A HUGE £200m water park with a 500-room hotel and bowling alley has moved one step closer to opening in the UK.
Great Wolf Resorts (GWR), which has sites in the US and Canada, is now prepping to open Great Wolf Lodge in Chesterton, near Bicester.
After planning was initially approved in 2021, Europe’s first taste of the monster resort is now even closer to opening.
“Some infrastructure improvements” have recently been made, GWR said, pushing the development further.
A spokesperson for the company said: “The potential of bringing a Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resort to families in the UK is exciting, and we’re exploring the best possible ways to bring our beloved family entertainment brand to this market.
“We recently completed some infrastructure improvements to the Chesterton site, and we continue to explore the potential for additional resorts within the UK to reach more families and provide our strongest entry into the market.”
An exact opening date has not been given.
The resort will bring in a £200m investment for the area as well as creating 600 jobs.
It will be a 498-room hotel with themed rooms, featuring an indoor water park with twisty slides and a variety of pools.
And a second resort is hoping to open in Basingstoke.
While official ticket prices haven’t been revealed, day passes would be available for anyone wanting to visit the indoor waterpark and restaurants, along with discounts for locals.
The 45-acre attraction will also have miniature golf courses.
Guests will also be able to book overnight stays at the resort too, similar to Butlin’s and Center Parcs.
A one-night stay for a family of four at a Great Wolf Resort in the US starts from $199 (£157) a night.
Basingstoke councillor John Izett said: “A Great Wolf indoor water park resort in Basingstoke would bring some £275 million of investment, many new visitors to our borough, many good job opportunities and a material and long term for the local economy.
“It would put us on the map as a UK visitor destination, and, I would expect, attract the best, most exciting leisure operators for the new leisure park.
“Of course, these are early days and much detailed work is required including the company obtaining planning permission. I can confirm that our commitment to build a new council owned Aquadrome on the Leisure Park remains whatever the outcome.
“I very much welcome the interest in our borough from Great Wolf Resorts and hope residents will share this enthusiasm.”
The plans for the holiday resort were first announced in 2019, with the application denied in March 2020.
However, this was overturned with planning authorities giving the green light.
