only one night I shared the workout center with two other hotel guests.

Sadly, I did not get to swim in the pool as the weather was too brisk, but it looked inviting. I could envision myself reading a fun horse book poolside, enjoying the sunshine. I did get to dip my hand in the water; the temperature was perfect and warm. Bright white lounge chairs and umbrellas flank the pool’s curved edges, and a pool lift allows accessibility for all guests.

The Restaurants

When you stay at The Equestrian Hotel, head to Emma’s Patisserie (on the first floor) for a coffee drink of your choice and chocolate croissant. If you like old-world European bakeries purveying macarons, tarts and muffins you will be in heaven. For a robust breakfast, order a bagel sandwich with bacon, egg and cheese.

Emma’s also has a selection of grab and go items such as a grilled portabella sandwich or Southwest quinoa salad. Keep in mind there might be a line of fellow coffee fanatics and riders ready to compete. According to a friend who joined me, “It is worth the wait, so plan for a few extra minutes to get your order. The staff is as efficient as the food is delectable.”

For lunch or dinner head over to the Yellow Pony, a pub with a horseshoe-shaped bar. If you ask for a tall table inside, you might get to sit on a saddle-inspired barstool. Their nachos are out of this world.

Spurs to Stirrups is the fine dining restaurant with views of the Grand Prix arena. I didn’t make it there during my stay, but had dinner there with friends previously (sadly I don’t remember what I ordered, but the mashed potatoes were fabulous).

There are additional restaurants on the property of WEC (which will require some walking or a golf cart ride) including a Mexican and Italian restaurant. I dined at both last year and enjoyed my food.

Shopping and Spa

Next to the check in area is a small shop with essentials such as bottled water, sunscreen, toothbrush or merch with the World Equestrian Center logo.

If you are have no budgetary constraints, a Lugano Diamond store awaits you near the lobby, and over by Emma’s Patisserie, a whimsical toy store, Mr. Pickles & Sailor Bear Toy Shoppe. While I perused the shoppe, I smiled as a few tweens gasped upon discovering shelf after shelf of Breyer horses.

Don’t be alarmed by the roaring lion and fuzzy black bear at Mr. Pickles & Sailor Bear Toy Shoppe–they’re not real, but impressively lifelike. You might also enjoy the life-sized giraffe stuffed animal, but wonder how it will fit into the overhead compartment for your journey home.

A few retail spaces sat vacant, presumably for more boutiques. As you explore the the grounds of World Equestrian Center, other places to shop await you in four of the indoor arenas. There’s a giant Ariat store, Arista (stocked with sunshirts), Farmhouse Tack and Exceptional Equestrian, for example. You can see a list of all shops here. Be sure to swing by A Sudden Impulse to shop official World Equestrian Center merchandise ranging from branded horse treats to quilted vests, hats and more.

Sadly, I did not get to try out the Calluna Spa at The Equestrian Hotel during my recent stay, but that’s what next time is for. The Steamed Lavender Pedicure and Milk and Honey Nourishing Wrap sound transformative, and although I didn’t ride during my time (my horse Knight was home missing me from afar), the Rider’s Recovery massage sounds right up my alley.

Final Thoughts on The Equestrian Hotel

I loved almost everything about my stay at The Equestrian Hotel, and I hope to return again. However there were two things I would have changed. First, when I texted a quick video tour of the room to a friend in California, her response was, “Where’s the in-room coffee bar?” I didn’t notice it immediately, but there was no coffeemaker in the room! Not only that, but coffee was hard to come by.

A few weeks earlier I stayed at this non-luxury hotel in the area and it had a coffeemaker in the room. For a place that has seemingly spared no expense on art, decor and design (so much marble in one bathroom!), it would seem they could have placed a coffeemaker in each room.

Also, there’s no coffee in the lobby. If you want coffee you have to A) stand in a line at the patisserie (open until 8 p.m.) or B) bring your own coffeemaker. I actually saw a woman checking in with her bags at the door and she clasped a box with a coffeemaker in it. Smart lady!

In addition to the frustrating lack of coffee accessibility, the gorgeous shower was not at all user friendly.

I understand showers can be very different in other regions. For instance, the shower in the cottage I stayed at during my recent Ireland riding holiday stumped me. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to use the shower at The Equestrian Hotel! Very warm water and perfect water pressure evaded me every day.

On the last night I decided I couldn’t take it anymore–not knowing how to use the shower–and called the front desk. A maintenance guy appeared who assured me it wasn’t me, but that something in the way the shower hot and cold handles had been installed wasn’t correct. He said they will be going through the whole hotel, room by room to change it. That was good news for future guests, but that didn’t help me. My thought is when you stay at a luxury hotel and your room for one night is the equivalent of half of your horse’s monthly board bill, the shower experience should be sublime, not tricky and mediocre.

After I showered, while clad in a towel, repeated knocks on the door sent me fluttering around to try to find clothes. As the knocking continued I gave up and threw on the hotel robe before poking my head out the door. It was a second maintenance guy. He apparently didn’t get the memo someone had already been sent to my room to address the shower dilemma. I appreciate the attentiveness to my needs, but that was awkward.

Despite those two inconveniences, I enjoyed my time living a luxurious existence at The Equestrian Hotel in the heart of Ocala’s horse country. It is also worth pointing out the entire staff was friendly and attentive. The young woman at the front desk when I checked out was especially helpful. A dinner charge around $150 from Spurs was incorrectly added to my bill (it was for a shrimp dish and I don’t eat shrimp). She was able to remove that quickly and ensure accuracy of my final total. I appreciated her efforts and those of the two maintenance employees who tried to help with the shower too.

All that to say, I definitely think you would enjoy spending time at The Equestrian Hotel if you’re also horse-obsessed. Click here for more info about The Equestrian Hotel, and start packing your bags. Just remember, if you’re caffeine dependent, you might want to leave room for a small coffeemaker. lol

Thanks for reading and tally ho!

Question: Have you been to World Equestrian Center in Ocala? If so, what did you think? Please share in the comments section. 

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