American 'Center Parcs' to open three £200m resorts in UK

A US leisure company is set to open three resorts in the UK, as part of an ambitious expansion project. Great Wolf Lodge is North America's largest group of indoor water park resorts.

The company is planning to open branches in Basingstoke, Derbyshire and Hampshire, each catering to around 500 guests. A £200 million complex was slated to be the first built on a former golf course in Bicester, but the development has been temporarily paused. The resorts are popular with families and likely to feature high ropes obstacle courses, dance parties for the kids and huge water parks.

The indoor water parks come complete with splash pads and slides and are heated to a pleasant 29°C. Those who don't like swimming can try their hand at mini golf and mini bowling, or play arcade games which include virtual reality.

Music and storytelling sessions are also being lined up to help keep everyone happy and entertained.

The resorts will provide a boost to local economies, generating around £1 million in visitor expenditure and creating up to 600 jobs at each venue.

No opening dates have as yet been published, nor has the company indicated what the prices are likely to be. However, a stay at one of Great Wolf Lodge's US resorts can cost anywhere from between £150 to £440 per night.

Great Wolf Lodge opened its first resort in Wisconsin Dells in 1997, setting the stage for a massive expansion across the US.

The company has resorts spanning from Texas to Massachusetts and even one on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

The lodges house hundreds of rooms, all of them simple, with pseudo-rustic touches like paintings of the Old West.

In a statement posted on their website, the company said: "We are excited to be able to bring the beloved Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resort experience to families across the UK.

"We are exploring the best way possible to bring Great Wolf Lodge to the UK, including the potential of multiple resort locations to reach a wider audience of UK families."