Camelback Lodge and Great Wolf Lodge are two of the most popular family resorts in the Poconos with indoor water parks. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! "The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the City's history," Webster city officials said. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. An unpleasant smell hit us as soon as we opened the door, although I couldn't quite place it, at least not until we stepped further into the suite. We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. This is probably a reflection of the fact that Kalahari is really a convention center first & foremost and the water park is just one of the many amenities they offer albeit a big one! Berrellis Italian Chophouse wasnt really an option for us as this restaurant is physically located in a different building from where we were staying & where the indoor water park is located. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! Post was not sent - check your email addresses! We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. I look forward to connecting with you. CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi atWe visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. Embarrassing that I never realized it was the same picture! As part of the U.S.' largest group of family-friendly water parks, this indoor water park has perfected how to maximize family fun for all ages. A report from KSAT sister station KPRC states that the indoor water park will break ground in 2022 in the city of Webster, just south of Houston. Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. If I was ever to get a weekend alone with my wife we would go to Kalahari since there are more amenities and it is not so kid-centric. Great wolf is closer to shopping. Thank you for your feedback. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. As I mentioned above when we go to Kalahari (or Great Wolf Lodge, for that matter)- we are going for some water and swimming fun. You can reach me at PAConnect@KalahariResorts.com. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. We have not yet patronized any of these establishments. My son went to the prime rib carving station several times but the chef continued to serve him meat with chunks of fat on it - so he gave up. My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. Water park access was included. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. On the lower level by the entrance for the water park, there is a pizza place with some tables in the lower lobby area. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool. We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. Admission: Rates start at $277 a night for a standard four-person room. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. Every room at this resort is air conditioned and has a TV with cable channels. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. Unfortunately, the kids loaded up on an assortment of dessert and we went back to the room to change back into our swimwear for a last hurrah in the water.Off the lobby there are also a sweets shop, bakery, and ice cream shop, with what appears to be a nice selection of goodies.The next morning, the kids wanted to get in a few hours at the waterpark before our 11:00 checkout. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. This is an exciting place for kids to be with lots of fun things to do from arcade games galore to a huge indoor water park. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. The place is ENORMOUS and although it's extremely busy and pretty crowded most of the time, there is plenty of seating in the waterpark. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! A microwave and refrigerator are also included. Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. Wonderful service.Lazy River - Longer than the one at Great Wolfbut lots of people and tubes jamming it up!Towels were only available outside, we heard there may have been a shortage but we didn't really experience that. Coming Soon: Great Wolf Lodge in Webster! Kalahari has the largest indoorwater park of the 3, and is the largestresortlocated in the Poconos. We did still struggle with the menu & felt that it was very limited in that we found it difficult to find healthier options for our family. There are other places with better miniature golf courses and a regular bowling alley does a better job for bowling so we tend not to spend our dollars on those activities when we are at Great Wolf Lodge. Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? Water park access was included. Seriously, this place is awesome! There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. Throughout the day those areas were also closed several times for about 15 min at a time for cleaning since the kids were pooping and vomiting in the water. To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. We had no real negatives about Great Wolf but in all honesty, Kalahari Resort surpasses them on almost all levels, but to no fault of Great Wolf. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. You enter Kalahari through a massive glass revolving carousel door and there is plenty of room for people to get where they are going whether it is to check-in, get food, get to the water park or any other number of destinations. The outdoor small kids area with slides was a nice addition to the park however my daughter who is 53" tall was not allowed to go on them. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Much more concise! Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. The room was spotless. Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. Kalahari . Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. Our 2-year-old who would have nothing to do with a life jacket was able to play in the toddler splash park and wave pool as long as Melani or I was right with her. The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! The first thing that struck me the most was how dirty and unsanitary the waterpark was compared to before. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! We do love both! [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? The total cost for the night would have been $415.10. Sincerely, The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. I love Great Wolf Lodge, but the water park is a little more for younger kids, while Kalahari is more for the older kids. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. THERE ISNOADDITIONAL COST TO YOU if you buy something from Amazon! Been at least six years ago. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. Confusingly enough she was allowed to go on the small kids slides that were inside the waterpark. Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. Great Wolf Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of indoor water parks. Old Windmill Farm is located at 262 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). To the credit of one observant & kind employee he noticed the exceedingly poor service my wife had received and apologized to her later in the day when he saw her. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. The place is ENORMOUS and although it's extremely busy and pretty crowded most of the time, there is plenty of seating in the waterpark. LOVED the concept - didn't like the fact that they were not full bars - they only made a few specialty drinks and offered beer and wine. Featuring free WiFi and a seasonal outdoor pool, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers accommodations in Grapevine. GWL has excellent sales. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. When we go to one of the three water parks in the Poconos we are usually going for water park & swimming fun so other activities are not our primary focus. Compare management, culture and compensation ratings for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Kalahari and Wilderness are kind of overwhelming. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. From the accommodation standpoint it was a much more memorable stay! Both are reasonable attempts at having a meal on the healthier side. Great Wolf Lodge has 18 locations, all of which offer indoor water parks with multi-story forts, 1,000-gallon soaker buckets, wave pools, lazy rivers, waterslides of varying heights and speeds, raft rides, whirlpools, kiddie pools and more. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Family Fun at its best. Likewise, there is a cost associated with the convenience of those activities being offered right there and that is cost. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. The main dry activity, however, is the MagiQuest interactive wand game. The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. Great Wolf Lodgeis the best for younger kids because it has the most charm and does a better job of theme ing with its characters throughout the entire experience (lodging, dining & water park) compared to either Aquatopia or Kalahari. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Let me start by saying that we have visited the Great Wolf Lodge location in Fitchburg, MA on 2 separate occasions and had enjoyable visits each time. Here is a quick breakdown of the outdoor activities offered at each resort: Kalahari: Monkey climb ropes course, zip lines and mini golf. Thank you very much for your comment. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room.