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19 Hotel Waterpark Resorts Open in USA in 2010 Twenty-Five More Launch Outside North America By Jeff Coy ISHC June 6, 2011 --- While
2010 was a year of slow recovery for the hospitality-leisure industry,
19 hotel
waterpark resorts opened in the USA, including 12 that were installed
on cruise
ships --- making 2010 a slightly better year compared to the 18 that
opened in
2009. Another 39 US hotel waterparks are
expected to open in 2011. Here is a list of hotel waterpark resorts that opened in 2010, along with room counts, size of waterpark and the opening dates.
JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio TX opened its River Bluff Water Experience in March 2010 which offers 6 acres of  pools, fountains, waterfalls and rivers. Guests enjoy
a 262,000 gallon leisure pool
from zero to 4-feet in depth. Grab a
tube and float the 1200-foot lazy
river through the cabana area. Ascend
the Water Tower to find two 35-foot high tube slides that run 275
feet. The Rapids River runs 350 feet in length and
provides many areas of water interaction.
Guests on deck are aiming at targets that activate water sprays and
detonate water blasts along the river’s edge.
The children’s pool features a zero depth beach entry pool with two
kiddie slides and multiple sprays. Guests of the JW Marriott
Resort enjoy exclusive
access to the River Bluff Water Experience. The resort has 1002
guest rooms and 140,000
square feet of meeting space. It caters
to a mix of leisure guests and conference attendees. Miller
Global Properties LLC is the owner of
the resort. Art Coloumbe is general
manager. Telephone is 210-276-2500. Website is www.jwsanantonio.com.  CoCo Key Hotel &
Water Resort on
International Drive in Orlando FL opened in May 2010 with 390
rooms and 70,000
sf of outdoor park. The water resort has
8 slides and 5 pools and a 1500 sf arcade.
Other features include a jungle gym with slides for younger children,
zero depth entry pool, water cannons, 400-gallon tipping bucket, a teen
activity pool and 2 large adventure slides.
CNL Lifestyle Properties of Orlando paid $19 million for the former
Legacy Grand in 2008 and leased it to Wave Development Inc of Milwaukee
WI to
upgrade and rebrand as a waterpark resort.
Sage Hospitality Resources of Denver CO manages the property.
Frank Fry is general manager. Telephone is 877-875-4681.
For more, go to www.cocokeywaterresort.com.
Legoland California Resort opened in June the first and only Legoland Waterpark in Carlsbad CA. The outdoor waterpark covers 239,580 square feet and features 3 waterslides and 5 bodies of water. The centerpiece is a 45-foot-tall tower designed to immerse children in the creative world of LEGO. The waterpark also features more than 20 models including giant friends who splash or spray water on guests, two sandy beach wading areas, retail shops and snack carts.  Features
include: (1) Build a Raft River, where kids customize their own raft
made of
soft LEGO bricks before floating down a lazy river; (2) Splash Safari,
a
toddler play area with 3 small slides and interactive DUPLO characters
modeled
after actual pieces found in LEGO sets --- an alligator, polar bear and
elephant; (3) Imagination Station, two interactive tables, where kids
can build
bridges, dams and cities out of DUPLO bricks, control the flow of water
and
create their own water symphony; (4) Joker Soaker, a wading pool where
kids can
aim water cannons at each other and 350 gallons of water pour down upon
them;
(5) Kid Creek, a lazy river; (6) Orange Rush, a family tube slide where
up to
four people can ride together down a 312-foot-long curving track on an
11-foot
in diameter half pipe; (7) Splash Out, an open body slide that invites
guests
to slide 240 feet and “splash out” into the water below; and (8) Twin
Chasers,
two side-by-side enclosed red tube slides that stretch nearly 130 feet
and pour
into a wading area below. Day passes for
Legoland and the Waterpark range from $71 to $81. A hotel is
scheduled in Phase 2. Peter Ronchetti heads Legoland
California. For more, call 760-918-5346
or go to www.california.legoland.com. Radisson Hotel
Albuquerque NM
opened a 37,000 sf indoor waterpark in June 2010. Features
include 2 slides, 5 pools, hot tub,
lazy river and a simulator surf rider.
The 280-room hotel also has a 2,500 sf family entertainment
center. Telephone is 505-888-3311. For details, go to www.waterparknewmexico.com.Comfort Inn & Waterpark in Plattsburgh NY reopened in June 2010 with 96 rooms and a new indoor waterpark --- after a fire consumed the hotel in November 2008 causing millions of dollars in damage. The fire had engulfed the indoor pool area, sauna, gym, sports bar and restaurant. Owner Terry Meron said he knew he would rebuild from day one, but it’s been very stressful. Today, after nearly two years and $11 million, his hotel and restaurant are back in business. His small but new indoor waterpark has 2 waterslides and a children’s 6-station water play area. His new family entertainment center has arcade games and glow in the dark miniature golf. To reach Terry Meron, dial 518-562-2730 or visit his website, www.plattsburghcomfortinn.com. Costa Cruise Ships in July 2010 added waterslides to 7 of its ships --- Fortuna, Magica, Concordia, Serena, Pacifica, Mediterranea, and Atlantica. On Costa Atlantica, there are two outdoor swimming pools, but one can be used during foul weather because it is covered by an airtight macrodome which has a retractable roof. The children’s pool has a 2-story winding slide. Costa ships are known for artwork pasta and gelato. They sail Europe and the Caribbean with activities for kids. Costa Cruises is an Italian company that has been a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation since 2000. For more, go to www.costacruise.com.  Norwegian Cruise
Lines
added waterslides to 4 of its ships in July 2010 --- Jewel, Jade, Pearl
and
Gem. The company added a complete Aqua
Park to its 2000-room Norwegian Epic based in Miami. The Aqua
Park features the Plunge family raft
slide, Super Bowl, 4 pools, rock climbing wall, rope rappelling,
batting cages,
bowling and basketball. Norwegian Cruise
Lines is a private company, half owned by Apollo Management LP, a
private
equity firm, and half owned by Genting Hong Kong, which is publicly
traded on
the Hong Kong stock exchange. Genting’s
portfolio includes land-based resorts, cruise ships, casinos and
entertainment
venues. NCL’s ceo is Kevin Sheehan. For more, go to www.ncl.com. SportsCom
Waterpark in Murfreesboro TN features a gymnasium, 1/16 mile
track, aerobics
area, fitness equipment, game room, meeting room, 25-yard indoor pool
and
50-meter outdoor pool and four sand volleyball courts. Its an
indoor-outdoor waterpark that combines
exercise, therapy and leisure. The
indoor pool offers 8 lap lanes and water therapy while the outdoor
waterpark,
opened in July 2010, is renamed Boro Beach and features two
waterslides. The Water Worx indoor waterpark at nearby
Patterson Park in Murfreesboro offers fun in the water for all ages.
The
all-shallow pool sports a zero-depth entry that gradually slopes to a
depth of
two feet with an Interactive Water Play System. A triple-loop
slide empties into a four-foot
depth and the four-lane lap area varies from a three to four feet.
For adults, it provides water exercises for
abs, gluts, arthritis, upping heart rate and burning off
calories. For pre-schoolers, it offers a great learning
environment for their preschool swim program for ages 6 months - 4
years. In addition, there’s water aerobics and water
polo. For more, call 615-893-5210.Carnival Cruise Ships got in on the waterpark craze when it added 4 waterslides on the new Carnival Dream. By the end of 2010, Carnival added its branded WaterWorks aqua park and a Twister waterslide to 7 of its cruise ships. The WaterWorks concept includes a pair of twin 80-foot long racing slides or a 104-foot long enclosed spiral slide called the Drain Pipe. The biggest thrill is the Twister, a 4-deck high corkscrew that runs 303 feet long. Waterslides and Aqua Parks are the latest must-have cruise features. With new ships that are outfitted with waterslides and rides, the cruising experience becomes more and more like a land-based resort. For more, go to www.carnival.com.  Best Western Splash
Park Inn in Ludington MI opened its Splash Park in December
2010. When you visit this 102-room hotel, you’ll
discover why it ranks high as a favorite destination. Their
indoor waterpark features the only
waterslide in town. It’s a 100-foot long
with four thrilling curves and a terrific splash landing into the
heated pool
below. Overhead skylights brighten and
warm the atrium. The bubbly 10-person
hot tub is great for relaxing and so is the dry, cedar-lined sauna.
There’s a game room, fitness center and
playground. The hotel is near the car
ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin.
Donna Knudsen is general manager.
For more info, dial 231-843-2140 or go to www.bestwesternludington.com.
To see a video, CTRL + click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn5gPB_rTL8&feature=player_profilepageCanada, Mexico & Caribbean In Canada and Mexico, there were no known hotels with waterparks that opened in 2010. In the Caribbean, the 750-room El Conquistador Resort in Las Croabas, Puerto Rico, opened in October 2010 its Coqui Outdoor Waterpark which covers 104,544 square feet of outdoor waterpark space. Total hotel waterpark resorts opened during 2010 in North America: 20. Rest of World While the great recession curtailed hotel construction worldwide, 25 hotel waterpark resorts outside North America opened in 2010. Most projects were in Asia but Costa Cruise and Norwegian Cruise Line added waterparks to 7 ships with home ports in Europe. This compares with 19 hotel waterparks outside North America that opened in 2009 and 38 that are expected to open in 2011. Here’s a list of
hotel waterpark resorts outside North America that opened in 2010:
 Gural Premier Beach Hotel &
Waterpark Resort with 583 rooms and 235,400 sf outdoor waterpark
opened June 2010 in the Tekirova district in Antalya, Turkey, along the
Mediteranean coast. The surrounding area
is heavenly --- the Olympos Mountains and 3 island. The massive
waterpark has 26 slides designed,
built and installed by Polin Waterparks & Pool Systems of
Turkey. Three slides are in the extreme category ---
Space Boat, Family Rafting and Uphill Flying Boats. The total
length of the rides in the
waterpark is over 1000 meters or 10,700 feet.
There is also a pirate-themed multi-level play structure for younger
children. For adults, the spa has 23
therapy rooms. Total resort project cost
was US$110 million. Owner is the Gural
Group, which has a 20 year history in tourism.
For more, go to www.alibeypremier.com.Beijing Water Cube Reopened as Happy Magic Water Park in August 2010. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, the cube was renovated as a massive indoor waterpark. The water cube was originally designed by PTW Architects with help from Arup. It won awards for its energy efficiency and daylighting. The ETFE pillow exterior still plays a role at night when interior lights shine out to illuminate the surrounding area. Its renovation was led by Forrec of Toronto. There are about 10 different rides including a wave pool, tube slides, speed slides and a lazy river. The Olympic pool is still used for swimming matches, but now the rest of the cube can be used for family entertainment. Happy Magic Waterpark is now the second most visited tourist attraction in China --- after the Great Wall.   Costa Cruises added a
waterslide to each of 7 ships in July 2010 --- one in the USA
and 6 in Europe. Costa Pacific has 1504 rooms with home in the
Port of Kiel, Germany. Coasta Magica has
1358 rooms with home port in Hamburg, Germany.
The Mediterranea features 1057 cabins based in Athens, Greece.
The Fortuna offers 1358 and home port is
Genova, Italy. The Concordia and Serene
ships both have 1500 rooms and are based in Savona, Italy. Costa
Cruises offers less thrilling
waterslides than some cruise ships but they also realize the value of
the
family market. Coast ships, known for
artwork, pasta and gelato, sail Europe and the Caribbean with
activities for
kids. Costa Cruises is an Italian
company that has been a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation since
2000. For more go to www.costacruise.com.Norwegian Cruise Line launched its 2000-room Norwegian Epic in July 2010 with an amazing new feature called the Aqua Park, which is the ship’s expansive deck-top water play area. The family-friendly zone includes a tube slide and large bowl slide. The tube slide twists and turns down three stories. The Epic Plunge is a family raft ride that goes down a slide, spins around the inside of a bowl and then drops 200 feet into a splashdown area. A third waterslide, designed for younger children, zips straight through the rock climbing wall. The Aqua Park has two main pools with arching water effects that illuminate at night, 5 hot tubs, a wading pool and a kid’s pool with play toys, water toys and a small slide. The Epic also features batting cages, rock climbing wall, rope rappelling, bowling lanes and a basketball court. For more, go to www.ncl.com.  Khan Shatyr is a giant Indoor Water & Amusement Park in Astana, Kazakhstan that opened in July 2010. The giant indoor park is capable of holding 10,000 people who live, work and play there. The idea was to provide Astana’s 700,000 residents with an escape from the city’s -40C degree winters, when the tent-like, cable-net structure will provide comfortable temperatures as soon as you walk into the huge central atrium of 1.5 million square feet. If you enter a second ETFE layer into the tropical zone, it will provide temperatures of up to 75F degree (24C), so visitors can strip off their clothes for the waterslides, wave machine and beach. The different levels within the structure form undulating terraces, the uppermost level forming an indoor waterpark. The tent has its own monorail with several stations, a running track that circles the upper layers and the Cosmodrome amusement park with dodgers, human pinball, log flume ride and a death-defying 121-foot (37m) drop tower. Khan Shatyr, which means Royal Marquee, was designed by David Nelson of Foster & Partners and cost US$260 million to build. Turkisk construction firm Sembol was the builder. The Khan Shatyr opening coincided with President Nazarbayev’s birthday, an international economic forum and an international film festival. Seven heads of state and Italian tenor Andre Bocelli attended the event.  Tervise Paradiis Spa Hotel & Indoor Waterpark opened near the beach in Parnu, Estonia. The 4-star hotel has 122 rooms. The spa offers healing and relaxing treatments such as movement therapy, electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, hydrotherapy, inhalation and massages.  The indoor waterpark is the largest in the country at
28,000 sf.
The two floors of waterpark accommodate 700
visitors at a time. It has tube slides, a
mountain river and climbing wall that provide a good shot of
adrenaline. There are also pools, hot tubs, waterfalls
and saunas, the Aqua bar, an outdoor heated pool and a summer terrace
and a bar
waiting for you in the waterpark. The
attractions are designed for everyone --- from the toddler to the
elderly. A 36-foot high tower launches 4 tube slides,
the longest being 278 feet. A black
slide is equipped with visual effects for more excitement. Also,
there is bowling, a casino, fitness
center, solarium, arcade, beauty salon, sports hall, table tennis and
bike
hire. Telephone is 372-447-9219. Contact Liina Schon at [email protected].Hard Rock Hotel & Waterpark opened at Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia during 2010 with 418 rooms, 2 pools and 3 waterslides. There are also 2 kiddie slides, a 16-foot rock climbing wall and 7 acres of beachfront. For more, go to www.hardrockhotels.com. Pecatu Indah Resort in Badung, Bali, Indonesia opened in December 2010 with 278 rooms and New Kuta Green Park with its own supply of desalinated seawater. The 7.4-acre outdoor waterpark consists of wild water and a lazy river. It is one of several projects that will  eventually make up part of the nearly
1000-acre
integrated residential resort owned by Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra,
the
youngest son of former president Suharto.
The desalination plant for the newly-opened waterpark also serves other
facilities in the resort. The
desalination plant can produce up to 3,000 cubic meters of fresh water
every
day. It is located 300 meters from the
water’s edge. It works by filtering the
seawater twice. The result is water that
is technically clean enough to drink, with all of the solid particles
and 99
percent of the salt removed. The
development comprises a series of golf, cultural and boutique
hotels. Design architect is Mark de Reus of
Hawaii. For more, go to www.dereusarch.com. InterContinental Alpensia Resort
& Indoor Waterpark in Pyeong Chang, South Korea opened with
238 guest rooms,
13 meeting rooms covering 28,930 sf of meeting space. The indoor
waterpark, called Ocean 700, is
Korea’s newest waterpark in an alpine-style village with Olympic-class
ski
slopes and three spectacular golf courses.
For info, contact Eric Cho, concierge, at 82-33-339-0000 or email [email protected].
Jozankei Hotel in Sapporo City, Japan installed an Aquadek, which is an indoor spray pad or wet deck with dripping mushroom and water play toys for 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. There is a free shuttle from downtown Sapporo City Center to the resort. For more, go to http://anteo.ca/pdf/recentinstallations.pdf. Scream Park opened in 2010 at Sunway Lagoon in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, about 15 minutes from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Scream Park is one of 5 separate parks inside Sunway Lagoon, an 80-acre world-class, integrated water theme park. Sunway Lagoon hosted 1.4 million visitors in 2010 and won its fourth consecutive award as Asia’s Best Attraction plus its first Best Waterpark Award from IAAPA --- International Assocation of Amusement Parks & Attractions. For more, go to www.sunway.com.my. In Ekaterinburg, Russia, we have not been able to confirm the 2010 opening or even the construction of a New Palace of Water Sports with attached hotel downtown on the banks of the Iset River. Of the 5 hotels that reportedly opened in Ekaterinburg in 2010 --- DIVS, Transhotel, The Lotte, Novotel and Angelo --- none appear to offer any water features. Of course, the Atlantic Hotel & Indoor Aqua Park Limpopo opened in 2006. Please send any news to [email protected]. Grand Canal Water Resort by JW Marriott in Abu Dhabi, UEA, previously expected to open by year end 2010, is rescheduled to open in late 2011, according to Abu Dhabi National Hotels’ chairman. Also, the name changed to Ritz-Carlton, another Marriot brand, and the room count changed from 595 to 532. So what’s happening with Jumeirah Desert Pearl Hotel & Aqua Dunya Water Park in Dubailand, Dubai, UAE? Aqua Dunya is only one part of the 5 part Dubailand to be developed --- the other four involving Dubai Wheel, HIT Entertainment, Dreamworks and Six Flags. What’s happening with Dubailand? Nothing! No apparent construction for two years, and the Dubailand website has not been updated for two years. Check into www.alsharqinvestments.com and www.dubailand.ae. In sum, those are the hotel waterpark resorts that opened in North America and the Rest of the World in 2010. Feel free to email any corrections or news that you may have. Stay positive, work smart and do the right thing.
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