03-13
Use the phrase “grand hotel” in a sentence and your listener is likely to conjure up an image of the alabaster structure located on Michigan’s Mackinac Island.
The term “grand hotel” is not trademarked, however. There are other grand hotels, including Indiana’s French Lick Resort Casino in Orange County. Comprised of two unique buildings, the resort traces its origin back to 1832 with a history beset by tragedy and triumph.
Strange name, stranger genesis
French Lick, Ind., got its name from its discoverers and nearby exposed salt deposits. French traders utilized the place, and this—coupled with the tendency of the animals to lick the salt from easily-accessible sources—resulted in the name French Lick.
By the mid 19th century, many people became convinced that immersing themselves in mineral water—particularly water with a high sulfur content—would cure whatever ailed them. An enterprising local doctor, Dr. William Bowles, purchased several thousand acres of land containing mineral springs from the state of Indiana.
The French Lick Springs Hotel opened in 1845 and became a full-fledged resort in 1888. By 1900, the rich and famous were journeying to central Indiana to partake of the waters. Promising cures for everything from cancer to alcoholism, the resort’s early years were dominated by what some called quackery and others swore was a miracle.
Following devastating fires (as well as some perhaps less-than-ethical deals), the buildings that comprise the current resort complex were designed and built just in time to add illegal gambling and a cure for prohibition to the list of reasons for visiting the resort. It’s said that Al Capone would take the Monon Railroad from Chicago to French Lick whenever he needed an alibi. Indiana’s own bank robber extraordinaire, John Dillinger, often showed up at the French Lick resort along with other members of the broken nose society.
At the other end of the spectrum, Bing Crosby, Cole Porter, the Marx Brothers and Franklin D. Roosevelt were counted among the guests—plus other lesser lights, both famous and infamous.
These first decades at French Lick were a gilded age. The building’s interiors were actually trimmed in gold leaf. If you looked up the word “opulence” in Webster’s dictionary, you’d likely have found pictures of the French Lick Springs Resort and its companion property, West Baden Springs.
In fact, West Baden Springs, with its 100-foot-tall free-span atrium was proclaimed the Eighth Wonder of the World, and so it must have seemed. The resort was the place to be, and everyone that was anyone visited—to “take the waters” and attempt to “take the money” from the casinos.
It seemed as if the gilded age would never end, but end it did—with a thud—as the stock market crashed in 1929. The buildings shortly fell into disrepair, and Orange County went from one of the most prosperous counties in Indiana to the absolute bottom of the economic pecking order.
A succession of owners watched as the resort’s buildings fell apart, and they tried to extract a few dollars profit but recoiled at the idea of spending any money for improvements. One of West Baden Springs’s walls actually did fall apart during this period, collapsing after a particularly wet year.
There things stood until a wealthy Indiana businessman and philanthropist, Charles Cooke, took on the project. Along with a group of Orange County activists, plus the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Cooke and company set out to rescue the properties and return them to their former glory.
Lobbying the Indiana legislature for assignment of the last casino license available in the state, the Orange County activists prevailed, enabling Cooke to attract the investors needed to restore the properties to their former state.
And restore they did—right down to the gold leaf. By pouring $382 million into the project, Cooke wanted not just to restore the properties, but restore prosperity to Orange County as well. He succeeded. Indiana’s grand hotel rose from the ashes along with the fortunes of the citizens of Orange County, Ind.
Elegant hotels
Amenities are what a grand hotel is all about. When you stay at a resort that features a first-class hotel, you expect something beyond a wonderful room. You want activities and you want great food. You want to be pampered and you expect to be treated like royalty. If you don’t receive those things, what’s the point in going?
Within the French Lick Springs and the West Baden Springs buildings, there are 689 guest rooms and suites. All of them have been restored to their former structural splendor and have been upgraded with the latest technology (albeit hidden, in many cases, so as not to detract from the feeling of being transported back in time to a more genteel period).
West Baden Springs is a National Historic Landmark and French Lick Springs is on the Register of Historic Places reflecting their positions in the country’s past. In those early days, formal attire was required and both gentlemen and ladies dressed to the nines. It really was an elegant time in history.
A 27,000 square foot, full-service spa is part of the French Lick Springs complex. A companion 14,000 square foot spa is located at the West Baden Springs facility. There are indoor and outdoor fitness facilities, too. Eight restaurants are in the French Lick Springs building, and three additional restaurants available in West Baden Spring’s facility.
There’s a 60,000 square foot indoor sports center staffed with resident professionals to help with your golf and tennis games and a 109,000 square foot conference facility for conventions. Numerous meeting rooms are available for companies that wish to combine business with pleasure for their employees.
First-rate amenities
If golf’s your thing, the resort has three courses available. The Donald Ross course was the site of the 1924 PGA championship and the 1959 LPGA championship. The Pete Dye course is situated on one of Indiana’s highest points of elevation and is known for its rugged terrain and beautiful vistas. The Valley Links course, suitable for children and beginners, is a conversion of the hotel’s original 18-hole course to a nine-hole course. In all, 45 holes of challenging golf featuring rolling hills, deep bunkers and manicured greens await French Lick’s guests.
Offering all the amenities of a true grand hotel, French Lick Springs has one additional feature many of its contemporaries do not offer: a casino.
The riverboat-inspired 42,000 square foot casino provides a “Vegas-style” gambling experience for resort patrons. The casino’s interior is tailored to resemble the appearance of the restored lobby at the main hotel, and there’s an entertainment lounge, a sports bar, a bistro and a casual deli located inside the casino. Table games, poker tables and several hundred slot machines are available in the facility.
Off-site activities
Also in Orange County, Ind., is a local train ride that features a staged “holdup” to delight the kids. Nearby Patoka Lake provides extensive fishing and water sports, and a short drive south takes you to Louisville, Ky., where you can explore Churchill Downs and enjoy many cultural events. Indianapolis is located to the north of Orange County, and has all that a capital city has to offer.
General Aviation-friendly
Indiana’s grand hotel won’t leave you stranded at the local airport. A call to the resort upon landing will dispatch a van to pick you up within 15 minutes, even without advance reservations.
Often the local FBO’s Unicom operator will hear your position reports and ask if you’d like them to call the resort for you. Remember, you’re landing at a rural airport and hospitality is what the airport operator provides—free of charge.
Whether you are staying at the resort for a week, spending a few hours at one of the restaurants, trying your luck at the casino or just sitting in a rocking chair on the huge front porch, the transportation to French Lick Resort Casino is free and the response is fast.
Getting there
Only a few miles from the resort, French Lick airport (KFRH) features a 5,500-foot runway and ample parking. Under the control of Louisville, Ky., Approach, there are NDB and GPS instrument approaches. The airport manager is an A&P mechanic—and he lives on the airport property, so you don’t have to worry about being stranded with mechanical problems.
As part of the master plan for development of the French Lick Resort Casino, the airport is undergoing renovations. It now has a brand-new terminal building, and a parallel taxiway is under construction. Even with these changes—suited to serve the expected growth in popularity of the area—KFRH is still a rural airport with a long runway, light traffic and wonderful people.
John Loughmiller is a 4,400-hour CFII MEI-A, aircraft owner and Lead FAA Safety Team Representative. Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
