Camelback Mountain Constructing Largest Ski In / Out Waterpark Hotel in US
Tannersville, Pa. (Aug. 6, 2014) – Camelback Resort, the popular Pocono Mountain ski, snowboard and winter snowtubing destination, celebrated its 50th anniversary last season, and serves nearly 1,000,000 outdoor enthusiasts and visitors annually. Camelback’s cutting-edge, terrain-based learn-to ski & snowboard programs allowed Camelback to capture the 2014 esteemed Conversion Cup, presented by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), holding claim as the country’s top resort for developing outstanding learn-to programs that convert skiers and snowboarders into lifelong enthusiasts.
The Changing Landscape…
This winter season, the expansive birds-eye view from the summit of Camelback Mountain will include the sprawling, 533,000 square-foot Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark. Located on 25 acres at the base of Camelback Mountain, the $163 million development is the largest capital improvement in the 50-year history of Camelback Resort. This season, Camelback Resort guests will feel the excitement as Camelback debuts the largest, single ski-in, ski-out indoor waterpark hotel in the U.S.
Opening in March, the eight-story, 453-room Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark will transform Camelback Resort into a year-round destination by offering family-suite accommodations and indoor waterpark fun.
“The travel and tourism industry is always evolving,” said Arthur Berry III, co-owner of Camelback Resort. “The Poconos has always been a popular destination, but the landscape has changed and so has the audience segment. What was once a sleepy honeymoon destination is now a destination filled with excitement and adventure catering to both outdoor enthusiasts and families.”
Camelback Loge’s amenities will include several dining options, ski-in/ski-out access, adult and kids’ spas, and 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and entertainment space. Additionally, at 125,000 square feet, Aquatopia will be the largest indoor waterpark in the Northeast. Heated to a tropical 84-degrees, the massive indoor waterpark will be heavily themed and designed for adventure. Aquatopia will boast six pools, including a collosal wavepool, lazy river, and swim up bar, the Bombora Flowrider indoor surfing simulator, and 13 of the most innovative waterslides one can experience, including the world premier of Venus SlydeTrap, and Storm Chaser, the longest indoor watercoaster in the U.S. The largest installation of Texlon transparant roofing in the nation allows sun tanning year-round and a view of the stars by night. Aquatopia will also offer an additional 30,000 square-foot family entertainment center complete wtih arcade, indoor ropes course, nine-hole mini-golf, laser tag arena, bowling, laser maze and more. For more information or to make a reservation visit www.camelbackresort.com or call 1.855.515.1283.
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Ownership & Management Backgrounder
The Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark ownership group is a partnership comprised of Arther 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 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 Mountain Waterpark, and the opening of Camelback Mountain Adventures.
WVMS 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, WVMS 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.