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Indoor Water Parks

Indoor Water Parks Think They Are Here to Stay

May 7, 2007 at 12:49 PM | 1 Comment

We were really hoping that the whole Midwest Indoor Water Park hotel trend would die a fast death but then the Wall Street Journal had to go and do a feature on it in the Weekend Journal. And we learned that this trend is not just reserved for Midwest budget chains. Oh no, these places are popping up in Texas, Arizona and North Carolina, along with newer Midwest locations like Nebraska and with a vengeance.

They are also not just heavily chlorinated indoor-pools filled with screaming children, giant bear statues and frazzled adults--although that is what you can expect to find most of the time. Some of the newer places are getting "hip amenities" like cabanas with A/C, waiters and WiFi and floating rafts that allow you to watch movies.

Some are even trying to move past the "indoor" part too but not that much. Hotels are also trying to bump up their summer occupancy rates by adding a retractable roof to let in sunlight and some fresh-air but still let the place be climate-controlled. Expect more indoor water parks to open in the future.

Holiday Inn opened its 12th indoor water park earlier this year, with two more opening in the fall.

Even Las Vegas is getting in on the action with an indoor entertainment complex that will have 600 hotel rooms, an indoor ski hill and a spa. Yikes, can't Vegas just be about casinos, cheesy shows, luxury hotels, celebrity chef restaurants and nightclubs. Isn't that enough?

Related Stories:
· Despite Our Wishes, Indoor Water Parks Continue to Be Popular [HotelChatter]