The company opened a 52,000-sf addition to the hotel, including 90 more guest rooms. The indoor water park, attached to the hotel, takes up about 23,000 sf. Victor Martin, the hotel owner, says the attraction is the first of its kind in the state."It's something that's done pretty well in resort areas; there's one in Ohio by Cedar Point, and several in Wisconsin," he tells GlobeSt.com. "There starting to do it more and more in other states."
He said the park, with a 5,000-sf zero entry swimming pool, a three story water slide and a lazy river, has been a major draw for the 250-room hotel at the corner of 15 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue.
"We used to be empty on the weekends. We had mostly the corporate crowd during the weekdays," he says. "Now, we're full all the time."
He admits the park is a major drain on expenses.
"It's very expensive. You've got to have lifeguards; there's lots of energy costs. But we feel there's going to be a payback to the increase of traffic on the weekends," Martin says.
He has boosted rates slightly to $130 on Fridays, $150 on Saturdays and $100 on Sundays to cover the new costs, though he says the raise hasn't affected business. The new facility also includes a running track, basketball court, fitness center, arcade, whirlpools, locker rooms and a pool-side snack bar with full bar service.
Martin said his 42-year-old hotel will also soon feature a new 10,000-sf lobby.
The expansion was designed by architects Klaetke and Marino in Detroit and aquatic planners at Water Technology Inc. of Beaver Dam, WI. The construction was handled by T. Miller Construction Co. of Harper Woods, MI.
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