MASHANTUCKET, Conn. – (February 1, 2023) – Families across Connecticut, Rhode Island and the  Northeastern U.S. looking to strengthen their pack will have a new, fun, adventure-filled family getaway opening in 2025, as Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts, broke ground today on a new resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut.  The Great Wolf Lodge in Mashantucket will be the company’s 23rd resort in North America and third resort in the Northeastern U.S.  The 549-room resort, which is being built as part of a partnership agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, will be located on 13-acres adjacent to the Foxwoods Resort Casino and will feature a 91,000 square-foot indoor water park and a 61,000 square foot family entertainment center.

Great Wolf Lodge estimates the new resort will create more than 500 jobs in order to operate the resort, including full and part-time jobs ranging from senior management positions, engineering staff and IT professionals, to lifeguards, guest service agents, and housekeepers, all with long-term career growth potential.  Great Wolf’s construction partner, Turner, estimates nearly 400 construction and trade workers will be utilized during peak construction periods with approximately 1.1 million labor hours required to complete the build.  With a rough construction timeline of approximately 26 months, the indoor water park resort is expected to celebrate its grand opening in mid-2025.

With an investment of more than $300 million dollars from Great Wolf Resorts shareholders Blackstone and Centerbridge Partners, the Great Wolf Lodge in Mashantucket will provide a healthy economic boost to the region.  In addition, Great Wolf Lodge, in conjunction with Blackstone and Centerbridge Partners, announced today that it will be making a $25,000 donation to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center to assist its efforts in sharing the rich history, stories and traditions of the Mashantucket Pequot culture. 

“Great Wolf Lodge helps families strengthen their pack by offering a fun-filled getaway that is close, convenient and carefree, and with this new resort, we will be able to provide our beloved signature experience to more families across the Northeast,” said John Murphy, Chief Executive Officer for Great Wolf Resorts. “Thanks to the support of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and our shareholders, Blackstone and Centerbridge Partners, we’re excited to offer a third resort in the Northeast region to further complement our existing resorts in the Pocono Mountains and New England. We’re excited to get this resort underway with today’s groundbreaking and help contribute to the growth and prosperity of this community.” 

“We are honored to be working alongside the team to bring Great Wolf Lodge to the state of Connecticut,” said Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler. “The introduction of this new location will help bring incredible economic value and exciting job opportunities to the hardworking people in our area. This is a special moment for us all, and we thank our partners at Great Wolf Lodge for making this happen.”

The Great Wolf Lodge in Mashantucket will be steps away from Foxwoods Resort Casino, which features a variety of indoor and outdoor experiences ranging from concerts and comedy shows to world-class dining, zip-lining, go-karting, 36-holes of championship golf and over 80 retail stores at Tanger Outlets.  The addition of Great Wolf Lodge will further enhance Mashantucket as a regional family vacation destination.  

“At Foxwoods Resort Casino, we pride ourselves on exceeding our guests’ expectations in every way,” said Jason Guyot, Foxwoods’ President and CEO. “This project with Great Wolf Lodge marks another milestone for us as we continue to trailblaze in the guest experience, and we couldn’t be more proud to bring this family-friendly experience to the area.”

Rob Harper, Head of Blackstone Real Estate Asset Management Americas, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Great Wolf Lodge to another location in North America, this time in Mashantucket, Conn. We know the joy that these resorts bring to families across the country, and we are proud of the many jobs they create for the community in the process.”

“We’re excited to be a part of Great Wolf Lodge’s remarkable growth story and partner to bring this incredible family resort to Mashantucket,” added Billy Rahm, Global Head of Real Estate for Centerbridge Partners.  “We have seen the joy Great Wolf Lodge brings to families across the Northeast with its existing Pocono Mountain and Boston-area resorts, and we are excited to help expand the brand’s regional paw print.” 

As part of Great Wolf Lodge’s environmental initiative, Project Green Wolf, this new Great Wolf Lodge will feature a number of energy and water conservation measures, such as energy-saving LED lighting and special water filters to reduce consumption.

The Great Wolf Lodge in Mashantucket will be a year-round family resort destination filled with attractions and amenities for all ages.  Some of the highlights include:

• An expansive 91,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, heated to a comfortable 84 degrees, featuring a variety of body slides, tube slides, raft rides, activity pools and splash areas for every member of the family – from toddlers and teens to parents and grandparents. 
• A 61,000-square-foot family entertainment center known as the Great Wolf Adventure Park will offer a variety of family-friendly attractions, including MagiQuest – Great Wolf Lodge’s exclusive live action-adventure game where players use interactive magic wands to battle goblins and dragons.  
• A collection of complimentary family events and activities including Yoga Tails, a morning exercise program that combines tales from the creatures found in the Spirit Water Forest with yoga poses, and evening events such as Great Wolf Lodge’s signature Hustle & Howl dance party and Story Time event.
• Several dining options that will appeal to a variety of culinary styles ranging from pizza and burgers to upscale dining at Fireside and premium ice cream treats at Wood’s End Creamery. 
• Family-friendly suites in a variety of categories and styles including Great Wolf-themed suites with separate sleeping quarters for kids designed as either a log cabin or wolf den and outfitted with bunk beds and Great Wolf character theming.  The resort will also feature suites with multiple bedrooms for large families or multi-generational groups.  

The Great Wolf Lodge in Mashantucket will offer an exceptional value for families with admission to the water park and family entertainment activities in the Grand Lobby included as part of the guest’s stay.

Meeting and event planners can also look to Great Wolf Lodge for their meeting and event needs. The property will boast more than 7,500 square feet of flexible conference space with breakout rooms, built-in A/V technology, customizable catering options, and a team of dedicated industry professionals to tend to every meeting need.      

For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brand of indoor water park resorts, visit www.greatwolf.com.

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About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts, and through its subsidiaries and affiliates, owns and operates family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company with locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; Williamsburg, Va.; Pocono Mountains, Pa.; Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; Grand Mound, Wash., Fitchburg, Mass., Charlotte, N.C.; Garden Grove, Calif., Colorado Springs, Colo., Bloomington, Minn., LaGrange, Ga., Gurnee, Ill.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Manteca, Calif.. Additionally, a Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville, Md. is scheduled to open summer of 2023 and the brand recently broke ground on a location in Naples, Fla. and Webster, Texas. Additional information may be found on the company’s online media center.

About Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation is a federally recognized Indian tribe located at one of America’s oldest Indian reservations, Mashantucket, in Southeastern Connecticut.  As leaders of the Indian Gaming casino industry, the history of the Mashantucket Pequots reveals one of America’s greatest come-back stories, featured at the Tribe’s world renowned Mashantucket Pequot Museum. Today, the Tribe owns and operates one of the largest Integrated Resort Casino destinations in North America, Foxwoods Resort Casino, along with a variety of complementary businesses including a world-class golf course, luxury spa, Pequot Pharmaceutical Network, and Pequot Plus Health Benefit Services. As one of Connecticut’s highest revenue contributors and largest employers, the Mashantucket Pequots have provided the state more than $4 billion in slot revenue through a first-of-its-kind agreement, established in 1993.  Likewise, the Tribe has contributed hundreds of millions in donations and sponsorships for the benefit of communities and tribes in need, locally and throughout the U.S.

About Foxwoods Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino offers guests a premier destination resort experience throughout its six world-class casinos, AAA Four-Diamond hotels featuring over 2,200 rooms, dining options for all tastes, luxurious spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, Tanger Outlet Mall and conference space for groups of all sizes. There is always something new at Foxwoods, including the recently announced landmark deal with Great Wolf Lodge, opening in 2025, our new 80,000 sq ft expo center opening in November 2022 and a new High Stakes Bingo Hall which opened July 2022, giving guests more reasons to stay than ever. When it comes to sports betting and gaming, Foxwoods has partnerships with fan-favorite betting and entertainment platforms, including DraftKings and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s recently formed Wondr Nation. For a detailed look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.