French Lick Resort Provides Retreat Experience for Groups of Every Size
We’ve all been there, a weekend or few days in a special location that brought us closer together with people we hardly knew before we arrived. It might be a friend’s wedding, a conference, or a reunion. There’s just something about getting together in a historic resort far from urban distractions. From a business perspective, the networking’s better, the sessions yield better outcomes, and most often the memories and corporate culture prove more favorable.
French Lick Resort provides a prime example of these inherent virtues when you’re planning a conference, event, or meeting onsite. Wrapped in a rich history dating back to 1845, the business and meeting facilities are state-of-the-art. Offering everything from custom receptions in unique venues to a full roster of team-building activities, the southern Indiana resort has built a reputation on its uniqueness and the strength of its hospitality offerings. When they partake in a scramble golf tournament, or a Wild West adventure followed by a terrace cocktail party at the Pete Dye mansion and dinner in the Stables Pavilion, employees and executives alike revel in shared times and collective good fortune.
Our experience was fantastic…there was so much to do for everyone involved.
“Our Board of Directors meeting is very important and our June meeting also includes the Past Presidents and wives of the group,” says Kim Rominger from the Ohio-based United Equipment Dealers Association. “There was so much to do for everyone involved… it is hospitality at its finest and just as it should be.”
The very best events contain plenty of peripheral activities. From carriage rides, to forest hiking trails, to the historic trolley between hotels, French Lick Resort provides a montage of magnificent memories. The new Sporting Clay Shooting Range has been a big hit with groups.
LEGENDARY GOLF
Home to the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 and 2015 Senior PGA Championship, the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort challenges players while providing magnificent views of the southern Indiana landscape.
A venerable 18-hole gem by fellow Hall of Fame designer Donald Ross is also on property. Built in 1917, the Ross course was site of the 1924 PGA Championship won by Walter Hagen. The 9-hole Valley Links Course is perfect for all ability levels and corporate tournaments. The less golf-inclined can play a round of FootGolf, a trending new sport that combines a bit of kickball with golf strategy.
As with any grand resort, groups of all sizes find plenty of indoor entertainment as well, from the pool complex to pickleball, tennis and basketball courts, and a driving range. The bowling alley and arcade provide two more excellent venues for casual team-building. Featuring Indiana’s largest non-smoking area, the French Lick Casino is a fun group setting with excellent bonus potential. The casino team will run special slot tournaments and casino activities exclusively for your group.
“I received rave reviews from my team regarding our experience,” says Curtis Correll, Central Region District Manager at Aramark. “The Craps 101 teambuilding event might have been the event/takeaway my managers felt was the “coolest” part of the trip. They also greatly appreciated the gift cards for the slots – what a terrific gift!”
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A site visit can be arranged for qualified meeting planners. Tell us a little bit about your group needs and we will be in touch shortly.
Luxurious relaxation is yours at The Spa at French Lick and The Spa at West Baden. Both feature at least a dozen treatment rooms and numerous menu items for rest and rejuvenation. A massage and a Moroccan Rhassoul Clay Wrap can do wonders!
DISTINCTIVE PLACES & EVENT SPACES
From groups of 20 to 2,000, French Lick Resort has the meeting, entertainment, and event spaces to tailor the perfect event from start to finish. The resort has more than 160,000 square feet of customizable event space, centered around the 22,000 square foot Hoosier Room. With dedicated on-site culinary, AV and floral staffs, no detail is overlooked. “From the planning to the execution, your team was friendly, flexible and fabulous,” says Aramark’s Corell. “My group manages and leads food service in hospitals in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. My culinary trained team was blown away by your staff.”
The Pete Dye Mansion adds a rarefied air to smaller events. Dry Hollow provides an ideal park setting with fire pit and shelter for a casual, mid-size gathering. The Stables and Stables Pavilion both embrace French Lick’s pioneer ambience, offering a chuck-wagon cookout or catered dinner. The club house restaurant at Hagen’s, complete with its “Al Capone bar” offers another scenic group spot.
HOTEL HISTORIES
The gold-gilded French Lick Springs Hotel, established in 1845, offers 443 guest rooms and suites. This is where Franklin Roosevelt launched his first presidential bid. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the AAA Four Diamond property contains traditional rooms, ideal for double occupancy, as well as the FDR and Governor’s Suites, perfect for VIPs. The hotel provides modern amenities including pet-friendly accommodations, high-speed Internet, and even charging stations for electric cars like Teslas.
Just a one mile trolley ride away, the West Baden Springs Hotel, transfixes guests the moment they enter the 200-foot atrium, one of several reasons the hotel was once deemed the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The 243-room luxury property, a National Historic Landmark, has deluxe and superior rooms in king or double-queen configurations, and the specialty suites are guaranteed to impress a top salesperson or VIP. The hotel also has numerous unique meeting spaces.
Having an event at an historic hotel is something special. The buildings are hundreds of stories tall…the stories of those who’ve come before. Share those stories and write your own at French Lick Resort. Close enough to be convenient, far enough to be away. With versatile meeting space, state-of-the-art assets and all manner of amenities, you can become a company hero by scheduling your next event at French Lick Resort.