Great Wolf Lodge Arizona reopens at 50% capacity
Almost three months after shutting its doors nationwide due to the new coronavirus pandemic, Great Wolf Lodge is using its Arizona hotel to launch its reopening.
One of the first hospitality groups to announce it would close temporarily due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Great Wolf Lodges across the country have been closed since March 13. Since then, the company known for its elaborate indoor water parks has spent significant time and resources consulting with engineers and examining every part of the guest experience.
Now, Great Wolf Lodge Arizona, on the Salt River Reservation near Scottsdale, was the first location to welcome families back on June 9. The rest of the resorts will open June 16.
“We think people will see very visibly all the work we’ve done to make sure that we still offer that Great Wolf Lodge experience bringing joy to families,” said Craig Johnson, senior vice president of risk and safety for Great Wolf Lodge.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no evidence that the coronavirus can spread through water in pools and water parks as disinfectants used in pools should kill the virus.
The biggest way to prevent the spread of the virus is proper social distancing. Great Wolf Lodge will reduce its hotel capacity by 50% to give guests more room to spread out. Staff will use new technology to keep tabs on occupancy in the water park and add additional staff to provide reminders to guests to guests about social distancing so lifeguards can keep their eyes on the pool.
The company hopes parents will help them with this as well. It will remind parents upon check-in to talk to their kids about distancing expectations in order to keep everyone safe.
“We are a family environment and I think that helps us,” Johnson said.
What will be different at Great Wolf Lodge?
While families might notice added safety precautions and sanitation measures, Johnson doesn’t expect the changes to affect guests’ stays significantly.
“We expect most, if not all, of the experience to be there when it reopen,” Johnson said.
But there are some changes. Craig said the resort looked at every part of the property to take steps to protect staff members and guests.
Along with increased cleaning of high touch-point areas and adding markers to remind people about distancing, here are other steps the resort is taking.
❚ Occupancy levels are reduced to
50%.
❚ Guest must certify that they have no symptoms of COVID-19.
❚ Extra staff roaming to remind people of social distancing.
❚ More hand-sanitizer stations.
❚ Personal protection amenities including disinfectant wipes, sanitizer and face coverings. Guests can request a complimentary mask at the front desk.
❚ Plexiglass barriers in some areas to provide adequate separation.
❚ Contactless payment options.
❚ Restaurants will operate at reduced capacity with extra space between tables.
❚ Guests can order food and pick it up to enjoy in their rooms.
Will you have to wear a mask?
In dry public areas, guests will be encouraged to wear face coverings. However, because the CDC recommends that children younger than 2 not wear masks and advises against wearing them in areas where they could get wet, mask use will be encouraged but not required.
Employees are required to wear masks in areas where they may be in close contact with a guest and when they enter a guest room.
You can connect with Arizona Republic Consumer Travel Reporter Melissa Yeager at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.