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Opening in 2010 Outside North America By Jeff Coy & Amanda McDaniel
By comparison, in North America, only 8 hotel waterpark resorts are expected to open in 2010 --- a decline of 44% from the 18 resorts opening last year. In the rest of the world, 8 waterpark hotels have already opened during the first half of 2010:
Hotels with indoor waterparks continue to perform better than hotels without indoor waterparks --- especially in a tough economy. Regional drive-to resorts are seeing more visitors than the national fly-to resorts. Indoor and outdoor park owners have discovered that having a hotel on site provides families with a reason to stay longer and spend more money. Many new waterpark projects are designed as mixed-use resort destinations that include hotels, conference centers, shopping, sports facilities, family entertainment centers and residential. All these components clustered together act as a strong magnet that draws more families from a wider region. Here is a chart of the 15 waterpark resorts opening in 2010 along with their locations, hotel room counts, waterpark size and opening date: Hotel Waterpark Resorts Under
Construction
The worldwide database of hotel waterparks open, under construction and in development is maintained by Phoenix-based JLC Hospitality Consulting. Owners and managers are encouraged to email corrected or missing information to [email protected]. Profiles of New Hotel Waterpark Resorts Opening in 2010 In January 2010, Lotus Desaru Beach Resort in Desaru, opened in Johor, Malaysia. This waterpark resort is just a short drive north of the city-nation-state of Singapore in Johor Malaysia. The resort offers 700 1, 2 & 3 bedroom suites for a total of 2000 lodging units along with 3 swimming pools, a 4-lane super waterslide to guarantee hours of fun and a wide array of activities to entertain visitors. Sport lovers can enjoy the beach, boating, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, jet-skiing, or even a banana boat ride. Those who prefer some quiet pursuits can relax at the rainforest park or by the pool or beach where the only thing they need to work on it their tan. Recreational activities like the board and traditional games, toys and a play area are available at the children�s play room. Guests who fancy going on a short excursion can visit a nearby fruit farm or an ostrich farm, or cruise along the Lebam river at dusk to watch fireflies in a wetlands reserve. For meeting planners, there are 12 meeting rooms and 8,000 sf ballroom for events. For more, contact Lotus Desaru Beach Resort at Johor Darul Ta�zim, Malaysia by calling 07-884 2800 ext 1966 or by emailing [email protected]. In Kuala Lumpur, visit the Sales Office at Wisma Lotus, Lot 1A, Jalan 51A/223A, Off Jalan Utara, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia or call 603-7958-5881. Splash Jungle Waterpark at West Sands Resort in Phuket, Thailand opened in January 2010. West Sands offers a superb residential environment which can't possibly be matched anywhere else in Phuket. Set in 48-acres of land and with its own 500 meter private beachfront, West Sands has 426 prestige villas & residences. Unit size varies from one to five bedrooms. Half of the property is dedicated to landscaping and enhancing the natural surroundings with waterfalls, lakes and pools. All units have been carefully sited to take advantage of the ocean views and Phuket's dramatic hinterland. Guests and residents have their own private pools, state of the art fitness center, a holistic fusion balance spa, the national geographic PADI dive center and the 500 million baht Splash Jungle Water Park, which covers 239,680 square feet. There�s a lazy river, a wave pool and 3 waterslides that carry 360 riders an hour. �We are confident that Splash Jungle will become a major attraction and a must-do activity for travelers,� says Grace Yang-Mercer, vp of the waterpark.� Seven mini-waterparks offer splashes from around the world: the Inca Mayas, Africa, Asia, Turkey, Northern Europe, North America and the North Pole.
The ownership is Central & City Developments Ltd of Phuket, Thailand. Tony Cousens is CEO and Chris Stuart is the director of Splash Jungle Water Park. The owners invested 500 million baht on 5.5 acres of outdoor waterpark with 6 million liters of water, including a 1100 foot long lazy river that surrounds a wave pool, an activity pool, a Boomerango, Super Bowl and other waterslides. To reach Tony Cousens or Chris Stuart, dial 66-0-76-372-111 or go to www.splashjunglephuket.com. To reach property manager, Alexander Kretsu, dial 66-0-76-372-020 or send an email to [email protected]
The water park provides people of all ages with a whole host of active water enjoyment options. In the spa, families enjoy the basic element of water in its authentic, vitalizing form and experience the feeling of a truly relaxed short holiday. Small children can discover the element of water in a playful exciting way. Bigger adventurers can plunge into various activity pools, try the climbing wall and then speed down the waterslides. And then they might want to go outside to the relax pool or the mountain torrent in its natural setting. Indoor waterpark features include: wave pool, baby pool with water mushroom, infant pool and nursery room, activity pool with climbing wall and nets, Extrême-Slide for children age 12 & older, Cube-Slide for families and children age 6 & older, Rivellazione-Slide, Intensio Freefall Slide, Burn-Slide with light and water effects and Aqua-Slide with light effects. The indoor waterpark provides direct access to the restaurant with view of the waterpark. Outdoor waterpark features include: a relax pool, grotto with light illumination, floor bubblers, flow channel, Whirlpool, massage jets, neck showers, children pool with water mushroom, fountain, toy elements, Mountain torrent in natural setting with night operation during summer, sunbathing lawn and patio, self-service coffee patio and dry playground area. Aquabasilea�s Sauna world gives you the choice of various types of sauna and sauna houses, both internally and externally. Aquabasilea spa provides your body and soul with a range of services of the highest standards. Try aquabasilea's restaurant, lounge or bar, all of which have views into the waterpark. There�s additional seating outside and inside the sauna bistro. You can also spend some time at the pool bar or in the summer café. To see a video of Aquabasilea, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyhONRjxCFQ.
Aqua Play incorporates the marine themes of sandy beaches and palm trees and even has its own unique cast of family-friendly characters called the Aquapals, skippered by Captain Splash. Children in the UAE now have a brand new place in which to roll up their sleeves and explore the world of water. But visitors don�t need to get wet from head to toe as Aqua Play is designed for fun in water no deeper than an arms length. An offshore sailing feel is provided courtesy of ropes and rigging and a fresh cool blue and sandy beige color scheme ensures a nautical look and feel. This leisure learning center was designed and developed by Majid Al Futtaim Leisure to push the boundaries of leisure activities within a retail environment. �Aqua Play is an excellent way for young children to have fun with water while at the same time helping with childhood development and confidence building,� says Craig Hart, vice president. Research shows that play is an important part of a child�s development. Children have a natural, inbuilt ability to learn, and watching, listening and playing with water can develop emotional skills and help in both physical and cognitive development. With this in mind Aqua Play has a number of simple activities which are designed with an edutainment purpose. The Aquapals - Dana the Starfish, Oscar the penguin, Muriel the crab, Ravi the Turtle, Nelson the whale, Sheila the angelfish and Karim the Jellyfish introduce sea life, while being on hand to help children navigate the facility in a fun and safe way. Alongside educational fun there is also a chance for children to catch a ride on a flume canoe or a tug boat swing ship. Alternatively they can spend time knocking into each other in one of the fantastic bumper boats. In addition, Mirdif City Center Mall has�..
The 499-room Yas Hotel opened on the shores of Abu Dhabi city in October 2009 as a flagship for the emirate�s rapid move into tourism. Built by Aldar Properties beside a marina filled with 100 super yachts, it has a Formula One race track running underneath, offering sensational views from your room on race days. In October 2010, Ferrari World indoor theme park is scheduled to open with the world�s fastest roller coaster. The GT Rollercoaster pits two F430 Spider drivers against each other on separate tracks. Intended to simulate real racing conditions, speeds reach 60 mph, which might be child's play compared to the F1 rollercoaster, already being dubbed the fastest in the world at a mind blowing 125mph. The ride takes just four seconds to reach its top speed, subjecting riders to 1.7 Gs --- which is 1.7 times the force of a free fall. �It will pull the skin back on your face,� according to park manager Andy Keeling. �It is definitely a white-knuckle ride.� For more, go to www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com.
Although Yas Island is still a work in progress, it will soon be home to Yas Links championship golf course, the biggest IKEA in the Middle East and a huge waterpark. In June 2010, Aldar Properties announced plans to build a large waterpark on Yas Island with construction beginning in July. The 40-acre waterpark will feature 40 rides and 4 one-of-a-kind rides never seen before in a waterpark. Lead designer is Atkins of the UK. The waterpark is scheduled to open in 2012. According to Sami Asad, chief operating officer at Aldar, �the new waterpark will set Yas Island apart as a major leisure destination and reinforce Abu Dhabi�s position as a great place to live, work and visit.� To reach the Yas Hotel, dial 009971-2-656-0000 or go to www.theyashotel.com. Ice Land Outdoor Waterpark opened in April 2010. It is the first component to open in WOW RAK, a 120-acre family entertainment resort destination in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) just an hour north of Dubai. RAK is one of the smaller but rapidly-growing emirates among the seven in the UAE. �WOW RAK is designed to put Ras Al Rhairmah on the map, hence the emirate�s name featured in the name of the project,� explains managing director Balwant Singh Chawla. RAK shares a rugged border with neighboring Oman and has 25 miles of golden sand with emerging UAE resorts. WOW RAK has several components: (1) the snow-themed Ice Land Waterpark which opened April 2010, (2) Planet Earth theme park, (3) shopping & entertainment mall, (4) Kabana Resort and (5) 13 additional hotels. Ice Land Waterpark, themed around penguins and global warming, is one of the biggest waterparks (30 acres) in the Middle East. Designed to hold 15,000 people at one time, the waterpark will also feature the region�s biggest main-made waterfall at 525 feet wide and 115 feet high, the first-ever area for aqua football, an artificial coral reef, scuba diving, a wave pool, 27 waterslides and a 645,000 sf rain dance pool deck which will blast pulsating music while showering people. A food court provides seaside seating for 650 people. Planet Earth is a 24-acre theme park that provides rides and learning through 5 theme zones representing Oceanic, Cosmos, Mountain, Jungle and Desert. Planet Earth, the shopping mall and hotels are scheduled over the next several years. Kabana Resort is expected to open in 2011 with 70 kabana-style rooms on the beach. For more, call 00971-50-4321301 or email [email protected].
Center Parcs is the leading award-winning brand in Europe for sustainable recreational resorts in a natural setting that offers high quality, short breaks for families and leisure couples of all ages. The natural setting is typically a forested village, up to 400 acres, with an abundance of outdoor and indoor recreation. The focal point of each Center Parc village is the dome indoor waterpark. Center Parc Villages make up a very successful model. In 2009, occupancy reached 95.4%, up from 91.6% in 2008. The high occupancy is due in part to the resort�s booking pattern. You cannot stay for just one night; you have to reserve a 3-night or a 4-night package. The booking patterns are Friday-Sunday or Monday-Thursday. The timing of the global recession has been great for Center Parcs. The company is attracting a whole new type of customer staying closer to home with a short break getaway back to nature. Last year, Center Parcs upgraded the entertainment value of their domed waterparks. As a result, the Aqua Mundo in Moselle is divided into four zones, each with its own special atmosphere: Active, Children, Relaxation and Open Air. The Active Zone includes the Water Playhouse where you�ll find a bamboo area with family waterslides, water pistols, water games, a 900-litre tipping bucket and a pond. Action is guaranteed with the Superspacebawl. You start with a thrilling drop through the Aqua Tube and then centrifugal force keeps you high on the wall of the bowl until you exit a hole into a splashdown pool. Then, there�s the Aquagym where you can train to music and water resistant exercises. The Children�s Zone provides a jungle area with paddling, interactive pools and a sandbox. For baby swimmers, you can enjoy moments with your child as he or she discovers the pleasures of playing in water. The Relaxation Zone offers a big palm grove with lagoon, wave pool and Jacuzzi. The Open Air Zone is an outdoor area that provides an outdoor pool, lazy river, wild river, gardens, beaches and aquabar. Center Parcs is owned by the UK-based Blackstone Group. For more information, contact development director Don Camilleri at [email protected]. In May 2010, Talima Adventure & Waterpark & Glamour Camp opened on Olanggo Island in Cebu, Philippines. The Island Group of Companies, the operator of Islands Banca Cruise, invested P30 million for the creation of the first water island-based adventure park in Barangay Talima, The facility, which occupies 3.7 acres of land and water, will offer both land and water adventure activities from off-road mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and glamour camping. Waterpark rides include the Summit Express waterslide, the Super Tramp 23-foot diameter trampoline and Rockit, a circular water rocket. �The waterpark is suitable for any activity, including team building, family picnics, action sports and children�s parties,� according to marketing director Carlo Borromeo. Being an attraction for Cebu, the park donates part of its income to the Talima Marine Sanctuary and the Barangay Bird Sanctuary. �We want people who come to not only appreciate the facility but to be more educated and proactive in preserving the country�s marine life and boost Olanggo Island as an emerging tourist destination,� says Samson Buatag, village secretary. Happy Magic Water Cube reopens in July 2010. Beijing�s famous Olympic Water Cube has experienced an extreme makeover by designer Forrec. The iconic facility, designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has been converted into a massive indoor water park totaling 118,400 sf. Inside the amazing structure, guests will be immersed in a very out of the box indoor water park, with features never before seen. Guests will have the chance to ride through giant funnels, play with interactive jelly fish, and just enjoy the simply epic surroundings. ProSlide, Whitewater West and Empex provided the attractions, including an Aqualoop, Tornado, RiderHouse, tube and body slides, wave pool, lazy river and pools with a variety of play components. The theme is a magical underwater world with LED lighting, moveable walls and live performances. Forrec says that all the details have been designed to match each other. The theatrical lighting, iconic architectural style and glass mosaics all work together to transport guest to a new world. Forrec has two other waterparks on the drawing board for China --- one in Beijing and the other in Nanjing. The 34-acre Beijing Longmenzhen Water Park, scheduled to open in 2011, is part of a larger mixed use resort destination that includes a hotel, spa and shopping. The Nanjing Longmenzhen Water Park is similar to Beijing and includes a hotel that will attract families from throughout the Yangtze River delta. For more, contact Forrec at 416-696-8686 or go to www.forrec.com. Qatar�s first aqua park, Aqua Master Park, will have a soft opening for the public during the first week of August 2010, according the Gulf Times. Guests can start using the various rides. An official opening will be held during the Eid-ul-Fitr, according to developer Hala Group Enterprises of Doha. �The delay in opening from April to August was due to issues beyond our control, such as getting an electricity connection. The pre-opening response was so big, the developer had to add more waterslides, kiosks and a boomerango,� according to Ijaz Malik, general manager. The park measures 3.2 million square feet in size. The concept and construction were provided by Cyprus-based Aqua Masters. The park consists of a giant wave pool, lazy river, activity pool, a multi-slide complex, a family pool, an exotic village and a dry amusement area. There�s a 16,140 sf pool area for children ages 1-10. Services include bathrooms, changing areas, restaurants, coffee shop and sports court. �Full capacity is 3,000 visitors per day,� says aquapark general manager Rady Aglan. Kuwait-based Al Jazera Entertainment Entreprises Company has a contract to manage the park for five years. A resort hotel and shopping complex are currently under construction with an opening date set for June 2011. For more, contact Mohammed Khoursid, managing director, at 965-22431960 or email [email protected]. Grand Canal Water Resort by JW Marriott in Abu Dhabi, UAE is expected to open by year end 2010. Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) is developing its first water resort in the emirate at a cost of $408 million. It will have 595 rooms and suites, including 100 villas surrounded by water channels. It is the first project to spread across the Abu Dhabi beach.
�The resort is being designed on the theme of the Italian city of Venice. It will have 17 restaurants, bars, a marina, underground garages and 20 shops,� according to ADNH chief executive officer Richard Riley. The 5-star resort has a conference center and sports a 32,000 sf spa, furnished apartments and VIP chalets that resemble offshore floating houses. Four bridges connect the hotel to the rest of the site. The designer is Otak, a leading architectural water resource firm in the US with offices in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado and the UAE. For more, 503-635-3618 or go to www.otak.com. Aqua Dunya Water Theme Park is under construction at the Jumeirah Desert Pearl Hotel in Dubai, UAE. Covering 8 million square feet at a cost of $1.8 billion, Aqua Dunya is scheduled to open by year end 2010, but it may take longer. At the center of the park is a large cruise ship. Inside the ship are 400 hotel rooms. Outside the ship are 36 water rides. At build-out, probably 2020, there will be 3 hotels --- the 400-room Desert Pearl, the 300-room Polynesian Hotel and the 400-room Arabian Port Hotel. In addition, there will be 2 waterparks, a conference center, 1800-seat waterfront theater, retail-dining district, 755 timeshare units, 1100 luxury apartments and 2,600 residences with a golf course on 8 million acres covering three islands. The Dubailand water theme park resort is owned by Al Sharq Investment, a division of Saudi-based Al Sharq Group of Companies. The resort is managed by Jumeirah Group, which owns and operates the Wild Wadi Waterpark. For more, go to www.alsharqinvestments.com.
Scream Park recently opened at Sunway Lagoon in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, about 15 minutes from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Designed by Lynton V. Harris using state of the art audio and visual, it separates the brave from the faint-hearted. Scream Park features Terminator Alive, Terminator X, The Freezer, Night at the Museum and a live Prison Break using smoke and mirrors and hidden special effects. Scream Park is one of 5 separate parks inside Sunway Lagoon, an 80-acre world-class, integrated water theme park. Sunway Lagoon is divided into 5 separate parks: (1) Water Park, (2) Amusement Park, (3) Wildlife Park, (4) Extreme Park and (5) Scream Park and features a 5-star resort hotel and shopping mall. Water Park features giant waterslides, twin speed slides, a cool river, a waterfall, one of the world�s largest man-made surf beaches, largest wave generators churning waves up to 8 feet high and Asia�s first man-made erupting volcano. Amusement Park has a Wild Wild West theme and features roller coasters, flume rides, carousels, caves, arcades and a very long pedestrian suspension bridge. Wildlife Park features an up close experience with exotic animals. Extreme Park offers ATVs, paintball, archery, climbing walls, a 665-foot Flying Fox zipline, a bungee trampoline, swanboats, paddle boats, kayaking, new high-speed go-karts and a new G-Force X simulator, which provides a feeling of acceleration and weightlessness. Sunway Lagoon, on track to host 1.4 million visitors in 2010, recently won its fourth consecutive award as Asia�s Best Attraction plus its first Best Waterpark Award from IAAPA --- International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions. .For more information, contact Aaron Soo, ceo, at 603-5639-0000 or go to www.sunway.com.my. A Hotel is expected to open in 2010 at the New Palace of Water Sports in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Leaders Ltd�s Ice Sports Palace, finished in Dec 2005, covers 42,000 sm and seats 5500 people. Apart from ice sports, the Palace can host 7000 spectators for concerts. The Sports Palace is located near the Iset River. It is the practicing ground for leading teams of Ekaterinburg. It is also a place for different competitions, games, exhibitions, and shows. The Austrian contractor E. Fuhrmann Baugesellschaft, M.B.H., is working on the second stage of this project. The waterproofing section of the project was provided by Uralpromservice, a subdivision of Penetron-Russia. A team consisting of four people treated 1500m2 of foundation, shower rooms and saunas with Penetron. The project includes a hotel, gym and rehabilitation center for sportsmen. That�s what is happening with hotel waterpark resorts outside North America. Stay positive, work smart and do the right thing.
 Jeff
Coy, ISHC, is president of JLC Hospitality Consulting based in Phoenix-Cave
Creek AZ. He is certified by the International Society of Hospitality
Consultants. For more about market research, economic feasibility
and design-development services for all kinds of resorts, waterparks, adventure
parks and sports facilities, call 480-488-3382 or email [email protected]
or go to www.jeffcoy.com.
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HOTEL WATERPARK RESORT
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July
22, 2010 --- Developers worldwide, excluding North America, are under construction
with 15 hotel waterpark resorts that are expected to open in 2010 --- showing
growth of 30% compared to 11 properties opening the same period last year.
The
175-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel is brand new. It opened
in March 2010. It is located in the same building as the domed waterpark
complex Aquabasilea Wasserwelt in Prattein near Basel, Switzerland.
A great location if you are visiting this unique 139,100 sf indoor waterpark
and spa, but quite a hike from the Prattein train station.
Aqua
Play at Mirdif City Center Mall in Dubai, UAE opened in March 2010.
Aqua Play is a 200,000 sf water-based edutainment recreational facility
mixing learning with pleasure for two to eight year-olds in a mall that
covers a 3.1 million sf footprint and 1.9 million sf of shopping.
Mirdif City Centre is about the same size as Mall of the Emirates, the
first mall with an attached indoor ski slope. Mirdif City mall has
7,000 car parking spaces, 430 retail outlets and 8 anchor stores.
Aqua
Mundo Waterpark opened in May 2010 at Center Parc�s Village Resort
in Moselle, France. Aqua Mundo is a 53,800 sf domed indoor waterpark
that contains a wave pool, lazy river, numerous waterslides and a waterfall
on 1075 acres in the Trois Forest. The eco village resort provides
a tropical garden, sauna, playground and 800 cottages in a picturesque
setting where you can get to know the deer, ponies and Galloway cattle.
Jozankei
Hotel in Sapporo City, Japan recently installed an Aquadek, which is
an indoor spray pad or wet deck with dripping mushrooms and water play
toys for the toddlers. The Aquadek by Anteo of California covers
an estimated 10,000 sf of space. The hotel is one of the oldest hot
spring hotels in Jozankei. Its large bath is equipped with 10 different
tubs that are filled with hot spring water. The open-air baths are
open 24 hours a day. You can also soak in a Jacuzzi and sauna while
viewing the beauty of the valley. There�s a free shuttle from downtown
Sapporo City Center to the resort. For more, call 81-11-598-2111
or go to http://anteo.ca/pdf/recentinstallations.pdf or go to www.web.travel.rakuten.co.jp.