The next time you visit West Baden Springs Hotel, maybe — just maybe — you’ll be staying where some Hollywood magic was made.
In case you hadn’t heard, the movie
So Cold the River is being released in March, and West Baden Springs Hotel is ready for its close-up in this thriller based on the novel by bestselling author and Hoosier native Michael Koryta. The movie was filmed entirely at West Baden Springs Hotel and the surrounding area, so if you’ve been to the hotel before you’ll surely recognize several spots around the hotel in the movie. The lobby. Ballard’s bar. The gardens. The pool. Even nearby French Lick Casino. The atrium, of course.
One place the movie magic is still alive? Room 4626. We call it “The Movie Room” now, since it’s been preserved as it appeared in the movie’s filming. This was the room of the movie’s main character, Erica Shaw, played by Bethany Joy Lenz. (Those of you who watched “One Tree Hill” will remember her as Haley James.)
How ‘bout a peek inside?
The Movie Room vs. a traditional West Baden guest room.
The first thing you might notice is it feels darker than a traditional West Baden guest room. That’s by design. The movie, both thematically and visually, has a dark feel. So we kept the Movie Room true to form, even though new light bulbs were installed to brighten it up a bit. And that wallpaper? It’s actually drawer liner that the movie’s production crew liked the look of — so it got transformed into wallpaper.
One feature uncommon to other West Baden rooms is the mirror on the wall opposite the bed. Once you watch the movie, you’ll realize why it was kept intact.
There’s other tiny differences. The pillows and bedspread are a stark contrast to the pure white linens from a regular room. The closet in the corner has a knob instead of a handle. The wet bar has a couple extras, including four rocks glasses. Don’t worry, we put back the TV and telephone — in the movie, neither one is there.
Already, we’ve had guests who’ve heard about the Movie Room and request it for their visit. Occasionally guests get the Movie Room even if they don’t request it. Either way, we’ve been hearing rave reviews from guests about the unique setting. If you want to experience it for yourself, contact our call center at (888) 936-9360 and ask about Movie Room — the earlier you can plan the better, because requests for this room are picking up!
Stay tuned in the coming weeks, too, because we’ll have more behind-the-scenes stories and photos from the making of the movie.
