RESEARCH LIBRARY · COMPANY
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf Resorts is a family-resort company centered on indoor waterpark resorts. The company’s official materials describe a network of 23 lodges across the United States and Canada, more than 12,000 employees, and more than 10 million guests annually. Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. identifies Chicago, Illinois as its corporate location and says the company is owned by Blackstone.
RELATED WATERPARK
Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim / Garden Grove →
The Southern California lodge opened in Garden Grove in 2016. Great Wolf Resorts operates the property and retains a minority ownership interest.
BUSINESS MODEL
An Indoor Waterpark Resort Platform
Great Wolf combines hotel rooms with large indoor waterparks designed for year-round operation, then layers in dry attractions, arcades, activities, food and beverage, retail, meetings, and branded family entertainment. The company operates across a mixture of ownership and partnership structures, so the Great Wolf operating company and the real-estate owner of an individual lodge may not always be the same entity.
LOCATIONS
23 Great Wolf Lodge Resorts
Great Wolf’s current official locations directory lists 23 resorts across North America:
California — Anaheim / Garden Grove
California — San Francisco / Manteca
Colorado — Colorado Springs
Connecticut — Mashantucket
Florida — Naples
Georgia — Atlanta / LaGrange
Illinois — Chicago / Gurnee
Kansas — Kansas City
Maryland — Baltimore / Perryville
Massachusetts — Boston / Fitchburg
Michigan — Traverse City
Minnesota — Minneapolis / Bloomington
North Carolina — Charlotte / Concord
Ohio — Cincinnati / Mason
Ohio — Sandusky
Ontario, Canada — Niagara Falls
Pennsylvania — Pocono Mountains
Texas — Dallas / Grapevine
Texas — Houston / Webster
Virginia — Williamsburg
Washington — Grand Mound
Wisconsin — Wisconsin Dells
HISTORY
From Black Wolf Lodge To A 23-Resort Network
The original Black Wolf Lodge opened in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Great Wolf identifies this as the beginning of its story.
The Great Lakes Companies began resort operations by purchasing the Wisconsin Dells property.
Sandusky, Ohio opened as the second lodge, and Great Wolf introduced its Great Wolf Pack character programming.
Traverse City, Michigan and Kansas City, Kansas expanded the network.
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. was formed in May to succeed the family-entertainment resort business of The Great Lakes Companies and related entities. Its initial public offering closed in December 2004.
Niagara Falls, Ontario became the first Great Wolf Lodge outside the United States.
Apollo Global Management acquired Great Wolf Resorts and took the public company private.
Centerbridge Partners completed its acquisition of Great Wolf Resorts from Apollo-managed funds.
Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim / Garden Grove opened as the 13th lodge and first California resort.
Blackstone announced the acquisition of a 65% controlling interest in Great Wolf Resorts and a $2.9 billion joint venture with Centerbridge.
Mashantucket, Connecticut opened as Great Wolf’s 23rd North American resort.
Great Wolf’s official About page describes 23 lodges, more than 12,000 employees and more than 10 million guests annually, and identifies the company as owned by Blackstone.
OWNERSHIP HISTORY
Public Company, Apollo, Centerbridge And Blackstone
Great Wolf Resorts was incorporated in 2004 and completed an IPO that December. Apollo acquired the company in 2012. Centerbridge acquired it from Apollo-managed funds in 2015. In 2019, Blackstone announced that it would acquire a 65% controlling interest while forming a joint venture with Centerbridge. Great Wolf’s current official About page states that Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is owned by Blackstone.
WHY IT MATTERS TO THE WATERPARK STORE
A Waterpark Company At Multiple Scales
Great Wolf is useful Research Library material because each lodge connects waterpark design and operations with hotel development, food and beverage, retail, entertainment, staffing, real estate, financing and long-term capital improvements. The network also provides a way to compare a standardized brand across very different regional markets.
SOURCES
Primary & Supporting Sources
- Great Wolf Resorts — official About page
- Great Wolf Lodge — official locations directory
- SEC filing — Great Wolf Resorts formation and predecessor history
- SEC filing — 2012 Apollo acquisition announcement
- Great Wolf Resorts — 2015 Centerbridge acquisition announcement
- Blackstone — 2019 controlling-interest transaction