I had a lovely stay at Vichy Hot Springs. The campus was well maintained and lovely. We stayed in a 2 bedroom cabin. It had basic amenities like small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, disposable shower cap and soap. They do not provide tooth brushes or tooth paste. If you need more towels, you'll have to walk to the office for them, or the service will bring it to you when they clean your cabin. The use of the towels were included in the cabin price (I read on their site they charge $3 per use of a towel). I enjoyed the cabin, it was clean and roomy. The bathroom was pretty big too. The cabin bathroom has a walk in shower. The cabin had a window AC that kept the hot summer heat (111 degrees F) out. The cabins don't have a freezer, so you'll have to bring your own cooler and fill it with ice. There's an ice maker in the exercise/ game room which is locked at 9 PM, I think it opens at 8 AM? So best get your ice before it closes. the machines and games are off limits due to COVID. The ice maker room is next to the mineral water unheated pool, near the entrance of the campus. The pool has a "public" restroom there and an outdoor shower next to the restroom. Another restroom is next to the office/ store.
The baths were luxurious! I didn't expect such a relaxing stay considering I was expecting the hot weather and the hot springs mix would make me a boiled egg; but alas, I was a cool cucumber. But a hot spring dip in the middle of the beautiful inferno heat was surprisingly refreshing, relaxing and comfortable! I was able to fall asleep while floating comfortably in the champagne bath. I could feel the bubbles mature and float up from my skin and pop. It was such a treat. Like a light tickle of massage. All the baths and pool are all swimsuit mandatory.
It's pretty dark out at night (baths close at 2 AM open at sunrise) so best to bring a flash light, a towel or robe and wear flip flops. The bridge to the tubs is really cute but bumpy. Their beauty baths don't work as well as the champagne baths, only one room filled the bath quicker than the others; given how many people are using bath at the same time, and the bath didn't drain fast either, and one bath was missing a plug. I love that there is a choice with the baths, semi indoor with a window with no glass (private) with two single tubs per room, and outdoor baths (more public). The hot tub next to the natural hot spring baths was so nice to use after a cool dip at night. I can see the stars, it's very relaxing with some cool drinks I brought to the tub.
They used to allow people to drink and visit spring, but they closed it up due to COVID. The receptionist said you can still bottle up the water coming straight out of the tub unplugged before it touches the tub, plastic bottles only, no glass allowed. The water was salty, lightly carbonated and metallic tasting.
The campus also has a meadow next to more rooms. There is a bbq pit there, and a lot of red woodpeckers and blue jays. The campus is several acres, I tried exploring, but i started too late...10AM and it was a burning inferno then. I gave up, but I would've loved to see the waterfall. The receptionist said that the waterfall was dried up at the time, so glad I didn't miss out. They have a room for breakfast, but it was closed because of COVID, and they didn't serve breakfast when I was there. But fear not, the town is just a few minutes drive away. The full kitchen in the cabin except for a freezer was available for making meals. They also have a cute store that sold rings and soap. Would've liked to buy some bath salts, earrings or mineral water from their springs, but they didn't have any. The owner said one day he'll bottle and sell the water like they did in the past. So until then, I'll just take a sip from the tub.
The only thing I really would've made the trip 5 stars was to have a vending machine for ice cream since they don't have freezers, or just having a freezer for my ice cream after a bath. But I learned that yogurt or fruit milk would've been just as enjoyable after a hot dip, and that's possible with the small fridge in the cabin and a thermal bag.
All in all, I love Vichy springs. I look forward to another future stay. read more