My first sign that the Great Wolf Lodge was different from other hotels was the registration line. I walked in, saw the line, and sighed. I figured it was going to be at least a 30-minute wait (yes, the line was long). To my surprise I was in line about five minutes and registration was a snap! I guess they realize that kids (and adults) don’t want to wait to have fun, so they make the welcome process quick and efficient.
The efficiency doesn’t stop there. You can compare the Great Wolf Lodge to a cruise ship on land! You are given a wristband that acts as your room key, your payment method anywhere in the Lodge, as well as your pass to the water park. You don’t have to carry anything with you!
Great Wolf Lodge is probably best known for their waterpark, and it’s truly something to see. From a huge wave pool and 200-gallon dumping bucket, to many interactive water toys and slides. One of the biggest features of the park is the River Canyon Run. This amazing water slide features back-to-back curves and drops from six stories high and over 500 feet of water. But “where the waterpark stops, the fun keeps going!”
When it’s time to take a break from the water, there are plenty of things to do around the Lodge. There is Cub Club, with educational and fun activities for the kids, and the Northern Lights Arcade, with more than 100 games and a ticket-redemption area. Story times take place several times throughout the day, including an evening story time where everyone wears pajamas. The gr8_space Tech Center offers teen-appropriate computer access…games galore!
One of the other appeals for young children to older adults is the MagiQuest. It’s an interactive action adventure game that uses wands to complete quests and accumulate powers. The quest is throughout the hotel, and allows you to move from floor to floor with help from the “Ancient Book of Wisdom.” It’s a lot of fun! And you can bring your wand back every visit, and pay a small fee to reactivate it.
For those that enjoy being pampered, the Lodge offers a full-service Elements spa for adults, as well as the Scoops Kids Spa for tweens and teens! There is also a gym, but if you do the MagiQuest game, walking up and down the stairs will give you enough of a workout!!!
What would a hotel be without rooms…and the almost 400 suites at the Lodge are very unique. All of the guest rooms sleep from four to eight guests and feature granite counter tops and mini-refrigerators, and all are non-smoking. “At Great Wolf Lodge, you can trust that they have a suite that will be the perfect base camp for your family's adventure!” Many of the suites come with a special room (Wolf Den or mini log cabin) within your room, for your kids to sleep!
There are several dining choices too. A nice sit-down restaurant with bar, a buffet with so many choices even the pickiest kids (and adults) will find something to eat, a sweet shop and a Pizza Hut Express. And don’t worry coffee addicts, they have a Starbucks!
Something else that sets the Great Wolf Lodge apart from other hotels, is they are the first and only US hotel chain to have all US properties Green Seal – Certified Silver. They earned this special certification by management of fresh water resources, waste minimization, recycling and reusing products, energy efficiency, environmental and socially sensitive purchasing, as well as guest education. This is something they are very proud of, as they should be.
There are 12 Great Wolf Lodges throughout the U.S. Check 'em out at www.greatwolf.com
By: Diana Reul-Shapiro
