Dec. 11–The new Camelback indoor waterpark and ski-in, ski-out 453-room lodge will be “the most unique resort in the country” for family recreation, project officials said Tuesday.
The planned eight-story, 533,000-square-foot hotel will have spacious rooms of at least 450 square feet each. The project will include four restaurants, a ski-in bar and patio at the base of the nearby mountain, and 25,000 square feet of meeting and conference space.
The 125,000-square-foot indoor waterpark — billed as the largest in the eastern U.S. — will include seven pools, 19 slides or rides, a surfing area, swim-up bar and transparent roof to allow in sunlight.
There also will be “dry” indoor space for mini-golf, a ropes course, laser tag and kids activities.
“You can get everything you need by staying at that property,” said Ken Ellis, co-owner with Art Berry of Camelback Mountain Resort.
“No other property in the country will offer the amenities that this property offers,” said Pete Helland Jr. of Waterpark Ventures Management Services. Helland’s group will help finance, develop and co-own the expansion with Berry and Ellis.
“It’s a concept we’re familiar with,” Helland said, pointing to Waterpark Ventures’ other waterpark resorts in Wisconsin and Tennessee. “It’s a concept that works.”
All facilities and amenities will be contained within close proximity, Ellis said. The $163 million expansion is expected to open in February 2015.
Camelback already operates a ski resort, outdoor waterpark and ziplines and a treetop adventure course.
Camelback called Tuesday’s news conference partly to promote its 50th anniversary and planned promotions. The weather cooperated with a steady snowfall outside the picture windows at the lodge where the event took place.
The first skiers of the season glided down a slope as officials spoke.
