On our recent visit to Lake Geneva, my family and I had so much fun exploring Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to its fullest. (Read about it here.) One of the highlights of our trip though was staying at The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort. It was our home away from home, and we loved everything about it! Find out more about our stay.

 

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

Villa Highlights:

We stayed in a renovated two bedroom Villa located on the Grand Geneva Resort property.

  • Isolated location.  Our villa was tucked away from the rest of the property, so it felt like we were staying in our own cozy building backed by trees. They even had a trail close by.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

  • A unique layout. The two-bedroom villas have two stories. The first floor had the master king bedroom and the second bedroom. Plus, a beautiful bathroom with tub. The second floor had the living room with gas fireplace, awesome fully equipped kitchen, and a sectional with sofa bed, and the second bathroom.
  • Everything a family needs (and wants). I was just so giddy when I saw this little bad boy. Whoever thought an entryway bench with hooks could make this momma so happy. (I know other moms can feel me on this one, right?)

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

And I totally appreciated having our own washer and dryer.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

  • Comfy bedrooms. Not only were the bedrooms super stylish, but the beds were super comfy.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

See, this girl was too comfy on the bed and didn’t want to get up!

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

  • Two gorgeous bathrooms. The two full bathrooms were beautiful with its subway tiles and really cool fixtures. One with a tub.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

…and one with a shower.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

  • Gorgeously refinished. Wow, wow, wow! Chip and Joanna would be proud. As you walk up the stairs, you’re immediately wowed by the living room with gas fireplace.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

But wait. Look up and you’ll see those beautiful beam ceilings. Swoon.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

And how about those light fixtures?

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

  • Kitchen with everything you need. A kitchen with anything you’d need. Full-size appliances, pots, pans, cutlery, a toaster, a Keurig! Everything!

  • A warm welcome. They sure know how to make someone feel special Chocolates and delicious cookies for the win.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

Resort Highlights

  • Hop on! While we didn’t get a chance to use it, I loved that they had a trolley that had different stops all over the grounds of the resort.
  • Spa. To truly get away, schedule time to visit the WELL Spa + Salon. I was treated to a 50 minute relaxation massage. Definitely needed. I did spend a little time in the steam room, sauna, and whirlpool. You can even get in-villa treatments. How fantastic!
  • Fitness center. My husband took advantage of the fitness room with plenty of cardio equipment and strength conditioning equipment. Other fitness/spa amenities include a full-size indoor basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, junior Olympic-size lap pool, 35-foot indoor climbing wall, and daily group fitness classes.  
  • Restaurants. Plenty of restaurants to choose from including Geneva ChopHouse (steak and seafood);  The Grand Café (contemporary American);  Cafe Gelato (coffee, sweet treats, and you guessed it – gelato). Since it was a special occasion (my birthday!) I actually wanted Italian food. At Ristoranté Brissago, we enjoyed authentic house-made pastas, cheeses, prosciutto, olive oils and desserts. It’s a nice “fancy” restaurant as the kids would say.

Definitely, try the crispy calamari and their apple and radicchio salad. Both kid-approved!

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

I tried the special of the day – risotto – and was a fan (except for the olives). My husband wanted a light dinner with slightly less carbs so opted for the grilled octopus. The real highlight though was the Rigatoni al Bolognese – Boar and Oxtail Ragu, Spicy Pork Sausage, and Shaved Pecorino. Very, very tasty and flavorful!

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

  • Love golf? They have one of the most challenging layouts in the Midwest and is considered one of Wisconsin’s best golf courses. Enhanced with 68 bunkers and huge rolling greens, averaging over 8,000 square feet, this par-72 golf course is perfectly manicured and immaculately maintained.

 

 

Kid-friendly amenities:

  • Need a night out? The Grand Geneva has you covered with their Kids are Grand Childcare. They can be dropped off at the center, or they can go to your room.
  • Splash away. Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark: Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, offers a collection of 225 expansive guest suites and a 50,000-square foot indoor/outdoor waterpark, Moose Mountain Falls, equipped with pools, slides, a lazy river, and an awesome indoor/outdoor hot tub. Although they have a couple slides (one of them a new musically inspired waterslide). My kids could have stayed at Tiny Timbers the entire time. Grand Geneva guests can purchase a limited supply of waterpark passes to Timber Ridge for $30-$35, depending on availability. Stay tuned for a full review soon!

Splashtastic fun at Timber Ridge Lodge in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

  • Arcade fun! Love winning prizes and playing arcade games? Well, who doesn’t? Crazy Coyote’s Arcade Cave has plenty of games to keep the kids and you entertained.

The Villas at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Truly a home away from home that is gorgeously refinished, offers kitchen with appliances.

We wish…

..the first floor wasn’t so cold. We had the heat blasting and still found the first floor much colder than the second floor. It was probably due to the fact that it WAS pretty cold outside and one of the master bedroom’s wall was all windows. It was no big deal since we were always hanging out upstairs by the cozy fireplace and living room.

Tips:

  • Save money and hit the grocery store before arriving. It would be a shame to not take advantage of the fully stocked kitchen. Or if you totally want to stay in and don’t want to leave, use the resort’s grocery delivery service. How convenient, right?
  • Take a peek at their calendar of events when staying there. They have such cool classes that I would have loved to try. For instance, a coffee corner where you can sip a variety of coffee while learning more about Starbucks. How about a class where they pair cheese and brews. Sounds like so much fun!

Fun Facts about Grand Geneva Resort:

  • It started out as one of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Club resorts.  The hotel took three years to construct and spread across 265,000 square feet.
  • They have their own private, FAA-approved airport for airplane and helicopter landing. How cool!
  • Superstars like Sonny and Cher, Joan Rivers, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis and Liza Minelli were welcomed at the Playboy Club’s Penthouse Theater.
  • The architecture was Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Prairie Style, and the ambiance inside achieved a cutting-edge, modern luxury for the era.
  • Opened Shade Tree Records in 1978, a world-class recording studio that attracted performers like John Cougar Mellencamp, Survivor, Cheap Trick, Guns ‘N Roses, RobertPlant, Nine Inch Nails and more.

Bottom Line:

We loved having a “home away from home!” I would totally recommend getting a Villa the next time you’re in Lake Geneva. It’s perfect for large families or those families that just want to get away from it all, but still have access to the fantastic amenities provided by Grand Geneva Resort.

Nitty Gritty:

Website: https://www.grandgeneva.com/
Address: 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Check-in and Check-out:  4 p.m. and 11 a.m.
Price range: Grand Geneva’s spacious villas feature studio, one, two and three bedroom accommodations, all equipped with a full kitchen, fireplace, flat screen TVs, washer and dryer and deluxe furnishings. Prices for a stay in the villas range anywhere from $300/night for a studio villa to $1,000/night for a three-bedroom villa.
Parking: Since we were at the villas, we had our own personal parking spot.
What to expect: Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is an award-winning AAA Four-Diamond all-season resort that is set on 1,300 acres in the legendary southeastern Wisconsin community of Lake Geneva, located just a 90-minute drive from Chicago and an hour from Milwaukee.

Disclosure: Our family was provided a complimentary stay at the Villas at Grand Geneva Resort. I was not required to express a particular point of view, and all opinions are my own.

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