Great Wolf, which is scheduled to open new resorts in Georgia and Illinois later this year, has announced it’s working on a new indoor waterpark destination in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Great Wolf Lodge Arizona will be built on an 18-acre (7-hectare) site within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community at Salt River Fields, Talking Stick. Great Wolf Resorts has signed a contract with the Native American community allowing them to lease the land for up to 100 years. It’s slated to open in the second half of 2019.
The resort, the company’s 18th, will feature a hotel with 350 bedrooms and an 85,000sq ft (7,900sq m) heated indoor waterpark with interactive aqua play zones, a lazy river, wave pool, family raft ride, water slides and more. Dry activities include a 27,000sq ft (2,500sq m) Great Wolf Adventure Park FEC with ropes courses, mini golf and MagiQuest arcade games zone, as well as a Great Wolf first – a 3D-mapping animation called the Northwoods Friends.
Food and beverage options will include Dunkin’ Donuts, Ben and Jerry’s and a Barnwood farm-to-table restaurant with a locally-sourced menu.
“As we look to expand the Great Wolf Lodge experience to new markets across North America and beyond, we are excited to place our newest resort in Arizona and provide visitors across the Southwest with a destination that brings immense joy to families,” said Murray Hennessy, Great Wolf Resorts CEO.
“The family friendly environment fostered by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community makes Talking Stick the perfect location for a Great Wolf Lodge. We look forward to being a part of this community as it continues to grow into the Southwest’s premier family destination.”
Delbert Ray, president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, added: “Hospitality has been a constant common value of our Community – from providing aid and shelter to settlers making their way westward, to welcoming tourists to our several award-winning hotel properties at the Talking Stick Entertainment District today. Tourism is a key economic driver for us, and we believe Great Wolf Lodge will give families another great reason to visit our Community, thus strengthening our economy as well as the East Valley region of Phoenix and the State of Arizona.”
In 2016, the company opened new resorts in Garden Grove, California, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
