Great Wolf opens $250 million resort in Perryville

Maryland governor Wes Moore and Baltimore-born actor/producer Anna Faris joined Great Wolf Resorts CEO John Murphy for the opening ceremony.

Perryville is the largest of 20 resorts operated by the company based in Madison, WI. The nearest lodges are the Poconos in Pennsylvania and Williamsburg, VA. The Maryland resort has 700 rooms. The resort features a 128,000-square-foot indoor water park featuring 22 slides.

“Great Wolf Lodge Maryland was built specifically for families and brings a new level of immersive entertainment not only to our brand, but to the entire region. Since we broke ground, we’ve had unprecedented levels of excitement from families throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, who are eager to enjoy a close, convenient, and carefree family getaway at our newest resort,” Murphy stated. “We’re excited to be a part of this community and help stimulate the local economy by attracting countless new visitors to the area and creating over a thousand new jobs. We greatly appreciate the support of the town of Perryville, Cecil County and the state of Maryland, as well as our shareholders, Blackstone and Centerbridge Partners, in helping to make this resort a reality.”

The resort has generated more than 1,000 full and part-time direct jobs at the resort. The resort is also helping spur tourism to the state of Maryland, with more than 50% of current bookings coming from neighboring states and cities like Philadelphia, Wilmington, Washington DC and New York City.

The $250 million investment came from Blackstone and Centerbridge equity firms. The alliance with Blackstone has led to a more aggressive expansion by Great Wolf.

In neighboring Delaware, Blackstone was an original investor in PBF Energy’s Delaware City refinery. PBF has grown into an independent refinery with a national footprint.

“We’re excited to bring Great Wolf Lodge to another location in North America, this time in Perryville, Maryland,” said Rob Harper, head of Blackstone Real Estate Asset Management Americas. “This is our largest Great Wolf Lodge to date and we achieved a record level of pre-bookings for the resort. We know the joy that these resorts bring to families, and we are proud of the many jobs they create for communities across the country.”

Great Wolf officials have reported advance strong bookings and moved up the opening date, a rarity at a time when supply chain issues plagued construction work.

“Today, we are not just opening an indoor water park resort – but we are creating jobs in our communities and making Maryland a destination for families all across the state, country, and world,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “We are going to make sure that Great Wolf Lodge Maryland is the number one Great Wolf Resort location in the nation.”

The resort was built with the help of incentives from the State of Maryland, Cecil County, and Perryville. The Maryland town aggressively courted Great Wolf, which typically builds its entertainment center-hotels in resort areas like the Poconos.

The grand opening festivities also featured charitable moments, such as Great Wolf Lodge challenging Anna Faris to test ride the water slides as a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish. Faris conquered all 22 slides at the indoor water park, resulting in a $22,000 donation to Make-A-Wish.

Celebrity chef Duff Goldman of Baltimore showcased new limited-edition Adventure Cakes to benefit The Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, which will be available at the resort over its first summer, with 100% of the revenue generated going to the Maryland-based organization serving critically ill children from across the

nation.

Hotel rates start at $199.99 per night, with discounts available.

Great Wolf is located near the Hollywood Casino Perryville.