The recession continues to impact waterpark resort development and a report from Cleveland-based Hotel Leisure Advisors, LLC indicates growth this year is the slowest in a decade.
There are now 141 waterpark resorts in operation and while development is slow, a few new projects have opened this year. Other properties changed names and franchise affiliations.
However, for those properties solidly in operation performance has mostly been good. “For example, the Great Wolf Lodge chain reported relatively flat occupancy and higher average daily rate for year-end 2010 as compared to 2009,” notes report author David Sangree, HLA president. He anticipates increases in 2012.