H&LA News

H&LA was ranked the 10th largest hotel consulting firm on Hotel & Motel Management's 2008 Top Hotel Consultants Survey based on firm revenue in 2007. This ranking was out of 25 and appeared in the April, 2008 issue of Hotel Motel Management. To see a complete of all the ranked firms click here.

David J. Sangree was named one of Aquatics International Magazine's "Power 25." Aquatics International publishes an annual list of professionals it deems the 25 most powerful people in the aquatics industry.
To read the article honoring Mr. Sangree click here.

David J. Sangree and Kalahari Resort President Todd Nelson were featured on CNBC in a story entitled "Water Wave of Profits" which highlighted the recent expansion of the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. This feature focused on how waterpark resorts are one of the fastest growing segments in the multi-billion dollar vacation industry.
View the CNBC segment.

Mr. Sangree was a featured speaker at the 2008 Midwest Lodging Investors Summit which was held July 14-16 in Chicago. He spoke about Indoor Waterpark Hotels and the opportunities for new development.
View powerpoint.

David J. Sangree was featured on Good Morning America on Saturday, June 23, 2007, in a segment about the growing popularity of waterpark resorts across the United States.  Mr. Sangree noted that waterpark resorts are extremely competitive with one another and that within the last five years there have been tremendous improvements in their technology and attractions.  You can view the Good Morning America segment entitled “Water Park Wars” at http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3309256.

The Appraisal Institute has appointed David Sangree to the editorial review board for the Appraisal Journal.

Waterpark Resort News

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, TX has unveiled their newest attraction, Dragon's Revenge, which opened in the beginning of the 2008 summer season. This attraction, with its eight uphill blasts and two-story freefall, takes riders in and around castle ruins in an attempt to escape the Dragon. It is one of the first water park rides in the United States to have a strong theme and be more than just a water ride. To view an animated version of the new ride, click on the link below and go to Ride Animation.
http://www.schlitterbahn.com/dragonsrevenge/ride.htm

The Maui Sands Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, opened in June, 2008. This conversion and expansion of a former Holiday Inn now includes 304 guest rooms and a 55,000 square foot indoor waterpark with the only Surfrider in the United States. The Surfrider allows guests to utilize real surfboards as well as body boards in riding the waves. Waveloch, the developer of the Flowrider, developed the Surfrider.
http://www.mauisandsresort.com/

The Valley of the Springs Resort is under construction in French Lick, Indiana, and will offer a 156-room hotel with a 40,000 square foot indoor waterpark. The project aims to open by year-end 2008. The resort will pursue certification to obtain a LEED designation, and will be one of the first indoor waterpark resorts to obtain the green building rating designation. The resort will utilize specialized water filtration technology to use less chlorine and less water. The indoor waterpark will offer the largest retractable roof structure ever constructed by the manufacturer, Openaire.
http://www.valleyofthesprings.com/

Coco Key Waterparks have opened at six locations in late 2006 and 2007 and will open at two additional locations in 2008. These include indoor waterpark additions at the Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark, Ohio; Sheraton in Arlington Heights, Illinois; Best Western Clocktower in Rockford, Illinois; the Sheraton Ferncroft in Danvers, Massachusetts; Holiday Inn in Omaha, Nebraska; and the Sheraton in Sharonville, Ohio. Additional indoor waterparks are projected to open in 2008 at the Marriott in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and the Sheraton in Kansas City, Missouri. The projects are being developed by Sage Hospitality, Wave Development and their partners

Kalahari Resorts opened a 93,000 square foot expansion to their indoor waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio to create a 173,000 square foot indoor waterpark in late 2007. They added 288 additional keys in 96 hotel condominium units as an expansion to their 596-room Kalahari Resort. This resort now features the largest single building indoor waterpark in the United States.

Great Wolf Lodge opened the 402 room Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas across from the Gaylord Texan Resort in late 2007. The resort features an 80,000 square foot indoor waterpark. The resort has begun construction on a 203-room expansion along with a new conference center with approximately 30,000 square feet which will open by year-end 2008.

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