Interview: Marty Sklar
Retired Disney Legend Marty Sklar
reveals the secrets of Imagineering,
the legacy of the 1964 World’s Fair
and the lessons he learned as
Walt Disney’s “keeper of the keys”
Talking Point: The $100 Barrier
As a Walt Disney World day ticket
enters three-digit territory for
the first time, we ask what this
means for pricing in the sector
Museums: Biomuseo
Panama has opened the world’s first
museum of biodiversity, an ambitious
building by architect Frank Gehry. We
meet the team behind the project
Expos: Food for Thought
Expo Milano 2015 launches in Italy,
aiming to bring the planet’s most
pressing problems to the fore, not least
how to provide food for everybody
Zoos & Aquariums: On the SAFE Side
AZA chair Dennis Pate explains a new
initiative designed to help endangered
animals, and offers some tips from
his world-class Henry Doorly zoo
Promotional feature: IDEATTACK
IDEATTACK is a creative maverick with a
new perspective, bringing custom-made
one-of-a-kind attractions typologies to
a world that needs something di�fferent
Rides: The Ride Makers
In the third part of our series, we look at
the enduring appeal of wooden coasters
Ticketing: Dream Tickets
Ticketing systems are advancing to
improve the guest’s experience and the
operator’s profit. We investigate the
sector’s current and upcoming trends
Wave Garden Technology Nurtures Surfers’ Paradise Supplier: wavegarden Location: conwy valley, wales Surf Snowdonia, a massive surf facility in North Wales, UK, has announced an opening date of July 2015.
The outdoor adventure destination features a 29,000sqm (312,000sq ft) lagoon – with waves courtesy of Spanish wave technology company Wavegarden.
The Wavegarden system creates consistent waves of up to 2 metres (6.5 foot) over the length of the 300 metre (984 foot) lagoon. Up to 52 surfers can be accommodated in the lagoon at one time, with rides lasting up to 18 seconds.
The £12m ($18m, €16.6m) Surf Snowdonia development caters for surfers of all levels, with its own surf academy teaching surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), surf yoga, surf fitness and open-water swimming. At least 75,000 visitors are expected per year.
A Crash and Splash obstacle course, supplied by by Rigby and Partners, is being installed at the activity lagoon, as well as a Blob supplied by Blob Europe. Catering includes a lagoon-side café bar. There’s camping accommodation and sleeping “pods” along the lake’s waterfront.
Surf Snowdonia is using 100 per cent rainwater to fill the surf lake thanks to a UV disinfection system by ATG UV Technology.
“The rainwater in the lagoon will be cleaned by UV disinfection and filtration, so the water will not be chlorinated,” says Surf Snowdonia spokeperson Louise McWatt. “This will ensure a more natural and pleasurable experience.”
It was designed by Seven Architecture and developed by Conwy Adventure Leisure Ltd, allied to the Ainscough Group, who acquired the brownfield site in 2012.
Wavegarden technology has been endorsed by professional surfers like Dusty Payne
Surf Snowdonia is the world’s first publicly accessible Wavegarden artificial surfing lagoon
$13.4m Waterpark Comes to Grand Wisata Supplier: whitewater west Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Asian property giant Sinar Mas has opened a $13.4m (£9m, €12.6m) waterpark at the centre of its new masterplanned community in Jakarta, Indonesia.
With a capacity of 6,000 people, the 75,000sqm (807,200sq ft) Go! Wet waterpark is the largest in Indonesia and has been supplied by WhiteWater West. Special features include the world’s first Kid’s Boomerango and Kid’s AquaSphere slides. Also fitted are two AquaPlay structures, Indonesia’s largest wave pool and a wave river, as well as WhiteWater’s signature SuperBowl, Boomerango, Rattler, Constrictor and Python slides.
The Grand Wisata masterplan in eastern Jakarta has been developed by global architecture firm AECOM with an ecologically friendly approach in mind. The development also incorporates shopping, a lake, gardens, housing districts, a business park, a market place and school.
Go! Wet waterpark focuses on child-friendly rides in Jakarta, Indonesia
Twisted Waterpark Strictly Adults Only Suppliers: whitewater west, amusement logic Location: Mallorca, Spain A €10m ($11.3m, £7.4m) redevelopment of a hotel in Magaluf on the Spanish island of Majorca is celebrating the opening of its on-site over-18s waterpark, beach club and stage area.
Following a takeover by the Cursach Hotel Group, the former Mallorca Rocks hotel has revamped its facilities under its new name, BH Mallorca.
Open since April, the Twisted waterpark features the only Aqualoop slide in Europe. The slide – designed by WhiteWater West – drops riders through a trap door before sending them at speeds of up to 40mph (60kph) into a freefall and then loop.
Amusement Logic has provided the rest of the park’s slides, which include a four-lane mat race slide and two rapid descent Kamikaze slides.
The waterpark also has a 576sqm (6,200sq ft) wave pool and three jacuzzis.
The BH Mallorca complex includes Majorca’s only open-air festival venue, which will host some of the world’s biggest DJs through the summer months, and Island Beach Club – a pool area with a resident DJ and cabanas.
BH Mallorca is targeted at tourists aged 18 to 30 as an all-in-one holiday complex. Guests have unlimited access to all areas during their stay. Further developments on the rebranded hotel are expected at the end of the tourist season, to be completed in 2016.
BH Mallorca’s Twisted waterpark features adrenaline slides and chill-out areas
BH Mallorca’s Twisted waterpark features adrenaline slides and chill-out areas
Aqua Wave Waterpark Forms Heart of Urban Development Location: Tieling, China SupplierS: Proslide, neptune benson Work is progressing on an experience destination in Tieling New Town, Liaoning Province, China, with a waterpark set to launch in the first phase of development when it opens later this year.
La Viva is developer Hsin Chong’s first large-scale integrated project to be built in mainland China. Aside from the waterpark, once complete the eco-friendly, urban space will include retail, entertainment, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels, office space and residential apartments.
At the heart of La Viva, the 30,000sqm (322,000sq ft) Aqua Wave waterpark – designed by Forrec – offers visitors a range of facilities, including a lazy river, wave pool, Double Flow Riders, a sand-bottomed pool with cabanas and slides. Neptune Benson is supplying the aquatic filtration system.
Of the slides to be installed at the park, the most interesting is the first ever Topsy Turvy Explosion combination slide by Proslide, who are providing all of the waterpark’s slides. Also included will be an Explosion Bowl combination slide and the Tantrum Tornado raft ride, which will include a unique light and sound show as riders descend the slide. The waterpark’s slide tower will include a Sky Box drop launch, sending guests straight down as the floor disappears from beneath them.
Aqua Wave will also offer a snorkel pool, themed to resemble a Mediterranean coastal city and allowing guests to enjoy a pool with underwater views of tropical fish.
“For the Aqua Wave waterpark, we have brought our years of knowledge in producing different types of waterparks to create a truly unique facility,” says Louis Vicic, senior director of waterparks at Forrec. “Hsin Chong’s direction was to redefine waterparks in China and to provide guests with one of the most creative, innovative, thrilling and dynamic indoor water resorts with the best hygiene standards in China.”
In addition to the waterpark, La Viva will include Xing Yue Southbank – a retail and commercial development split into five regions. Each region will offer its own unique architectural style, aiming to provide an “around the world journey in eight hours”. The waterpark will be part of the “Nature and Science” region, which will also include a movie-themed hotel, a wedding world and high-end fashion and luxury retail.
The first phase of the La Viva development covers 180 hectares (445 acres) and will include the waterpark, retail elements, residential flats, an international school and a hotel. The first phase is reported to have cost around $322m (£220m, €304m) with around two-thirds made up of residential apartments.
Aqua Wave is central to the sprawling
La Viva urban development, and aims to
set a new standard for waterparks in China
Aqua Wave is central to the sprawling
La Viva urban development, and aims to
set a new standard for waterparks in China
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
Interview: Marty Sklar
Retired Disney Legend Marty Sklar
reveals the secrets of Imagineering,
the legacy of the 1964 World’s Fair
and the lessons he learned as
Walt Disney’s “keeper of the keys”
Talking Point: The $100 Barrier
As a Walt Disney World day ticket
enters three-digit territory for
the first time, we ask what this
means for pricing in the sector
Museums: Biomuseo
Panama has opened the world’s first
museum of biodiversity, an ambitious
building by architect Frank Gehry. We
meet the team behind the project
Expos: Food for Thought
Expo Milano 2015 launches in Italy,
aiming to bring the planet’s most
pressing problems to the fore, not least
how to provide food for everybody
Zoos & Aquariums: On the SAFE Side
AZA chair Dennis Pate explains a new
initiative designed to help endangered
animals, and offers some tips from
his world-class Henry Doorly zoo
Promotional feature: IDEATTACK
IDEATTACK is a creative maverick with a
new perspective, bringing custom-made
one-of-a-kind attractions typologies to
a world that needs something di�fferent
Rides: The Ride Makers
In the third part of our series, we look at
the enduring appeal of wooden coasters
Ticketing: Dream Tickets
Ticketing systems are advancing to
improve the guest’s experience and the
operator’s profit. We investigate the
sector’s current and upcoming trends
Wave Garden Technology Nurtures Surfers’ Paradise Supplier: wavegarden Location: conwy valley, wales Surf Snowdonia, a massive surf facility in North Wales, UK, has announced an opening date of July 2015.
The outdoor adventure destination features a 29,000sqm (312,000sq ft) lagoon – with waves courtesy of Spanish wave technology company Wavegarden.
The Wavegarden system creates consistent waves of up to 2 metres (6.5 foot) over the length of the 300 metre (984 foot) lagoon. Up to 52 surfers can be accommodated in the lagoon at one time, with rides lasting up to 18 seconds.
The £12m ($18m, €16.6m) Surf Snowdonia development caters for surfers of all levels, with its own surf academy teaching surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), surf yoga, surf fitness and open-water swimming. At least 75,000 visitors are expected per year.
A Crash and Splash obstacle course, supplied by by Rigby and Partners, is being installed at the activity lagoon, as well as a Blob supplied by Blob Europe. Catering includes a lagoon-side café bar. There’s camping accommodation and sleeping “pods” along the lake’s waterfront.
Surf Snowdonia is using 100 per cent rainwater to fill the surf lake thanks to a UV disinfection system by ATG UV Technology.
“The rainwater in the lagoon will be cleaned by UV disinfection and filtration, so the water will not be chlorinated,” says Surf Snowdonia spokeperson Louise McWatt. “This will ensure a more natural and pleasurable experience.”
It was designed by Seven Architecture and developed by Conwy Adventure Leisure Ltd, allied to the Ainscough Group, who acquired the brownfield site in 2012.
Wavegarden technology has been endorsed by professional surfers like Dusty Payne
Surf Snowdonia is the world’s first publicly accessible Wavegarden artificial surfing lagoon
$13.4m Waterpark Comes to Grand Wisata Supplier: whitewater west Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Asian property giant Sinar Mas has opened a $13.4m (£9m, €12.6m) waterpark at the centre of its new masterplanned community in Jakarta, Indonesia.
With a capacity of 6,000 people, the 75,000sqm (807,200sq ft) Go! Wet waterpark is the largest in Indonesia and has been supplied by WhiteWater West. Special features include the world’s first Kid’s Boomerango and Kid’s AquaSphere slides. Also fitted are two AquaPlay structures, Indonesia’s largest wave pool and a wave river, as well as WhiteWater’s signature SuperBowl, Boomerango, Rattler, Constrictor and Python slides.
The Grand Wisata masterplan in eastern Jakarta has been developed by global architecture firm AECOM with an ecologically friendly approach in mind. The development also incorporates shopping, a lake, gardens, housing districts, a business park, a market place and school.
Go! Wet waterpark focuses on child-friendly rides in Jakarta, Indonesia
Twisted Waterpark Strictly Adults Only Suppliers: whitewater west, amusement logic Location: Mallorca, Spain A €10m ($11.3m, £7.4m) redevelopment of a hotel in Magaluf on the Spanish island of Majorca is celebrating the opening of its on-site over-18s waterpark, beach club and stage area.
Following a takeover by the Cursach Hotel Group, the former Mallorca Rocks hotel has revamped its facilities under its new name, BH Mallorca.
Open since April, the Twisted waterpark features the only Aqualoop slide in Europe. The slide – designed by WhiteWater West – drops riders through a trap door before sending them at speeds of up to 40mph (60kph) into a freefall and then loop.
Amusement Logic has provided the rest of the park’s slides, which include a four-lane mat race slide and two rapid descent Kamikaze slides.
The waterpark also has a 576sqm (6,200sq ft) wave pool and three jacuzzis.
The BH Mallorca complex includes Majorca’s only open-air festival venue, which will host some of the world’s biggest DJs through the summer months, and Island Beach Club – a pool area with a resident DJ and cabanas.
BH Mallorca is targeted at tourists aged 18 to 30 as an all-in-one holiday complex. Guests have unlimited access to all areas during their stay. Further developments on the rebranded hotel are expected at the end of the tourist season, to be completed in 2016.
BH Mallorca’s Twisted waterpark features adrenaline slides and chill-out areas
BH Mallorca’s Twisted waterpark features adrenaline slides and chill-out areas
Aqua Wave Waterpark Forms Heart of Urban Development Location: Tieling, China SupplierS: Proslide, neptune benson Work is progressing on an experience destination in Tieling New Town, Liaoning Province, China, with a waterpark set to launch in the first phase of development when it opens later this year.
La Viva is developer Hsin Chong’s first large-scale integrated project to be built in mainland China. Aside from the waterpark, once complete the eco-friendly, urban space will include retail, entertainment, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels, office space and residential apartments.
At the heart of La Viva, the 30,000sqm (322,000sq ft) Aqua Wave waterpark – designed by Forrec – offers visitors a range of facilities, including a lazy river, wave pool, Double Flow Riders, a sand-bottomed pool with cabanas and slides. Neptune Benson is supplying the aquatic filtration system.
Of the slides to be installed at the park, the most interesting is the first ever Topsy Turvy Explosion combination slide by Proslide, who are providing all of the waterpark’s slides. Also included will be an Explosion Bowl combination slide and the Tantrum Tornado raft ride, which will include a unique light and sound show as riders descend the slide. The waterpark’s slide tower will include a Sky Box drop launch, sending guests straight down as the floor disappears from beneath them.
Aqua Wave will also offer a snorkel pool, themed to resemble a Mediterranean coastal city and allowing guests to enjoy a pool with underwater views of tropical fish.
“For the Aqua Wave waterpark, we have brought our years of knowledge in producing different types of waterparks to create a truly unique facility,” says Louis Vicic, senior director of waterparks at Forrec. “Hsin Chong’s direction was to redefine waterparks in China and to provide guests with one of the most creative, innovative, thrilling and dynamic indoor water resorts with the best hygiene standards in China.”
In addition to the waterpark, La Viva will include Xing Yue Southbank – a retail and commercial development split into five regions. Each region will offer its own unique architectural style, aiming to provide an “around the world journey in eight hours”. The waterpark will be part of the “Nature and Science” region, which will also include a movie-themed hotel, a wedding world and high-end fashion and luxury retail.
The first phase of the La Viva development covers 180 hectares (445 acres) and will include the waterpark, retail elements, residential flats, an international school and a hotel. The first phase is reported to have cost around $322m (£220m, €304m) with around two-thirds made up of residential apartments.
Aqua Wave is central to the sprawling
La Viva urban development, and aims to
set a new standard for waterparks in China
Aqua Wave is central to the sprawling
La Viva urban development, and aims to
set a new standard for waterparks in China
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
