Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). You all have multi room suites as well as an African Queen Suite.Let's talk about the African Queen Suite for a moment. Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. Thank you for your feedback. Seriously, this place is awesome! The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. Likewise, there is a cost associated with the convenience of those activities being offered right there and that is cost. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia resort are all located in the Poconos and are VERY close to each other! For our Wednesday November 24th, 2021 stay @ Aquatopia the cost of our room was $319.00 plus taxes & fees amounting in the amount of $71.10, bringing the total to $390.10. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. When I called, the charge was removed & the service rep was polite enough but, apparently Aquatopia/Camelback fully expects there to be a parking fee added to every invoice! There were a total of 3 TVs one in the Family Room where the pull out bed / couch was, one in the master suite and one in the second bedroom with the two queen sized beds. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! I've been on trip advisor for years, but have never felt the need to leave a review until now. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 - and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool. The room was very clean and up-to-date. Reservations are strongly recommended. We ended up eating most of the fries and onions rings, while discarding the rest. There is a huge fireplace towards the back of the lobby that is adjacent to a huge window that overlooks the water park. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. When we go to one of the three water parks in the Poconos we are usually going for water park & swimming fun so other activities are not our primary focus. Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. We simply love everything about it! Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. Aquatopia offers a great selection of activities for tweens & younger teens, both inside & outside! The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. Great Wolf Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of indoor water parks. They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. An unpleasant smell hit us as soon as we opened the door, although I couldn't quite place it, at least not until we stepped further into the suite. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. Kalahari is a better choice for families with adolescents and teens, while Great Wolf Lodge is perfect for elementary-age children. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? We did the empirical research so you dont have to! but also read water is cold. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. Has a fun magic quest as an additional . They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. Note that it may be quite a walk from your room to the water park, or any other destination on the Kalahari Resort campus. Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. Robert, Park access for all family members is included in . Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. Thanks to Amanda at the front desk for helping facilitate this! The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. The ladies bathroom and changing area looked tike a war zone! Ask erikas213 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask PinkHibiscus32 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask lljPa about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Royal hospitality suite not royal not hospitable, Ask kelismom14 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask mcapellan78 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask Pamela C about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos. We LOVED IT!More. As I mentioned above when we go to Kalahari (or Great Wolf Lodge, for that matter)- we are going for some water and swimming fun. Church work is not for the faint of heart, and by the end of the summer church has just flat taken its toll on all of us. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. CEO approval 75 % approve of John Murphy (Murph)'s performance 74 % approve of Todd Nelson's performance Salary satisfaction 49 % think they are paid fairly at Great Wolf Lodge 40 % To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. We inquired about an potential upgrade and they granted us a special price to upgrade to an African Queen Suite which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms - perfect to provide privacy with 2 girls! kalahari waterpark passesmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi atWe visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. People who got there after her were served well before her. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. That said, I wouldnt pay triple the price for Kalahari. Including a story time, dance time, crafts and more. The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. From the accommodation standpoint it was a much more memorable stay! Thanks for your review! Both resorts have normal hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. B-Lux also features 12 lanes of state-of-the-art Brunswick bowling. You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. Kalahari did a remodel on their indoor kid area about a year ago. Kalahari also has crafts, escape room, mini golf, mini bowling, and arcade. The photos were nature themed and glossy. The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. The size of the indoor water park is roughly 125,000 square-foot, which makes it slightly larger than the Great Wolf Lodge water park @ roughly 79,000 square-foot, but decidedly smaller than Kalaharis indoor water park which is roughly 220,000 square-foot. Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. My family has enjoyed a handful of stays at the water park hotel Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one visit to the GWL in Southern California). That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VARIOUS CREDIT CARDS AND AVAILABLE SIGN-UP BONUSES, New Private Luxury Facility Coming to DFW, Virgin Atlantic Makes it Official and More, March Transfer Bonuses: Marriott, Avianca, Virgin Red, Royal Caribbean Quietly Reduces Housekeeping to Once per Day, Hyatt Announces 2023 Hotel Category Changes, Easy: Changing AAdvantage Award flight via Twitter DM. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". Great Wolf Lodge boasts tons of activities sure to put a smile on your children's faces. Learn how your comment data is processed. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. Generally we are there for some water park fun and that is what Great Wolf Lodge does best so that is where we spend the majority of our time. Throughout the day those areas were also closed several times for about 15 min at a time for cleaning since the kids were pooping and vomiting in the water. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. (Healthy, I know.) I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. Tom Foolery's Adventure Park provides hours of playtime, with 80,000 square feet of interactive rides and attractions. Answer 1 of 6: We want to take my son ( just turned 4) to either Kalahari or Great wolf lodge. A general view of the Great Wolf Lodge in Fort Mackenzie. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. To the credit of one observant & kind employee he noticed the exceedingly poor service my wife had received and apologized to her later in the day when he saw her. There is an indoor rock wall, laser tag, and indoor ropes course, etc. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. Within 45 minutes of our arrival, I received a text message that our room was ready, but no one was ready to take a break.Warning: You cannot bring outside food into the waterpark so if you want something to eat, you have to purchase food inside. They also enjoyed the Wiley & Friends video stories that you can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. Which Poconos waterpark do you like best? Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. It felt cozy and definitely complimented the whole lodge theme & experience! Featuring free WiFi and a seasonal outdoor pool, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers accommodations in Grapevine. Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. Hello! We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. My household has loved a handful of stays on the water park lodge Nice Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one go to to the GWL in Southern California). The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! (Basically a jumpy seat for adults.) Apart from those issues, I appreciate the detailed comparison. We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. This activity requires participants to roam all over the lodge to find clues and solve a quest. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! So I guess you just dont need it that much. The shop is along Interstate 81, making it a Busy Bodies Play Cafe is an indoor play space for children who are 1 year old through 6 years old. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent visit. Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! No outside food or drink allowed. Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Thank you for taking the time to comment! Great Wolf Lodge has more traditional tube, body slides, and a bowl slide. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. Aquatopia Snowtubing, mountain coaster (4,500 feet steel track coaster), Euro Bungee tethered bungee jump. I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. Our balcony overlooked a very lightly used service road and then there was an unobstructed view of the forested mountain side. lindakmonty He's like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T" Joined Jun 24, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #7 We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Your encounters with the lack of cleanliness in the room and waterpark was certainly not up to our standards, so I am interested in hearing more about it. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! When you check in the lodge they should offer you and / or the kids wolf ears at no extra charge since, after all it is the Great WOLF Lodge!. Hi there! Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. . Its a tough call. The building must be completed within three years. The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. This 80,000-square-foot facility is perfect for families, although the water park portion is only open to hotel guests. Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Sitemap, Revealed: The US Airports & Airlines With The Most Frequent Flight Delays, The Ultimate Guide to Kalahari Resort Locations in the US, The Ultimate Guide to Six Flags Locations in the US, Palm Springs Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting With Kids, Seattle Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Las Vegas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Florida Keys Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Myrtle Beach Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, The Bahamas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. The development is expected to break ground during the first quarter of 2022 and construction of the facility will begin no later than April 2025, according to KPRC. It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. For the size of the main lobby, it is the same order with Great Wolf Lodges lobby being the smallest, Kalaharis main lobby being the largest and Aquatopias lobby size somewhere in the middle. (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. We appreciate it! Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. I would request a higher floor again because the 2nd floor gets all of the foot traffic as that is the lobby floor and the waterpark and arcade are on the lower 1st floor.Take a minute to just look around and notice the dcor, architecture, and design. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. After the meal there are plenty of places like the pastry shop, coffee shop or ice cream shop that have many enticing desserts for the children. My husband and I especially like the adults-only area at Kalahari, and we dont miss the late-night stomping of kids in the hallways playing MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge (if you know, you know). Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night.