Recently, there was a published cartoon depicting a scenario of a new waterpark resort operating in a drought stricken area of the country. The cartoon related the plight of a typical family wondering why they can’t water their yard or wash their car, while a loud splash is heard coming from behind a high fence labeled waterpark. In areas of the country where drought has widespread implications on water use, the eco-friendly public has a perception of water use at waterparks as one of a gluttonous society continually consuming a precious natural resource for the benefit of entertainment. Little thought…
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Ever since waterparks came indoors, under cover, and attached themselves to hotels, the hotel waterpark resort industry has continued to grow at an accelerating pace — from 24% to 32% annually.
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Today, most hotels have pools, so it doesn’t create a competitive advantage, but the hotel owners who add a simple slide, spray elements, buckets or splash toys (often in the same amount of space as a standard hotel pool), are attracting new customers from their competition. Ask families traveling for their kids’ sports teams where they would rather stay – at a hotel with a pool and a slide or one with just a pool (no slide)?
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January 4, 2006 — Hotels and resorts with indoor waterparks now total 104 in 2005 with 52 under construction and another 121 in development. Three major ski resorts have opened or will soon open indoor waterparks to create weather-proof vacations and capture year-round revenues. In 2004, resorts achieved higher occupancies and revenues than any other type of lodging investment. Eleven percent of all new hotel and resort projects in the pipeline have a condominium component. Resorts are hot! Thinking about investing in hotel waterpark resorts? Here are the risk factors you need to consider: Seasonality Ordinary hotels, especially resorts, have…
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Author: Kira Vermond NIAGARA FALLS, ONT. — Special to The Globe and Mail Original Published Saturday, Oct. 21 2006, 12:00 AM EDT Last updated Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009, 10:29 PM EDT ‘This is going to be awesome,” exclaims the guy behind me in line as we wait for our turn on the Wooly Mammoth, a massive raft ride that whips riders down one of the largest serpentine tubes in the world. “For the last two days, I’ve been more excited than the kids.” His daughter, a little slip of a thing, looks more than a little embarrassed by her father’s enthusiasm. We’re…
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When their local schools went on vacation last week, they did what more Americans are doing in cold weather. They packed their swimsuits and headed north to the nearest indoor water park.
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June 2006: Here is our forecast on the future of resort development. 1. Americans traveling abroad will start to increase. For three straight years since 2000, Americans traveling internationally has declined. However, outbound travel was up 15% during the first nine months of 2004. The Iraq War, US foreign policy, terrorist threats, currency exchange rates and our actions in the world will increasingly place the spotlight on Americans traveling abroad. Those Americans wanting to avoid criticism, intimidation,fear of danger or even loss of life will choose to avoid certain countries or stay home altogether. More Americans will Visit USA and…
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Vision 2020: Emerging trends for the future and today February, 2005. – According to an International Spa Association study, 2001 was the first year spa revenues outpaced golf revenues in the resort industry. While the spa development boom continues unabated, following closely on its heels is what we believe is the Next Big Thing: the indoor waterpark and its offshoot – waterplay. Waterpark theme hotels entered the resort scene around ten years ago, and have quickly picked up steam. According to Hotel Waterpark Resort Research & Consulting, a collaboration of hospitality consultant Jeff Coy and leisure industries consultant Bill Haralson, the launch of the waterpark resort…
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