Resort hotel development options

from STR's hotel enews (5/27):

Unique Ways For Resorts To Radically Increase Revenue
By David J. Sangree, MAI, CPA, ISHC and Laurel A. Keller

"26 May 2008 | Have you spent much time lately considering ice cream parlors, specialty retail stores, waterslides, or aromatherapy treatments? If so, you could be among a growing number of timeshare resort owners and operators nationwide looking to increase top-line revenue in new and inventive ways. An added amenity such as an indoor waterpark, spa, retail store, or eatery can increase a resort’s overall perceived value to potential owners - resulting in sales at increased point values. Resorts can charge higher maintenance fees as attractions are added, thus passing the cost along to owners. Additionally, resorts with added features can achieve higher annual revenues, especially if those features are available year-round.

Indoor Waterpark Resorts
Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA) defines an indoor waterpark resort as a lodging establishment containing an attached aquatic facility inclusive of amenities such as inner tube slides, body slides, wave pools, water roller coasters, simulated surfboard rides, lazy rivers, and a variety of multi-level indoor water play features. The indoor waterparks are uniquely and heavily themed, offering guests an experience rather than simply an added amenity.

Historically, the primary growth of indoor waterparks in hotels and resorts has taken place in summer vacation-oriented locations. However, indoor waterparks are increasingly being developed in suburban and urban locations. Since the early 1990s, indoor waterpark resorts have been popping up across the United States with escalating frequency. According to Hotel & Leisure Advisors, there were 100 operating indoor waterpark resorts in the U.S. in 21 different states at the end of 2007. These indoor waterparks range in size from 10,000 to 173,000 square feet, averaging 33,172 square feet of indoor aquatic space. The cost to build these large-scale indoor waterparks has ranged from $300 to $500 per square foot of net indoor waterpark space. The cost is highly dependent upon the location, amount of theming, and the attractions included." ....

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