TANNERSVILLE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark opened its doors this morning to offer city officials, business owners and members of the media a sneak preview of what will be the largest ski in/ski out indoor waterpark hotel in the U.S., and the largest indoor waterpark in the Northeast.
Camelback Resort owners, together with development and management company Stand Rock Hospitality, rolled out the red carpet and handed out hard hats before guiding tours through the 533,000 square-foot, $163 million Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark. The Hard Hat Tour unveiled a unique design, expansive amenities, and showcased the cuisine and hospitality that guests will be able to experience in March when the new Camelback Lodge celebrates its grand opening.
Once complete, the eight-story Camelback Lodge will feature 453 guest suites offered in 24 suite configurations ranging from loft fireplace suites, one and two bedroom executive suites, and family suites with bunk beds, gift shops, adult and kids spas, three sit-down restaurants, including the ski-in/ski-out Trails End Tavern near the Stevenson Chair Lift. The Lodge will also appeal to business travelers, event and wedding planners with more than 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space with an incredible panorama of Camelback Mountain.
The 170,000 square-foot family adventure center will include the much anticipated Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, which will feature seven pools, 13 waterslides, and a multitude of thrilling water attractions. Uniquely designed to be unlike any other indoor waterpark in the USA, Aquatopia will host a combination of waterpark guest favorites such as a wave pool, lazy river and flowrider surfing simulator, as well as never before seen attractions and slides, among them Storm Chaser, the most innovative gravity-defying watercoaster to exist in any indoor waterpark in the U.S., and the world-premier of the Venus SlydeTrap, a family raft ride that combines three exhilarating waterslides experiences into one slide. Aquatopia will be situated under a texlon transparent roofing system which will allow guests to tan indoors at a comfortable 84-degrees, year-round. On the drier side, Arcadia Family Adventure Center will offer two levels of themed activities including more than 100 video, interactive and ticket redemption games, ropes courses and rock climbing for adults and kids, mini-golf, black light laser tag, bowling and an arts and crafts center.
“Camelback Resort has been a place for friends and family to gather, near and far, for 50 years,” said Arthur Berry III, Co-owner of Camelback Resort. “Countless adults and children have learned to ski here and even more have experienced the thrill at Camelbeach Waterpark during the summer season. With the addition of Camelback Lodge and the new Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, the best is yet to come.”
Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark is located at Camelback Resort in Tannersville, Pa. The heart of the Pocono Mountains draws visitors from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia with 28 million people living within 180 miles of this vacation destination.
For more information about Camelback Lodge or to make a reservation call 855-515-1283 or visit www.CamelbackResort.com.
Ownership & Management Backgrounder
The Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark ownership group is a partnership comprised of Arthur Berry III and Ken Ellis, co-owners of Camelback Resort and Camelbeach Waterpark, along with Tim Gantz, Pete Helland Jr., Tim Lucke and Pat Helland of Stand Rock Hospitality, formerly Waterpark Ventures Management Services, LLC (WVMS).
Arthur Berry III and Ken Ellis first met on the Saratoga, NY campus of Skidmore College in 1982. Through their friendship and common vision to bring fun to their family and friends, they purchased Camelback Resort in June 2005. The resort has seen substantial growth in nine years of ownership with capital improvement to Camelback’s winter operations, snowtubing park, Camelbeach Waterpark, and the opening of Camelback Mountain Adventures.
Stand Rock Hospitality will oversee development and operations of Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark. Comprised of four partners with a long legacy in the indoor and outdoor waterpark and entertainment industry, Tim Gantz, Pete Helland Jr., Tim Lucke and Pat Helland are no strangers to grand-scale waterpark resorts. Hailing from Wisconsin Dells, Wis., the “Waterpark Capital of the World,” each partner brings substantial experience, among them the former owner and operator of America’s Largest Outdoor Waterpark, Noah’s Ark. More recently, Stand Rock Hospitality developed and manages the 716 key Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and helped develop and is co-owner of the largest indoor waterpark resort property in the U.S., Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
