The sales pitch:
French Lick Villas is located behind the French Lick Hotel and up a winding hill. While a guest at the Villas, we had access to the Hotel amenities which extended our options: a championship 18-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, year-round swimming pools, equestrian facilities, horse-drawn carriage rides, fitness center, and a full-service spa and salon featuring mineral baths. Guests can also enjoy the casino, restaurants, shopping, billiards, and a bowling alley at the resort. For children, there are hayrides, pony rides, video games, and a play area.
Features:
The villa features a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator/freezer, indoor range, oven, microwave, and dishwasher. The units also feature a dining area, washer/dryer, cable TV, telephone, private deck or balcony, fireplace (with free logs – but bring your own matches), and whirlpool baths. One-bedroom units have a bath, a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. Two-bedroom units have 2 baths, a king bed, 2 twin beds and 2 sleeper sofas. The kitchens are stocked with all the necessary equipment and usual dishes and pots and pans.
What we found:
While the kitchen is fully stocked, those items do show wear and tear and may not coordinate but are fully functional. Cribs, booster seats, and high chairs may be rented. Any supplies that are consumed can be replaced for a fee, these are often free at other resorts so we were slightly disappointed but luckily during our weeks stay we didn’t need to replace anything. Those items would be things like paper towels, laundry soap, dish soap, and toilet paper.
The furniture is a bit dated but comfortable. The two bedroom villas can accommodate a large family gathering. A few unique features are the jen-air indoor grill, large indoor whirlpool (one step smaller then a swim spa) and sauna. The two story floor plan allowed us to enjoy the game room type setting upstairs while still being able to see the television downstairs.
The check in desk area could use some updating and decor, it is very utilitarian but not inviting. Thank goodness the staff is very friendly and helpful. The activities building with the new indoor pool is a nice addition. During our visit, the bathrooms in the pool area were messy and not desirable.
Being located on a hillside, you may find yourself needing to drive to the activities center or the hotel, we did. In spring and summer, it might be more conducive to walking but while we were visiting in fall, it was too cold to walk that far and the road was slippery due to rain and light snow.
Final Take:
This is one of those resorts you will either love or hate depending upon what you are expecting. Do not expect a fast paced lifestyle, lots of outlet shopping or a variety of different restaurants and you will do fine. Do expect lots of relaxation, time together, a slower life style, some historic landmarks, and great drives in the country. The resort is dated and shows wear and tear.
While we enjoyed our visit and have already scheduled for another one, French Lick Villas doesn’t compare well to other timeshares and basic expectations. I would give them
3 out of 5 stars
French Lick Villas
P.O. Box 108
French Lick, IN 47432
812-936-5000 800-522-9210
http://www.frenchlickvillasinc.com/
