The French Country Inn is in the final days of a remodel of its rooms, buildings and swimming pool, which began in the Spring of 2014. Portions of the Inn soft opened July 4th weekend.
LAKE GENEVA, WIS. – Lake Geneva’s historic French Country Inn, one of the oldest hotels in the region, officially reopens to the public on Friday, August 14th.
The French Country Inn is in the final days of a remodel of its rooms, buildings and swimming pool, which began in the Spring of 2014. Portions of the Inn soft opened July 4th weekend. As was the case when it originally opened nearly 120 years ago, the most spectacular feature of the hotel remains its location: on a wide, sandy beach, on the shores of Lake Como just a few miles West of downtown Lake Geneva.
The guesthouse and elements of the main house including the solid oak hand- carved staircase and inlaid parquet floors were built in Denmark in the 1880’s and then transported by boat to Chicago as the Danish Pavilion for the famed 1893 Columbian Exposition. After the fair the buildings were purchased and transported by rail to its current location.
Prior to its transformation to a hotel, the Lake Como property was an ice storage house, then a private hunt club. During the early 1900s, the property became a hunting and fishing resort owned by C.N. Smith. In 1921, the property was sold to Christian Hermansen which began a legendary period of ownership that spanned 50 years and 3 generations of the Hermansen family. Although it remained a family-friendly lake resort, it was also a favorite getaway for such well-known gangsters as George “Bugs” Moran and Baby Face Nelson and members of the John Dillinger gang.
In 1971, it was sold to Fay and Gene Leichtey who changed the name to The Red Chimney Inn. Years later, Sal Argento Family owned and operated the hotel, which they also called the Lake Como Hotel Inn. In 1986, Anthony and Kathy Navillio purchased the property and turned it into a secluded boutique hotel aptly named The French Country Inn.
In the Spring of 2014, Tony and Kathy began to remodel the Inn, transforming this historic inn into a beautiful beach resort. Featured are all-new rooms including new beds, refurbished furniture, carpeting and linens. Each room also includes essential 21st century amenities: plenty of electrical outlets, free wireless internet access, cable TV, refrigerators and coffee makers.
The property turns 120 years old and The French Country Inn turns 30 in 2016 with celebrations abound. Tony and Kathy are currently searching for an award winning chef and restaurateur to transform the dining space into a world-class destination, which once housed ‘Kirsch’s’. The new restaurant and lounge are scheduled to launch in mid 2016. Continental breakfast for guests of the Inn will be served in a private room at the Inn’s historic main house.
Tony penned a best selling fictional novel entitled ‘Murder at the French Country Inn‘ with a sequel coming in the Spring of 2016 called ‘Man in Trouble‘.
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