Sometimes, when you want to get away from it all, you definitely want something off the beaten path. You're not interested in hotels or motels; you're more about that glamping life, or maybe staying in an old grain silo converted to an Airbnb. But then, sometimes... you don't want to get too exotic about it. Sometimes, you just want to stay somewhere elegant and familiar, or maybe historically significant but still modern, trendy, and beautiful. Well, the most famous hotel in the Hoosier State might be perfect for those times you're feeling the latter. French Lick Springs Hotel is an old, historic hotel in Indiana that plops you right into the lap of luxury. It's the perfect getaway for those who don't want to get dirty, pitch a tent, or sleep in a yurt. Its history is just as unique as the hotel is! Check it out:
The French Lick Springs Hotel is actually a part of the French Lick Resort Casino Complex, which also encompasses West Baden Springs Hotel and an adjacent casino.
This place was initially founded as something quite different around 1845. The area had been authorized as a salt mining area, but when the effort proved to be more laborious than it was really worth thanks to a lack of salt, the land was purchased by two brothers and eventually developed upon.
And thus, what would someday become the French Lick Springs Hotel was born.
Over the decades, the hotel and property would undergo numerous changes, upgrades, downgrades, and disasters - and that's just the things that occurred before 1900. Initially, the hotel was open only during summers and it was somewhat of a success. Nearby land containing a mineral spring was acquired in the early 1850s. It would be named Pluto's Well in 1869. It was where Pluto Water - eventually outlawed when lithium became a controlled substance - would be bottled and offered to hotel guests.
The place was on its way to greatness... or maybe not. At least, not yet.
The original hotel building was expanded (or possibly rebuilt); it was sold again, re-purchased by someone new, and made into a successful health resort based around the mineral springs. In the late 1880s, ownership was bounced again to a group of Kentucky investors. The new owners made the decision to make the resort a year-round affair instead of a summer-only type of place.
Ultimately, it was a good decision.
In 1897, yet another thing happened: the main building was destroyed by a fire. Undaunted, the French Lick Springs Hotel complex was rebuilt to be even bigger and grander than ever.
To make a very long, very complicated story a little shorter, the hotel continued to ebb, flow, and change throughout the early 1900s.
In 1905, it once again became a full-fledged health resort with a rec center and multiple wings. It did well - VERY well - for quite a while after that, but when the Stock Market Crash of 1929 happened, there was a notable decline. The hotel managed to avoid closure again - and then it nearly closed once more during World War II following a brief surge in success. Over the next several decades, the hotel would become a hot potato tossed from owner to owner, remodeled, improved, changed, restored... anything you can imagine, it probably went through it.
...Which brings us to 2005, when it was finally acquired by an Indiana company which turned it into the incredible splendor that it is today.
Now, more than a century later, this beautiful hotel (and the incredibly beautiful grounds that surround it) is thriving (FINALLY). Its sister hotel, West Baden Springs Hotel, is also doing incredibly well. They are elegant, beautiful, and ridiculously luxurious.
The hotel (and its sibling) have regained that incredible, top-of-the-world greatness they had a long, long time ago, and finally, it doesn't look like it'll be loosening its grip any time soon.
Nowadays, guests looking for an incredibly modern and unabashedly upscale place to stay for anything life throws at them, from weddings to birthdays and everything in between, know they can find the perfect place at French Lick Springs (or West Baden Springs) Hotel.
Who knew this old, historic hotel in Indiana was SO entrenched in tumultuous history? We love it, though - it gives the place plenty of character. Do you have a favorite historic hotel in Indiana with an interesting story? Tell us about it in the comments! To see more photos or book your luxurious getaway, be sure to check out the official French Lick Springs Hotel website.
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