The Great Lakes Companies Breaks Ground on $54 million Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Include 40,000 square-foot Indoor Waterpark / July 2003

Hotel Online Special Report

advertisements >.

The Great Lakes Companies Breaks Ground on
$54 million Blue Harbor Resort & Conference
Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin;
Includes 40,000 square-foot Indoor Waterpark

July 25, 2003 - City officials, including Mayor James Schramm, and members of the media took part in welcoming the $54 million indoor waterpark resort and conference center development to the South Pier District of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center is being developed by The Great Lakes Companies, Inc. (Madison, Wis.), a diversified real estate company, known best for their Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resorts.
.

The four-story, 300,000 square-foot grand Victorian beachfront resort will feature: a 40,000 square-foot indoor waterpark; 183 family-sized suites; two 175-seat casual, nautical themed restaurants; a fine dining restaurant and bar; a 5,000 square-foot arcade; gift shop; confectionery; Aveda(TM) Spa; fitness center; outdoor recreation area; and a 24,000 square-foot convention center.

The 84-degree indoor waterpark will be one of North America's largest, and will include seven waterslides, five pools, two whirlpools and a $1 million interactive Lighthouse Waterfort, all serviced by 200,000 gallons of heated water.

The convention center will include a Grand Ballroom that can accommodate up to 900 people, or be divided into seven private conference rooms. A large common area will overlook Lake Michigan.

"Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center is going to put Sheboygan, Wis. on the map as a travel destination," explained Eric Lund, principal and senior vice president of sales and

The Great Lakes Companies, Inc.
Hotels in Operation or Under Development

Illinois
Chicago-Elgin: Crowne Plaza Hotel

Kansas
Kansas City: Great Wolf Lodge

Massachusetts
Braintree/Boston: Hampton Inn

Michigan
Traverse City: Great Wolf Lodge

Ohio
Sandusky: Great Bear Lodge

West Virginia
Beckley: Country Inn & Suites by Carlson
Beckley: Microtel
Beckley: Mountaineer Conference Center

Wisconsin
Appleton: Country Inn & Suites by Carlson
La Crosse: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
Madison: Clarion Suites Madison-Central
Milwaukee Airport: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
Port Washington: Best Western Harborside
Wisconsin Dells: Great Wolf Lodge

marketing at Great Lakes. "The combination of a year-round, indoor waterpark and a first class convention center located on the Lake Michigan beachfront will be unlike anything else, anywhere. We are confident that meeting planners, travelers and the local community will respond with enthusiasm to all the amenities the resort and conference center will offer."

Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center is scheduled to open June 2004, prior to August's PGA Tour in neighboring city, Kohler, Wis.

The Great Lakes Companies currently owns and operates 16 hotels and resorts in Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. They have gained international notoriety for setting the industry standard in indoor waterpark development through their Great Wolf Lodge and Great Bear Lodge indoor waterpark resorts -- regionalizing the family destination and creating 84-degree year-round tourism. In addition to Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center, Great Lakes plans to begin construction on three more Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterparks in Williamsburg, Va; Poconos, Pa; and Niagara Falls, Ontario this year.

Contact:
Erin Payne
Director of Public Relations
The Great Lakes Companies, Inc.
122 West Washington Avenue, 10th Floor
Madison, WI 53703
1-608-251-6400, ext. 175 http://www.greatlakesco.com

Also See:	What’s It Going to Cost to Build a Hotel With an Indoor Waterpark? A Guide to Cost Allocations for Developers / Jeff Coy and Bill Haralson / May 2003
	Hotel Waterparks Grow Throughout Midwest, Product Ready for National Expansion / Bill Haralson and Jeff Coy / April 2002

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search