By Jeff Coy and Amanda McDaniel

Although hotels with indoor waterparks are still very popular among developers and families with young children, the growth rate of new waterpark resorts has dwindled from 30% in 2006 to 3.6% in 2010.  While hotels with indoor waterparks continue to out-perform ordinary hotels, bank executives do not see the difference and have shut off funds to the entire hotel industry.  Due to higher unemployment, many families are cutting back on discretionary consumer spending for things like vacations --- but the nearby hotel waterpark still runs full on weekends. 

Another eight are expected to open during 2010, bringing the total to 229 in the USA. 

Phase 2 calls for Legoland California to build its own 250-room hotel based on the Lego theme.  Ronchetti is in the process of obtaining the required permits for the hotel and plans to build when the hotel industry rebounds.  For more, go to www.LEGOLANDwaterpark.com for construction photos or call 760-918-5346. 

Comfort Inn’s indoor waterpark and family fun center in Plattsburgh NY is expected to open in June 2010.  The inn is rebuilding after a fire shuttered the hotel back in November of 2008, according to Kevin Rock, general manager.  The hotel has 116 rooms and 8,000 sf of meeting space.  The mini indoor waterpark has a 70-foot waterslide, hot tub and sauna.  Call 518-562-2730 or go to www.plattsburghcomfortinn.com. 

The proposed 464-unit Frontier Lodge & Conference Center in LaSalle IL was scheduled to open with a 61,000 sf indoor waterpark in the summer of 2008, but the opening was later rescheduled for 2010.  Now a bank is foreclosing on the few condominium units that have been constructed.  Phone numbers for David Smiley, manager of Frontier Lodge LLC are not in service or have been disconnected.  Email [email protected]. 

Holiday Inn’s Maya Indoor Waterpark in Syracuse-Van Buren NY, originally scheduled to open in 2010, is rescheduled for opening in 2011.  The 40,000 sf indoor waterpark, which features a wave pool and lazy river, will connect to a new 114-room Holiday Inn and also connect to an existing 87-room Wingate Hotel & Head Rush Action Sports Park.  For more, talk to Jacob Wright, owner of Action Companies, at 315-546-1000 or go to www.actioncompanies.com. 

Grand Cambrian Resort in Wisconsin Dells WI has obtained its financing and expects to start construction soon on its Phase 1, which includes 60 condominiums with 4 & 5 bedrooms along the Wisconsin River, a 27,000 sf indoor waterpark building, several indoor-outdoor pools, restaurant, arcade and retail shops.  For more, call owner-developer “Mac” McDonald at 608-592-4199 or go to www.grandcambrianresort.com to see site plans, renderings and photos. 

Construction Delays Slide Openings into 2011

Adrenalina was expected to open its Extreme Store with an in-store Flowrider at the Xanadu Mall in Meadowlands NJ in March but construction on the $2 billion mega-mall came to a halt when Xandau developers sued their lender, a unit of bankrupt Lehman Brothers.  “We are still opening a store there but as you probably know the construction of the mall stopped, and the new store opening date is winter 2011,” according to Dave Malamud.  New loans are being negotiated, but the construction funding for the mall is not yet in place, according to Carl Goldberg, chair of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority.  Adrenalina is an extreme sports outfitter with stores in Tampa FL and Plano TX.  To draw traffic, both locations have an in-store surf simulator called the Flowrider --- a $1m ride usually found at indoor-outdoor waterparks.  For more, call Adrenalina corporate offices at 305-770-4488 ext 118 and talk to Dave Malamud or go to www.adrenalinastore.com. 

Waves of Fun Indoor Waterpark in Sandwich IL was scheduled to open in April 2010, but during construction, developers Dave and Meredith Avery lost their lender during the banking industry crisis.  “During a normal time, we would not have had as many problems.  We are committed to bringing the first indoor waterpark to the Sandwich area.  Just last month (March 2010) we found international money from a non-traditional source.  We plan to restart construction in April,” they said during a recent telephone survey.  With luck, the 69,000 sf indoor waterpark adjacent to the Timber Creek Inn should be ready for opening in Spring 2011.  For more, call 630-368-7873 or go to www.waves-of-fun.com. 

Wilderness Resort in the Ozarks in Branson-Hollister MO was scheduled to open in 2010, but the project has not yet broken ground.  Developers of the project are brothers Justin and James Gage of the Hollister Interchange Development Group.  Jerry Crumpler, former NFL football star, is partnering with the Gages.  According to a Wisconsin-based bank, the 110-acre parcel of land southeast of Hwy 65 in Hollister that was slated for the waterpark resort is now owned by BB Syndication Services Inc.  Eric Swanson of BBSSI said his company foreclosed on the Hollister property last November.  “We are still planning on going forward with the waterpark resort project,” according to Justin Gage.  Millions of dollars worth of land clearing and excavation has been completed.  Wilderness in the Ozarks plans call for 400 rooms, 130,000 sf of outdoor waterpark and 75,000 sf of indoor waterpark, 7,500 entertainment center and 400 vacation units.  Pete and Pat Helland and Tom and Tim Lucke, founders of Wilderness Resorts in Wisconsin Dells WI and Sevierville TN, are expected to operate the resort. 

Volcano Island Resort in Fairmont WV was last reported to open in 2010 on the site of the former Sharon Steel Corp coke works, a superfund site now owned by Exxon Mobil.  Preliminary plans for the hotel waterpark resort were drawn in 2006 while the site was being cleaned up.  As of April 2010, the clean up effort continues.  More than 486,000 tons of coke-making residues have been removed since the project began.  Any ground breaking date for the waterpark resort is unknown.  The project includes a 300-room hotel , 30,000 sf conference center, 50,000 sf indoor waterpark, 60-slip marina, RV park, cinema and retail outlets.  The developers are Morgantown business owner David Rees and real estate businessmen Micheal Vecchio and Mark Tampoya.  American Resort Management of Erie PA is responsible for daily operations.  For more, contact city planner Kathy Wyrosdick at 304-366-0228 or city manager Jay Rogers at 304-366-6211. 

Lakeside Landing Hotels & Indoor Waterpark in Yakima-Ellensburg WA has broken ground.  Site work is nearly finished.  Prominent land owner Gene Martin has secured financing for the $80 million project which includes 2 hotels totaling 220 rooms, 45,000 sf indoor waterpark, 25,000 sf conference center and a winery-themed retail plaza.  Originally scheduled to open in 2010, the hotel waterpark is not yet under construction, so the earliest opening would be late 2011.  For more, contact Ron Cridlebaugh at the Kittitas County Economic Development Group. 

Boone Crossing Hotel Waterpark Resort near Indianapolis IN is delayed indefinitely for lack of funding.  The plan calls for a $55 million 250-room hotel with 50,000 sf indoor waterpark.  “This is a great hotel project in a great location.  While resorts may be hurting, business hotels with indoor waterparks run higher occupancies during the week and on the weekend with families because people can’t afford to take a vacation,” says Bill Raguse at Street Corner Group.  “But lenders don’t see the difference in hotels; they’ve tainted the entire hotel industry.”  A construction start date is unknown.  For more, call 317-805-1445. 

Cape Codder Resort’s indoor waterpark expansion in Hyannis MA was originally scheduled to open in 2010 but now it is on hold for two more years.  Plans called for an existing 8,200 sf wave pool to be enlarged to 27,200 sf plus the addition of 2 waterslides, hot tub, lazy river and a retractable roof.  For more, call 508-699-7777 for Brian Loughlin of Keystone Consulting Group or go to www.capecodderresort.com. 

On The Horizon

Great Wolf Lodge at the Galleria Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum PA is expected to start construction in 2010, if details can be finalized.  The goal is to open the resort at the end of 2011 or the start of 2012.  Great Wolf Resorts Inc is licensing its brand to a joint venture with Johnstown developer Zamias Services Inc and will manage the property.  The plan calls for a 400-room lodge with an 80,000 sf indoor waterpark similar to its other properties.  The resort will be located adjacent to The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills in northeast part of metro Pittsburgh.  Since opening in 2005, the 1.1 million sf mall has struggled to keep its space filled, due in part to ownership changes and the recession.  Great Wolf is expected to strengthen the magnet of the shopping-recreation-entertainment destination.  For more, talk to Steve Shattuck at Great Wolf Resorts Inc in Madison WI.  Dial 608-251-6400 or go to www.greatwolf.com. 

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