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40 Hotel Waterpark Resorts Open in 2011 Outside North America By Jeff Coy & Amanda McDaniel December, 2011 Hotel waterpark resort projects worldwide grew 16.7% in 2011 over 2010 --- when you look past North America and focus on the rest of the world. While some countries are treading water, others are zooming ahead with accelerating rates of growth. Forty (40) waterpark hotels opened in 2011 compared to 27 in 2010 and 19 in 2009. Fifty-three projects are under construction. And 83 projects are in the development-planning stages. Beyond North America, where foreign visitor arrivals are increasing and hotel-leisure project funding is easier to obtain, developers and consumers in the rest of the world are caught up in the hotel waterpark phenomenon.
 Of the 40 hotel waterpark resorts that opened in 2011,
Australia led with 8 projects followed by the United Kingdom with 5,
China with
4, Turkey with 3 and Bahrain and the Ukraine each with 2, according to
the
worldwide database maintained by Phoenix-Cave Creek-based JLC
Hospitality
Consulting. Outside of North America, the biggest hotel waterpark resort to open in 2011 is the 460-room Kempinski Hotel & Wahoo Indoor Waterpark at Bahrain City Center in Manama followed by the 445-room Maxx Royal Resort & Waterpark in Antakya-Belek, Turkey. The largest resort to open by size of outdoor waterpark is the Beijing Longmenzhen Hotel & Waterpark & Spa with 1,350,000 square feet. Largest to open by size of indoor waterpark is the Acquaworld Indoor Waterpark in Milan, Italy with 376,737 square feet.
Flame Sako Spa & Waterpark in Saipan, Marianas, Micronesia reportedly opened in January 2011. The US$80 million resort has a 357-room, 6-star hotel with a large indoor-outdoor waterpark and convention center. Kang Daw Sik, ceo of the Korean development firm, broke ground in 2009 on a 10-hectare parcel leased for 25 years from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan is near Guam and became a part of the USA in 1986. Teshilovo Resort Opened Constantinople Indoor Waterpark near Moscow, Russia in March 2011. The 21,400 sf indoor waterpark includes water slides, hydro-massage pool, activity pool, kiddie pool, a large multi-functional pool and water play toys. The waterpark was created by Bulgarian supplier Nolo 7. The resort is located near the southern ring road around Moscow not far from Pushino on the high right bank of the river Oka. In summer, there’s a sand beach, mini-football, tennis, ping-pong, horse rides, billiards, DJ bar, karaoke. In winter, there’s a skating rink, snow skiing and snowmobile rental. For details, visit www.nola7.com. Time Capsule Indoor Waterpark in Coatbridge UK reopened as Scotland’s Waterpark after a 6 million pound refurbishment that includes a 4-person Tantrum Tornado slide, StormChasers, tsunami waves, action river, coral cove, tipping bucket, a 25-meter pool, saunas and Splash Island interactive play area. An ice rink, also under refurbishment, will reopen in 2011. For more, go to www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk.  Bluestone Resort Lodges & Waterpark in Pembrokeshire UK opened with 280 rooms,
cottages and studios in January 2011. Total
1,400 bed spaces. The Bluelagoon indoor
waterpark features a wave machine, a rapids river ride and two enclosed
flume
rides. The indoor Adventure Center has a
Sky Trail ropes course and climbing wall. For
more, go to www.bluestonewales.com.  Tamplier Hotel, located within the
Bansko Ski Resort
in Bulgaria, added a waterpark and spa to its 67 rooms in
March 2011. The Bulgarian-based Nola 7
designed and installed the 10,700 sf indoor waterpark, which is the
largest on the Balkan Peninsula. The
indoor waterpark has 3 merging pools, slides, 2 lazy rivers, water
caves,
fountains and water curtains. The resort
is becoming increasingly popular out of season, as the waterpark
provides
family entertainment to complement the adjacent spa center, according
to
Richard Bishop, Nola 7’s managing director.
For more, go to www.nola7.com.
 Beach Park Acqua Resort & Waterpark opened 198 rooms near Fortaleza, Porto das
Dunas, Brazil. Fortaleza is the number
one family destination for Brazilians on holiday. Beach
Park is the ocean front hot spot of
Fortaleza. Within Beach Park, South
America’s biggest water theme park, AquaPark, has with 35,000sm or
374,500 sf
of water playground. Over 700,000 people
visit AquaPark annually. The Insano is the highest water slide on the planet at 41 meters (135 feet) or 14-stories high as listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Insano’s angle and slope provides extremely rapid descents at speeds of 65 mph (105km/h)! For summer 2011, the park has a new attraction for young kids: the Acquacirco. But there’s something for people of all ages including wave pools, lazy rivers, rapid rivers, saunas, ecological walks and on-site hotels. The Acqua Resort and the Suites Resort are the two hotels within the Beach Park complex. Together, the two resorts provide over 300 rooms, pools, large lazy river and convention center for 450 people. Visit www.visitfortaleza.com or www.beachpark.com.br. Bali Waterpark in Fushun, China opened in April 2011 as China’s largest indoor-outdoor waterpark. Fushun is a prominent tourist destination with 1.4 million people located in the northeast coastal province of Liaoning. The outdoor waterpark, designed by Whitewater West of Vancouver BC, features 2 family raft rides, a Master Blaster uphill water coaster, a Flowrider surf simulator, 6-lane mat racer, Rain Fortress and a mix of speed and body slides. The indoor waterpark features the industry’s first flume through flume waterslide --- a slide so big it allows an inner-tube slide to race through its 20-foot diameter. To see a video, click www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV1w-VKPFV0. Royal Holiday Palace Hotel & Waterpark - Lara Beach, Antalya, Turkey opened in April 2011 with 250 rooms and 100,000 sf of outdoor waterpark space. For more, call 90-242-352-2525 or go to www.antalyaresorts.com or www.royalholidaypalace.com. In April, Kabana Resort at Ice Land Outdoor Waterpark in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE opened 180 rooms in a chalet resort and 70 luxury beach front shelters for day or overnight use. An 85-store shopping mall is also expected in 2011. Ice Land opened in September 2010 and covers 103,000 sm or 1,102,100 sf of outdoor waterpark. Ice Land Outdoor Waterpark, the latest and largest in the Middle East, is themed as a penguin home land. Ice Land provides aqua soccer, an arctic wave pool, snorkeling, kid’s cove, a 1,968 foot long lazy river, Penguin Bay rain dance pool, Penguin Falls, a 38,520 sf wave pool and 26 water slides. Scheduled to open in 2012, Planet Earth Theme Park offers 24 acres of 5 earth zones: desert, cosmos, jungle, mountain and oceanic. Each zone to have a major attraction plus 3-4 family thrill rides and 3-4 children’s rides along with restaurants, shops and mist machines. Managed by Polo RAK Amusements LLC, the project is a joint venture between India’s Polo Amusement Group, RAK Properties and RAK Investment Authority. Balwant Singh Chawla is managing director. For more, email [email protected] or go to www.icelandwaterpark.com. Al Areen Palace Hotel & Spa in Manama-Shakir, Bahrain added 78 villas to their inventory in May 2011. The Palace Hotel was built in 2007 and renovated in 2010. The adjacent US$50 million Lost Paradise of Dilmun outdoor waterpark is next to the Al Areen Wildlife Sanctuary. The hotel is a 5-minute drive from the Yas Island Formula 1 Racing Circuit. All of the 78 villas are outfitted with private swimming pools, separate lounge areas, high-speed internet access, entertainment centers, satellite TV, a full-size bathroom with tub, luxury linens and expresso machines. For more, call 973-17-84-5000, Visit www.alareenresort.com and www.lpodwaterpark.com. Banyan Tree All Pool Suites Resort & Sky Wave Pool in Macau, China opened in May 2011 with 227 rooms and a wave pool. Maxx Royal Resort & AquaPark in Antakya-Belek, Turkey opened in May 2011 with 445 villas and an 107,640 sf indoor-outdoor  waterpark. The 5-star golf,
spa and waterpark resort is located on the southern coast of Turkey
near Cyprus. All rooms are designed as
suites with a sea or
golf view. There is one main restaurant
plus 5 ala carte restaurants, 14 bars, a patisserie café and a
bistro. The AquaPark offers 10 water
slides, a kid’s
water play area with themed slides and water play structure. Turkish company, Polin Waterparks & Pool
Systems, designed a mix of rides suitable for the whole family. This is the first site where Polin has
installed
its new King Cobra ride, which enables two double tubes to race through
a
circular path with twists and turns and surprises.
The hotel has its own pier and private sandy
beach that is 300 meters or nearly 1,000 feet long on the Mediterranean
Sea. For more, call the resort at
90-242-323-0611. Or visit www.polin.com.tr.
Nanjing Longmenzhen Hotel & Waterpark in Nanjing, China opened in July 2011. The project was designed as the first large-scale, world-class waterpark resort in northern China. The waterpark area covers 14 hectares (35 acres) and is part of a larger mixed use hotel, spa and commercial district being designed by Forrec of Canada. The waterpark features 30 water slides, pools, rivers, surfing machines, waves pools and performance areas. ProSlide will be providing a number of rides. The project is an integrated resort that will attract residents and tourists throughout the Yangtze river delta. Acquaworld Indoor Waterpark in Milan, Italy opened in July 2011. The 376,737 sf indoor waterpark has 12 pools, 9 slides and a spa. It features the Zona Adventure children’s area plus the Funworld section with a lagoon, wave pool and river. A heated outdoor pool will be open year-round. Acquaworld is the first indoor waterpark in Italy. Paraiso Verde Resort & Waterpark in Koronadal City, Philippines opened with 10 rooms and 322,344 sf of outdoor waterpark in July 2011. The 7.4 acre park features the 23,679 sf Moby Wave Pool designed and manufactured by Murphy’s Waves of Scotland. A 623-foot long Raging River flows throughout the park. There’s a 7,000 sf Wiggles Kiddie Pool equipped with slides, buckets and mushroom water play structures. The park also features a lap pool and state of the art water filtration systems. The world-class resort houses the Cinco Ninas Filipino Cuisine Restaurant, a Pavilion for 300 people and various function rooms. You can enjoy the aqua food court, rent an air-conditioned cabana or stay in one of 10 cottages. Paraiso Verde is owned and managed by Paraiso Verde Resort Inc. For more information, go to www.paraisoverderesortandwaterpark.com or call 6383-520-1338. Dream Island (aka Lost World) Indoor Aqua Park in Kiev,  Ukraine
opened in July 2011 with a 269,075 sf indoor
waterpark located in Dream Town Trade Center, which makes it the
largest indoor waterpark in the Ukraine and
CIS. Vita Veritas Limited of Kyiv, the investor in the trade
center, spent over US$50 million in building the indoor
waterpark, according to co-owner Gary Korogodsky. The pay-back
period is around 12 years, he
said. The waterpark, located on the
third floor of B block, offers 5 pools, 15 water slides and an
artificial
beach. It is expected that the indoor
waterpark will be open 24/7. The Lost
World design is based on a Jurassic that includes numerous models of
prehistoric
animals and plants. All rides at Dream
Island were provided by Polin Waterparks & Pool Systems of
Turkey. “We faced some design challenges in the
creation of the park,” said Polin architect Sila Gokalp. “Due to
the existing rectangular shape of the
building, all waterslides had to start above the building and enter
through the
roof.” Vita Veritas is the operator of
the waterpark. Tropicana Sea Beach Hotel & Waterpark in Sharm El Sheikh, Eqypt opened in August 2011 with 365 rooms and a waterpark with 14 slides, a wave pool, lazy river and a kid’s play area. Sharm El Sheikh is a city on the Red Sea that is famous for its beaches, hotels and shopping. The New Drayton Manor Hotel at Drayton Manor Theme Park, Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK opened with 150 rooms in August 2011. Lodging just got easier as this contemporary hotel is just steps from the entrance to the theme park. The hotel offers suites, interconnecting rooms for families and 11 Thomas & Friends themed rooms for families with small children. It has 4 bars, 3 meeting rooms, 2 restaurants and 1 arcade room. Colin Bryan is managing director. To book, go to www.draytonmanorhotel.co.uk. Paradise Resort on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia was purchased by the Zagame Corporation in August 2011. The 358-room resort added an outdoor waterpark which opened in September 2011. The entire resort has been transformed into a massive water play area with a giant central pool, heated spa, 2 large AquaPlay attractions. The larger structure is 3-stories high with multiple levels and a myriad of slides, water cannons and climbing nets designed for the whole family. Topping it all off is a giant bucket that fills with 600 litres of water before emptying every few minutes over guests below in one enormous splash. The smaller AquaPlay structure is designed for the little ones with another tipping water bucket and a sloping beach entry. David Brook is general manager. Complejo Antu Resort in Valparaiso, Chile opened in September 2011. Phase 2 development includes a US$2 million outdoor waterpark. Seven members of the Big 4 Holiday Parks chain in Australia installed interactive waterparks to entertain kids in 2011. Big 4 Holiday Parks is a franchise system of holiday resorts and caravan parks that are installing outdoor waterparks. Big 4 Holiday Parks with outdoor waterparks include Cairns QLD, Harrington Beach, Nelligen, Saltwater at Yamba and Deniliquin in NSW, Bellarine VIC and Beachlands WA. The $1 million waterparks typically feature a pirate theme with skulls, water cannons, steering wheels, parrots, 4 slides for youngsters, a big tube slide and a tipping bucket of water. “I am never surprised by the new technology and ideas that our members want to add to the holiday guest experience,” said Ray Schleibs, Big 4 ceo. “We lifted the standard of luxury cabins across the country, and now we are excited to be a part of the next big thing --- the interactive waterpark.” Five more Holiday Parks are under construction or planning to install waterparks. Bahrain City Center & Wahooo Indoor Waterpark in Manama Added a Kempinski Hotel in September 2011. The hotel features  460
rooms, a large outdoor pool, day spa, business
center and conference rooms 10
minutes from the airport. The Kempinski
is connected to the
Bahrain City Center, which covers 1.6 million sf of shopping, 40
restaurants,
20 cinema screens and Magic Planet family entertainment center. Of course, the highlight for hotel guests is
the massive, air-conditioned Wahoo Indoor Waterpark which includes a
49-foot
high tower with 4-lane mat racer, the Flowrider surfing machine,
Sidewinder,
Master Blaster uphill water coaster, toddler pool, wave pool and lazy
river. The waterpark operates a cashless
system using
RFID where the preferred amounta visitor wishes to spend can be loaded
onto a
wristband at the entrance. The
indoor-outdoor waterpark area covers 161,445 sf. The
developer is the Majid Al Futtaim
Group. For more about the Kempinski
Hotel, go to www.kempinski.com
or dial
973-1717-1000. Longmenzhen Hotel Waterpark & Spa, Beijing, China opened its new 1.3 million sf outdoor waterpark in October 2011. Longmenzhen is part of a hotel, spa and commercial district being designed by Forrec of Toronto, Canada. The park will feature one of Asia’s largest mix of attractions, including more than 30 slides, waterplay toys, pools, rivers, surfing machines and the largest surfing wave pool in China. The park is targeting both local and international visitors of all ages. Spanning 31 acres, the park’s peak day attendance is estimated to be 15,000. The waterpark comprises a 1.9-acre wave pool, a lazy river and two spa pool complexes. ProSlide Technology of Ottawa, Canada is providing a number of bowl slides and speed slides. Whitewater West of Vancouver BC is supplying a Flowrider surfing simulator, body slides and a waterplay structure. The company behind the project is Sichuan Longmenzhen Tourism & Resorts.  Ilica Hotel Spa & Wellness Resort in Cesme, Turkey
added an indoor waterpark called Aqua Toy City in
October 2011. Aqua Toy City, installed
by Polin, offers attractions to all ages, including waterslides,
children’s
playground and 7 indoor-outdoor swimming pools.
Yakup Demir, general manager, said, “In then last five years, Cesme has
grown into an exceptional place with its beautiful beaches and blue
sea. We observed the need for a waterpark and
invested US$5 million to build Aqua Toy City.”
In addition, the resort has 278 guest rooms, a 12,915 sf thermal spa
and
8 meeting rooms totaling 25,500 sf. For
more, go to www.aquatoycity.com.
Tiram Indoor Waterpark at Today’s Shopping Mall in Johor Baru, Malaysia opened November 2011. It is the state’s first indoor waterpark, which measures 25,992 sf. It has 2 pools, several waterslides and a hot tub. The park, with its sea world theme, has a gigantic octopus that squirts water and a swirl slide. The water has two levels. The top level has a pool that slides down to the second level where there is a seahorse and a play area with mini slides. For adults, there is a cave-like maze with cascading water like a waterfall into a Jacuzzi. Indoor games include congkak, carom, chess and checkers. Besides the waterpark, Today’s Mall has a 3-D cinema, karaoke center and a bowling center. Grand Esteem Sdn Bhd manages the park; Kit Tan is the park director. For details on the waterpark, visit www.tiramwaterpark.com.my. Terminal Aquapark in Bovary-Kiev, Ukraine opened its 220,642 indoor waterpark in November 2011. The waterpark has a sliding roof and 4 levels that contain 10 big waterslides, a wave pool, a swimming pool with bar, another swimming pool with massages, sauna and hot tub as well as water guns, geysers and fountains. The total length of the waterslides is about 6/10th of a mile. The longest slide, called a Master Blaster, is an uphill water coaster which runs 656 feet long. The children’s entertainment area is 2,900 sf. Jumeirah Bilgah Hotel, Villas & Waterpark in Baku, Azerbaijan is set to open in December 2011 with 176 rooms, 14 villas and a waterpark. The guest rooms face the Caspian Sea. The hotel has been constructed in a wave-like structure reflecting the style of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. Owned by Azinco Holding Co. and designed by local architect Nazim Valiev, the hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant & bar, two rooftop restaurants/bars, a 3,200 sf spa with Turkish and Finnish bath areas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a 16,144 sf conference center, 14 villas and a waterpark. Details on the waterpark were not available. Another hotel waterpark, the 270-room AF Hotel Aqua Park, which opened in 2005, is located on the Caspian Sea just 13 miles away. This is Jumeirah’s first hotel management agreement in Azerbaijan. Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts operate 49 hotels & resorts globally as well as the Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai. Mr. Mete Atakuman, an Australian-Turkisk citizen who also speaks Azeri, has been appointed general manager. For more go to www.jumeirah.com. FunWorld Plaza Hotel in Nadi, Fiji is opening this month, December 2011, with 200 rooms. The new hotel consists of a 9,256 sf swimming pool, bar, restaurant, coffee shop, massage parlor and other facilities. Phase 2 of the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012 and this will include two FunWorld Water Theme Parks featuring wave pools, slides and a lazy river. Phase 3, expected to open by the end of 2013, includes a 301,000 sf FunWorld Shopping Mall with 280 shops, 4 cinemas, a medical center and a lazy river dining concept. The New Zealand based Shah Group of Companies expects to spend more than $5 million to complete the waterparks and shopping mall. Mr. Sahil Shah is managing director. For more, go to www.funworldcentre.com or www.funworldplazahotel.com. Or email [email protected].  Avoriaz Ski Resort, in
the Portes du Soleil
region of France, about
1&1/2 hours from Geneva, is creating two new resort districts
(Crozats and
Amara), a large outdoor waterpark and an innovative indoor waterpark. Nine residences, more than 40 new apartments,
spa center with swimming pool, Turkish baths, day nursery, restaurants,
bars
and shops will open in two stages in December 2011 and December 2012. In September 2011, work started on Aquariaz,
a mountain-themed indoor waterpark facility covering 21,526 sq ft
featuring a
lazy river, sidewinder waterslide, a large pool, water playhouse and
indoor
climbing wall. The indoor waterpark, being
developed in partnership with holiday park operator, Center Parcs,
expects to
open in July 2012. Avoriaz is the
highest ski resort in the 14-town region of Portes du Soleil region at
5,900
feet. The region has 14,000 beds, 210
lifts, 10 snow parks, 372 miles of mountain bike trails and 5 bike
parks. For more, go to www.portesdusoleil.com or www.avoriaz.com.
Super Flume Indoor Leisure Park in Bandung, Indonesia is scheduled to open December 2011 with two waterslides 909 feet long, 7 six-seater boats, log flume, rapid river, water battle station, spin boat rides and a volcano. UK and France-based Interlink is supplying the water rides. For more, contact John Hudd at [email protected]. Century Hills Resort & Spa in Bandung, Indonesia is scheduled to open in December 2011 with town homes, apartments, residences and a 488,660 sf outdoor waterpark that includes an activity pool, wave pool, lazy river, children’s play area and a jogging track. The waterpark features a Tornado bowl slide, Space Hole, Octopus Mat Racer, Flying Boats, Open & Dark Racer Tracks and Lily Pad Rope Walk. The resort features a Leisure Park which offers a restaurant, café karaoke, music lounge, ballroom, billiards, spa, reflexology, family entertainment center, dancing fountain, water laser show, life trail and shopping paradise. For more, go to www.centhills.com. A Hotel & Indoor Waterpark are under construction at AquaMaster Park in Doha, Qatar. The 3.2 million sf outdoor AquaMaster Park opened in 2010, when construction started on a hotel, indoor waterpark and shopping mall, which were scheduled to open in 2011, but it looks more like 2012 now. The new hotel will feature 360 rooms, the indoor waterpark will cover 128,400 sf and the shopping mall will be 2.1 million sf. Owner-developer is The Hala Group Enterprises who signed a management agreement with Aqua Park Kuwait. For more, email Mohammed Khoursid, managing director, at [email protected]. Wave House at Puerto Venecia Mall in Zaragoza, Spain opened an indoor-outdoor waterpark in late 2011. Tom Lochtefeld, founder of San Diego CA-based Wave House International and inventor of the Flowrider, has brought the surfing lifestyle to inland Spain.  A joint venture of Eurofund Investments Zaragoza developed the 2.2 million sf Puerto Venecia Mall, which is now Europe’s largest shopping-entertainment destination. At the center is a 107,630 sf canal and lake where Wave House Zaragoza offers the surf-like sport of flowboarding on the artificial wave known as the FlowBarrel along with multiple restaurants, kava bars, a surf store and a concert stage that offers live music and special events. The Wave House is a 50/50 indoor-outdoor facility that anchors the sports and leisure section of the center across from the 784,623 sf fashion mall. The FlowBarrel surf machine creates a sheet wave of water that breaks endlessly in perfect form while reaching heights of 10 feet. The FlowBarrel attracts a variety of board sports enthusiasts, including surfers, snowboarders, skateboarders, wakeboarders. The flowboarding phenomenon also attracts a sizable number of spectators with bars and restaurants offering perfect views of the thrills and spills. Wave House has served as the venue for MTV in the past, and the Wave House Zaragoza has scheduled seasonal weekly concerts featuring top European talent. “We are beach culture pioneers,” says Lochtefeld. “And Wave House Zaragoza is our European surfing and entertainment beachhead.” Additional Wave House facilities are located in San Diego, California, Sentosa Island, Singapore, Santiago, Chile and Durban, South Africa. For more, visit www.wavehouse.com. Flow House indoor waterpark opened in December 2011 at the Xscape Indoor Ski Center in Castleford, Yorkshire, UK. Wow, what an attraction! A place to snow ski and surf the waves all under one roof in the entertainment district where the proposed Castleford Tiger Stadium will be built for the area rugby team. Xscape Indoor Ski Center opened in 2003 with a 59,202 sf real-snow slope and an outlet mall --- two major developments that put Castleford-Glasshoughton on the map. In 2009, Mick Harrison announced his idea for a Surfworld attraction that would be built near the Xscape and the proposed new stadium.   Talks between Flow
House Ltd Co and X-Leisure Ltd resulted in the Flow House Xscape
Yorkshire, an
indoor waterpark featuring two surf simulators called Flowriders that
are under
the same roof with the indoor ski center. Opening
before Christmas 2011, the surfing facility houses
two 33-foot
wide Flowriders which allow riders to enjoy the waves no matter what
the
weather outside. Whether you surf,
skate, wake or even snowboard, the Flowrider is a great place to
express your
own brand of riding. If you’ve never
ridden before, no problem. There are
people to help you learn in a safe environment. For
spectators, there are bars, restaurants, music,
entertainment and shops. For details, go
to www.flowhouse.co.uk and www.x-leisure.co.uk. London Olympics Aquatic Centre completed construction in December 2011 for the 2012 Summer Games in Stratford-London, UK. Designed by Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-born genius and first woman to win the Pritzker Architectue Prize, the aquatic center features a stunning  column-free interior under a hyperbolic curved
wave-shaped roof --- referred to as the stingray. It has no
columns and rests on just three
concrete supports. The Aquatic Center is
designed for two conditions: one is temporary for the Olympic games,
and second
is permanent for its legacy use as a community swimming center
following the
games. Over the years certain Olympic
hosts have spent billions showing off their cities for three weeks of
games
followed by years of paying off debts on buildings that were difficult
to convert
to post-game use. To avoid this white
elephant syndrome and to live within the current economic austerity,
London
organizers focused on planning for the post Olympic future of their
Aquatic
Center --- in its legacy condition. The
legacy version seats 3000 people. The
temporary version adds two grandstands (referred to as saddlebags)
which seats
an additional 14,500 people for the Olympic events. Total
construction cost: US$440 million,
including the conversion to its post-Olympic use.Transactions & Other News
Under Construction & Opening in 2012 Thirty six hotel waterpark resorts worldwide (except North America) are expected to open during 2012:
A few hotel waterpark resorts coming in 2012 deserve more attention. Here’s an update: Adventure Park Lodge & Lake Water Sports, West Lothian, Scotland, UK is expected to start work in early 2012 on 40 log cabins and a 3.1 million sf outdoor waterpark. Glasgow nightclub owner Wayne Gardner transformed a wasteland by restoring a 72-acre park into an adventure park with an artificial lake for wind-surfing, sailing and kayaking. The eco-friendly park, which uses wind power and underground thermal heating, includes a Trojan Horse waterslide, wooden forts, a 100-foot sailing ship, overhead climbing frames, 1,640-foot ziplines and dry toboggan runs. Royal Marine Aquapark, the World's Largest Retractable Dome, is under construction in Donetsk, Ukraine --- scheduled to open in May 2012. The city of Donetsk will soon be home to the largest aluminum-domed waterpark in the world. The Royal Marine Aquapark is  a joint venture of the city and a group of private investors being built by OpenAire based in Toronto-Oakville, Ontario, Canada. At 86-feet high and 278-feet in diameter, the dome covers a 60,668 sf indoor-outdoor waterpark. The dome replaces the park’s designer’s original plan to have a steel/polycarbonate structure. “The developers loved the idea of retractable roof,” said OpenAire president Mark Albertine. “To them, it opened the park up to a whole new world of possibility. People don’t want to be indoors on a beautiful day; opening the roof instantly transforms it into an outdoor facility.” Using aluminum for waterparks provides a great benefit. Unlike steel, aluminum doesn’t corrode, doesn’t need painting, withstands chlorine and requires zero maintenance. Plus the dome provides an indoor-outdoor environment that is open 365 days a year. To reach Mark Albertine, call 1-800-267-4877. To view an animation of the Aquapark’s dome, go to www.openaire.com/royal-marine-aquapark.aspx or go to www.openaire.com/video/donetskaquapark/. Or click on www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvblOjEIAvE. Fullon Hotel expects to open adjacent to Mala Bay Waterpark & Discovery Amusement Park at Yamay Recreation World in Houli, Taichung, Taiwan. Scheduled to open in March, the 272-room hotel features 92,300 sf of meeting space. By providing accommodations, the Fullon Hotel lengthens the time visitors stay at the largest waterpark in Taiwan. The Mala Bay Waterpark, which opened in 2000, helps the resort compete against other amusement parks. The waterpark features The Big Wave, a 7.8-foot high artificially-generated wave, the Cowabunga Rapid River and a lazy river. In 2008, the waterpark added the 110x33 meter SurfStream Wave Machine by American Wave Machines Inc. The SurfStream provides a perfect standing wave for surfing and bodyboarding. Riders can use real surfboards with fins to surf on a deep cushion of water that creates and endless wave. The owner of Yamay Recreation World is Lih Pao Construction, which also owns 7 other Fullon Hotels & Resorts. By 2015, Lih Pao plans to build retail shops, a convention center and a 49-acre holiday park. Eventually, the owners envision a casino and car racing track at the site. General manager is Hugo Chen. For more, go to www.fullon-hotels.com. Grand Canal Water Resort by JW Marriott in Abu Dhabi, UEA, previously expected to open in 2010, was rescheduled to open in late 2011, according to Abu Dhabi National Hotels’ chairman. The name changed to Ritz-Carlton, another Marriott brand, and the room count changed from 595 to 532. In response to a question in May 2011 about the hotels and resorts scheduled to open this year, he said that Abu Dhabi National Hotels will open Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal in the fourth quarter of 2011. Their website provides no updated news since May 2011. Perhaps, the Grand Canal Water Resort will open in 2012. 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. Owner-developer Al Sharq Investments signed a contract with Jumeirah to management the hotel waterpark, but that was years ago. The Dubailand website has not been updated for two and a half years. What’s happening with Dubailand? Owners of the stalled multibillion-dollar real estate project, backed by Dubai Properties Group, are in talks to renegotiate four projects in the resort and plans to unveil details by year-end 2012. Details of the Universal and Legoland projects will be announced by 3Qtr 2012. Dubailand is being scaled down significantly to fit the harsh realities facing Dubai in 2011, according to ceo Khalid Al Malik. Check into www.alsharqinvestments.com and www.dubailand.ae. Coming in 2013, 2014 & 2015 Hotel waterpark resort projects worldwide, excluding North America, expected to open during the next few years include:
In Development Eighty-three (83) hotel waterpark resort projects are in the development-planning stages worldwide, excluding North America. Leading countries with the most projects include the United Kingdom (8), Australia (6), Russia (6), United Arab Emirates (4), Kazakhstan (3), China (2), Hungary (2), India (2), Philippines (2) and Singapore (2). The following countries have one project planned: Bahrain, Croatia, Cyprus, Guam, Israel, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Oman, Pampanga, Qatar, Romania, Saipan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay and Vietnam. That’s what’s happening in the hotel waterpark resort industry. 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. Amanda McDaniel is director of research. For more about market research, economic feasibility and design-development services for all kinds of resorts, waterparks, adventure parks, observation towers, tourist attractions and sports facilities, call 480-488-3382 or email [email protected] or go to www.jeffcoy.com. |
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HOTEL WATERPARK RESORT |
| Also See: | 2011
Construction Report North America: 23 Hotel Waterparks Expect to Open
in 2011; 10 Coco Key Waterparks Bought at Auction for Bargain Prices
/ Jeff Coy & Amanda McDaniel / July 2011 |
| 19
Hotel Waterpark Resorts Open in USA in 2010; Twenty-Five More Launch
Outside North America / Jeff Coy / June 2011 |
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| 15
Hotel Waterpark Resorts Are Under Construction, Opening in 2010 Outside
North America / Jeff Coy and Amanda McDaniel / July 2010 |
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| Cruise Ships Add Waterslides & Aqua ParksFloating Hotel Waterpark Resorts Race to Compete for Families / Jeff Coy / July 2010 | |
| 24 Ziplines Open in USA in 2010; A New, Less Expensive Way to Add the WOW Factor to Resorts, Parks / Jeff Coy & Amanda McDaniel / May 2010 | |
| Waterpark Construction Report: North America;Eight Hotel Waterparks Coming in 2010 / Jeff Coy and Amanda McDaniel / April 2010 |