When the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Fla., embarked on a multimillion-dollar renovation effort in late 2020, one of its biggest changes involved plans to remove four acres of convention space and transform it into a waterpark-style amenity called the Harborside Pool Club. 

“We weren’t going to be going after these massive conventions anymore, and we were really seeking to reposition the property to more of a 50/50 leisure to corporate group mix,” explained Daniel Hostettler, CEO of the property. “And in this market, we knew the highly competitive luxury properties that we go up against wouldn’t have the real estate to develop a four-acre waterpark.”

And while the Harborside Pool Club certainly has all the trappings of a classic waterpark — including several pools, a lazy river, waterslides and a 40-foot-long FlowRider wave simulator for surfing sessions — the resort’s redevelopment team didn’t draw inspiration solely from popular waterpark venues.

“We looked less at waterparks and looked more at high-end pool clubs,” said Hostettler. “Because we didn’t want that sort of blue-collar perception of a waterpark. We wanted the luxury perception of a pool club, with waterslides that [blend in] with the landscaping and palm trees and don’t sort of scream ‘waterpark’ when you walk in.”

Some of the Harborside Pool Club’s more elevated elements include high-end pool and decking finishes and chaise lounges sourced from Restoration Hardware as well as an array of adults-only and family-friendly cabanas, which have proven to be in high demand since the club officially made its debut earlier this year.

“There are days that those cabanas are rented for more than a hotel room,” said Hostettler. Demand for the Harborside Pool Club’s family cabanas, in particular, has far exceeded expectations, he added.

The waterpark has exceeded expectations on other fronts, as well, including in its ability to function as outdoor event space. The Club has hosted everything from “dive-in” movie nights to birthday parties, and its cabanas have proved a popular spot for fashion vendors to present and sell their wares. 

“It has also become a really fantastic venue for corporate entertaining in the evening,” Hostettler said. “We’ve been surprised at all the other use cases.”

A premium amenity

The Boca Raton Resort & Club is one of many high-end properties seeking to put a more elevated spin on the traditional waterpark concept.

“There’s definitely been a trend toward adding more waterpark amenities, and you see consumers willing to pay more money if a room includes access to a waterpark,” said David Sangree, president of the hospitality consulting firm Hotel & Leisure Advisors. “And I think many consumers of higher-end resorts are now expecting these amenities. A simple pool is no longer interesting enough.”

Waterpark-style features are also a savvy investment for properties looking to grow their share of leisure travel, which has continued to well outpace other travel segments in the wake of the pandemic. 

“The waterpark resort properties have definitely benefited from the strong leisure comeback,” Sangree said. “And not only has their occupancy come back quicker, but their average rate has also grown more than that of the average hotel.”

According to Sean Hennessey, a clinical associate professor at New York University’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, an uptick in waterpark investment within the high-end hospitality space comes as the broader waterpark industry has entered an era of premiumization.

“Dedicated waterparks have been becoming more upscale over the years and are starting to cater to a pretty upscale audience,” Hennessey said. “There has [been this idea that waterparks] are very much a Middle America type of phenomenon, but it’s really become successful with more affluent travelers. And it’s an attractive profit opportunity for hotels.”

It’s also a major draw for guests, particularly those traveling with families or multigenerational groups. 

“There’s definitely demand for waterparks, because not everybody wants to spend a whole day at the beach,” said Susan Peavey, owner of Massachusetts-based Susan Peavey Travel. “Travelers want to have some diversification. And waterparks are something that can keep families busy all day.”

Kate Johnson, owner of Texas-based KJ Travel, has similarly seen families gravitate toward resorts that offer waterpark-style amenities, citing the popularity of high-end waterpark properties like Baha Mar and Atlantis in the Bahamas and the Four Seasons Resort Orlando. Of primary concern to her clients, however, is whether guests have exclusive access to the waterpark area and whether any height restrictions might hamper their group’s ability to enjoy particular features. 

Johnson has also noticed a spike in the number of clients looking to reserve premium seating at a resort’s waterpark.

“They want some type of advance reservation option to secure their space,” she said. “That mentality of waking up at 7 a.m. to go put your stuff down on a pool chair and fight for umbrellas and shade — that is not part of a luxury vacation for a lot of clients.”

Mixing business with pleasure

It’s not just vacationing families flocking to resorts with waterparks. 

A pioneer of the “premium waterpark experience,” Marriott International’s Gaylord Hotels brand has found that its all-in-one resort, conventions and waterpark concept has made its properties an especially attractive destination for bleisure travelers.

“We’re really built for that meetings and conventions and group customer, but we also have that ability to blend into that leisure space,” said Michelle Murray, vice president of brand marketing and management for Gaylord Hotels at Marriott International. “We’ve seen a big trend in bleisure, whether that’s extending your stay before or after a meeting or event or bringing your family along for the event. And a waterpark amenity is perfect for that.” 

Murray cited high bleisure demand at properties like Kissimmee, Fla.’s Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, home to the Cypress Springs Water Park, and Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, known for its SoundWaves waterpark.

Last year, Gaylord Hotels also broke ground on the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center in Chula Vista, Calif. The 1,600-room property will feature a “premium outdoor waterpark complex” with amenities like waterslides, a wave pool, adults-only and kids pools and a lazy river.

Big players are diving in

Plenty of other players are also going big when it comes to waterpark investment. For instance, the Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, located along Anguilla’s Rendezvous Bay, has made its waterpark a centerpiece of its multimillion-dollar redevelopment effort. The waterpark feature, which is set to open this fall as part of the property’s new Aurora Entertainment Park venue, will offer staples like a lazy river, waterslides, a zero-entry pool and a splash pad. 

“The waterpark is being designed to be a very luxurious, upscale experience,” said Craig Thomas, director of sales and marketing for the Aurora Anguilla. “We’re not trying to be a Six Flags.”

Part of that high-end experience will be tied to strict capacity limits. Although the waterpark at the Aurora Anguilla does plan to offer day pass-style access to locals and guests at other properties, the number of passes available per day will be tightly controlled.

“Our highest priority is to ensure that the guest who’s staying at the hotel has a great experience,” Thomas said. “I can’t think of anything worse than someone spending $1,000 a night to stay with us and they can’t get a chaise lounge at the park.”

Sustainability is also at the forefront: The Aurora Anguilla’s waterpark will source water from its own on-site water treatment facility and draw power from the resort’s solar energy system. At the waterpark’s tiki bar-style food and beverage venue, drinks will showcase organic ingredients grown at the resort’s hydroponic farm.

“We’re making sure we’re not taxing the local community in any way,” Thomas said.

Likewise, as part an $80 million transformation project, the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix has poured significant investment into its water-related offerings. 

The property’s revamped AquaRidge WaterPark, opening in phases this summer, features pools, a waterfall, an enhanced lazy river, a kids’ splash pad and various waterslides, including the Gullywasher, billed as the only “dual-person vertical wall tube slide at a resort west of the Mississippi.”

For guests seeking a more tranquil setting, the venue offers its quieter Sedona Springs pool section with concierge services, as well as its adults-only Sky Island pool area, featuring a dedicated VIP attendant. A variety of cabana and premium seating options are also available for rent, including top-tier Canyon Creek Day Suites that offer amenities like lounge seating, a private bathroom, air conditioning, multiple TVs and a personal towel bin.

“Providing luxury experiences was really the primary goal with the AquaRidge WaterPark enhancements,” said James Anderson, director of sales and marketing for the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. “And much of that is around the service standpoint, from the moment a guest walks in. And if they have a cabana for the day, it’s about having a concierge greet them, escort them to their reserved seating and really help them to curate their visit.”

At the Grande Lakes Orlando resort in Florida — home to both the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes and the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes — the complex’s newly refreshed and expanded Grande Lakes Waterpark has also put emphasis on creating a more sophisticated environment.

“It’s almost table stakes in Orlando for hotels of our size to have some sort of waterpark,” said Michael Scioscia, general manager at JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. “But we had a vision of creating a waterpark that really offers a more bespoke, luxury experience.”

Part of that vision has translated into a relatively refined color palette, including slides in muted shades of green, as well as more creatively designed pool decks and landscaping. 

Also chief among the additions are more than 40 premium seating and luxury cabana options, including ultraluxe Oasis Cabanas that feature access to their own private plunge pools. 

“These are unlike any other cabanas I’ve seen in my 38 years in the business,” Scioscia said. “And we’ve noticed that groups are more interested in the pool deck now than they were before, because they can now book elevated areas where they can either host an event or have a private space available only to their guests.”

In line with these upgrades, the Grande Lakes Waterpark is offering guests a culinary experience to match. The venue has tapped Michelin-starred chef John Tesar, who helms The Ritz-Carlton Orlando’s Knife & Spoon, to bring his casual Knife Burger concept poolside. Known for its burgers made with high-quality, Texas-sourced beef, the eatery offers what Scioscia describes as “elevated comfort food.”

Overall, Scioscia credits the waterpark overhaul with encouraging guests at both the JW Marriott Orlando and the Ritz-Carlton Orlando to spend more time on-property.

“We’ve definitely seen guests spending more time at the pool,” he said. “While they previously may have spent more time doing other activities, they may not even venture off-property now, and we’ve seen a significant shift in the number of people spending full days at the waterpark or sometimes even their whole vacation here.”