Kalahari Resorts and Conventions plans to open a year-round water park, hotel and convention center in the Pocono Mountains, adding to the already popular tourism in the region. Construction for what will be the largest indoor water park is nearing completion in Monroe County. Kalahari Resorts & Conventions broke ground on their Pocono Mountains project in 2013, and are anticipating an open date sometime this July.
The Pocono Mountains location will be a full service vacation destination, providing hotel rooms, restaurants, shopping, a luxurious spa and indoor/outdoor attractions. The 100,000 square foot water park will include water coasters, indoor surfing, tube slides, a lazy river and more, along with a retractable roof so no matter the weather, visitors can enjoy everything the park has to offer. In addition to the indoor/outdoor park, Kalahari will have a large outdoor pool with sun deck and swim-up bar. The center will also provide, a 65,000-square-foot convention center, a 30,000-square-foot family entertainment center and 6,000 square feet of retail space. The resort will also feature three full-service restaurants and will offer something for everyone, including a high-end steak and seafood option, a gourmet buffet, a cozy lounge and snack areas.
The $230 million project will be completed in phases. Phase I will include a Convention Center with 65,000 square feet of flexible space, including 25,000 and 9,000 square foot ballrooms, 18 meeting rooms and multiple hospitality suites.
Once the first two phases are complete, the indoor waterpark will span 200,000 square feet, making it the largest indoor waterpark in America. The Kalahari project is expected to create more than 1,500 new jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Monroe County location will be the first east-coast property for Kalahari Resorts and Conventions. The hospitality company currently has two other locations - Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and Sandusky, Ohio. Both locations have received praise in the media including one of the “World's Coolest Indoor Water Parks” by Conde Nast Traveler.
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in the Pocono Mountains is expected to open July 2015. Visitors can make reservations on the park's website. Those interested can stay updated on the waterpark's construction through an online video feed.
