Coming soon:
The return of the Holidome
Good news for beach bums and other warm-weather
aficionados living in (or visiting) chilly northern climes:
InterContinental’s Holiday Inn brand is introducing indoor water
parks dubbed “Holidomes” at many of its properties. Target locales
are in the surf-deprived Midwest and other places where frigid
temperatures would otherwise turn swimming pools into skating rinks
most of the year.
The parks will feature an assortment of pools, slides, geysers,
sprinklers and, at some locations, full-service spa facilities;
many also will offer guests drier pastimes like shuffleboard and
foosball.
The first of the water parks is scheduled to debut in 2007,
although the concept itself is a throwback to the swinging 1970s,
when Holidomes first were built at 130 hotels in the United States
and Canada. Whether Holiday Inn will resurrect disco balls,
eight-tracks and shag carpeting remains to be seen.