We experienced highs and lows at Henderson Village. The location is 1 mile off of I-75, so we thought it would be a nice change from the standard interstate stayover on our drive from Florida to Georgia. I called the resort to make a reservation. The desk clerk was very friendly, but immediately tried to book me in a suite for $295. After several minutes of back and forth and explaining that we are traveling with a toddler, and we will be arriving late, we settled on a AAA queen bed room at approximately $150. I asked what animals that they had, since the web site advertised a farm. I was told that there were a different animals including an ostrich and llamas. We thought that would be fun for our 2 year old son. We also checked that the hotel is child friendly, and they confirmed that it was.

Highs: Initial Impression:
Our initial impression of Henderson Village was great. It is a grouping of cottages with beautiful landscaped gardens, a fountain and farmland. The desk clerk was very friendly. We stayed in the Holland House. We ended up getting a suite for the same rate. We were told that the Hodge House is really nice, and the original home. It overlooks the fountain. These two houses have several rooms each. Ours had a nice porch, but unfortunately it was too hot to enjoy. The tenant cottages are individual cottages, and they allow small pets. Our room had a sitting area and bedroom area. There was a high, iron four poster bed and two fireplaces. It made you feel like you stepped back in time. The room didn't seem "really clean"... especially the bathroom. There was turn down service and in-room robes which was nice.

Lows: No more Farm
We walked back to see the animals only to discover that they are no longer there. There are 2 horses, but apparently they had problems with upkeep, and they got rid of all of the animals. What was surprising was the lack of knowledge of the front desk. I asked her later if we were missing something because we didn't see any animals. She told us that she never goes back there, and she doesn't know what's there. It seems like that's a pretty big deal if you advertise a farm, and then you close it down. Also, apparently the man who kept the exotic birds died, so they closed that down as well. It's still advertised and even promoted in the in-room information. I just woudn't want any families to be mislead or let down.

Highs: Complimentary Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
They offer complimentary horse drawn carriage rides for hotel guests. We were there on a Saturday night, so I'm not sure if it's every night. It was a nice touch touch.

Lows: Terrible Restaurant
I'm not sure if there are changes going on at this resort. From what I understand, there was a new menu. They promote it to be an upscale restaurant, and the prices are fairly expensive. Our dinner for 2 adults and one child was $120. The waitress was friendly, but once again, had a lack of knowledge about the resort and menu. She didn't know what anything was. She recommended the tilapia which I ordered. Honestly, it was one of the worst things I've ever had. It was stuffed with spinach (I think), and it was extremely salty. The fish was brown on the outside, and we don't think it was cooked. I could only take one bight. The waitress mentioned it to the manager, and they took half of the entree price off. I have never heard of this. I didn't even eat half. That's almost even more of an insult. Hey, we know it's bad, but we're still going to charge you for half! We bravely continued with dessert which was a mistake. The toffee pudding was like a sponge, and the creme brulee tasted like scrambled eggs that were burned on top. It's too bad because the ambiance of the restaurant is nice. Once again, it seems like you are stepping back in time. The stay included complimentary breakfast. You can eat it in the restaurant or have it delivered to your room. It consisted of eggs, sausage, biscuits, grits, and danish. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good. It was just disappointing.

There is an outdoor pool area that overlooks the fountain. It is OK.
Overall, our stay cost about $350 for one night. I definitely would not stay here again. There were some nice moments, but there just seemed to be something strange going on. We were very surprised that it was rated four diamonds with AAA. I think it might have been much better a few years ago, but it appears to have gone downhill. They just didn't have it together. Too bad.

So...I read about this quiet little VIllage in SOuthern Living magazine, I have a tendancy to to keep the travel infomation. My husband and I ventured to this quaint place, tucked away just South of Perry, Georgia a mile or so from I-75 as we were travelling to Florida.

We were greeted by Holly, a warm and friendly front desk clerk that whisked away to our most beautiful room! Expensive chintz fabrics adorned the windows! And the bed had a European feather bed, matlasse covelets and 300+ count sheets certainly fit for a queen!!! We enjoyed the romance of the gas burning fire place and jetted bath-tub.

We dined in the Langston House Restarant where we had the pleasure of meeting Heather Bradham, the General Manager. She was top notch! Talk about Miss Southern Hospitality!!! We much enjoyed our meal of seared ahi tuna, wild mushroom bisque, rack of lamb and an unbelievable filet of beef. The finale was the Old English Toffee Pudding and Chocolate Ganache...both to die for!!!

We awoke the next morning to the bray of the donkey and moos of the cows, as Henderson Village has a small assortment of exotic farm animals. We ordered room service and our breakfast was delivered hot and delicious. The grits were truely the best I have EVER had and the fried green tomatos were a treat. I do not know where they get their coffee, but it is AWESOME too.

This place is a MUST SEE! I want to tell the world about Henderson Village I will visit Henderson Village time and time again as it is the perfect stopping point on the way to FLorida.