Great Wolf Resorts, Resort hotel chain with indoor water parks, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, US
Great Wolf Resorts operates hotels with indoor water parks across multiple US states and Canada, combining overnight accommodation with year-round swimming facilities at each location. The properties feature pools, slides, family suites, restaurants, and play areas under one roof, allowing guests to stay entertained without leaving the building.
The first hotel opened in 1997 in Wisconsin Dells as Black Wolf Lodge and was renamed Great Wolf Lodge in 2000 following a change in ownership. Over the next two decades, the chain expanded to more than 20 locations across the United States and Canada.
Each lodge takes its name and mascot from the Great Wolf Pack: Wiley Wolf, Violet Wolf, Oliver Raccoon, Brinley Bear and Sammy Squirrel, redesigned for the 2022 animated film The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure, directed by former Disney animator Chris Bailey and premiered at the resorts on Labor Day, September 5, 2022. The characters appear in children's activities and costumed greetings.
Water areas are accessible to all hotel guests, and children under two years old can use the facilities at no extra charge. At some locations, day passes are also available for visitors not staying overnight.
The chain's first property, Black Wolf Lodge, was founded in 1997 by Jack and Andrew "Turk" Waterman, owners of Noah's Ark Water Park in Wisconsin Dells. The Great Lakes Companies bought it in 1999, and Craig A. Stark's team renamed it Great Wolf Lodge in 2000. The Sandusky, Ohio site opened in 2001 as Great Bear Lodge and took the Great Wolf name in 2004.
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