[mc14]

Screamscape reported that Sea World Parks and Entertainment is looking into the idea of making their parks resorts.

Could Busch become a resort in a few years?

From Screamscape:

Quote:Screamscape sources claim that SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment may be doing studies and making early plans to enter the resort biz in select markets. This is something that was looked at in the past under Anheuser-Busch leadership, where they even went so far as to announce their intentions to build a heavily themed African animal safari themed hotel on backside of the Savannah at Busch Gardens Tampa. (Only to fail to be willing to fund the effort on their own without an experience hotel operator... which allowed Disney to swoop in the copy their idea a couple of years later with the Animal Kingdom Lodge hotel.)
From what I'm told, Tampa is not being considered this time around... since the new owners will admit that the area around the park itself is not exactly the kind of place where you would put down a high-dollar resort experience. While Orlando would seem to be a good fit, Busch sold off the perfect site for such a resort next to Aquatica to an outside developer under their leadership.In addition... the Orlando market already has an over abundance of empty hotel rooms on any given night. Across the nation, San Diego is also likely be crossed off the list as the park is land locked and the park also passed up several opportunities in the past to buy up near-by property where a resort would possible succeed, in addition to a general hesitation by AB to build and operate their own resort hotel without an experienced hotel partner.
So what's left? Williamsburg, VA and San Antonio, TX. In a strange bit of Irony, Williamsburg was the once place where AB had their own resort for a number of years in the form of the Kingsmill property. However this resort project was not sold off to Blackstone with the parks, and I believe it remains under ownership of AB, but the Williamsburg area does seem to be a good possibility for a future resort project, especially with the expansion of the park's operating season into the Christmas season. Texas is also a possibiliy, as there are no other theme park resort in the area, the park has lot of excess land that could be put to use in a number of ways... such as the rumored Aquatica project in Texas, which would certainly give guests a reason to spend the night at SeaWorld.

[Parkgoer]

Don't see it happening for a number of reasons.

Seaworld and BGT are both smack in the middle of a area that wouldn't allow it. BGW doesn't have enough disposable land to accommodate it (Just because land is open around the park doesn't mean it is possible). The infrastructure portion would be crucial on the pocket.

[mc14]

I could see it coming to Sea World San Antonio.

[James]

I believe it could work at BGW but the costs of a project like this would be incredible and with all the money the park is spending along with continuing restructuring within the park ranks I just can't see this happening. The land is there though if they chose too.

[Balak95]

Well does it necessarily have to be like Disney, and i thought BGW and Kingsmill were owned by the same Company and Kingsmill is like a BGW resort.

[newsie]

Kingsmill was purchased last year by Xterra Properties from Anheuser-Busch. All three facilities (BGW, brewery, Kingsmill) are now under three different owners.

[ArrowWolf1984]

I can't imagine a giant resort-hotel in the BGW area but a small/midsize themed hotel for the park would be kinda nice.

[Balak95]

It would have to be small because i think a multistory building might break the theme a little if it was not built to look like an old european building.

[Connecticut busch fan]

The Virginia Gazette reported on April 23, 2011

Busch Gardens eyes its own hotel

JAMES CITY — The next attraction at Busch Gardens may not be a coaster, but a hotel.

Employees report that engineers have surveyed an area behind the Festhaus.

Nothing has been filed yet with the county Planning office.

“We can confirm the company conducted a hotel feasibility study in the Williamsburg area,” Busch Gardens spokesman Kevin Crossett said this week in response to an inquiry. He would not elaborate.

[James]

(04/25/11 11:20am)Connecticut busch fan Wrote:  The Virginia Gazette reported on April 23, 2011

Busch Gardens eyes its own hotel

JAMES CITY — The next attraction at Busch Gardens may not be a coaster, but a hotel.

Employees report that engineers have surveyed an area behind the Festhaus.

Nothing has been filed yet with the county Planning office.

“We can confirm the company conducted a hotel feasibility study in the Williamsburg area,” Busch Gardens spokesman Kevin Crossett said this week in response to an inquiry. He would not elaborate.

While we know there was a study done, some employees must be absolutely clueless when it comes to where the surveying was done. Obviously that was for the coaster not a hotel. :dodgy:

[Parkgoer]

"2014" would have to have surveying done soon in order for adequate planning to occur.

[Zachary]

I find this quite funny- especially because they think that Busch could build a hotel before the 2012 coaster is completed. It often seems that news organizations are just as clueless about theme parks and coasters as the general public is. It's worth noting that this is the same news outlet that posted my terrible Mach Tower concept video that I made in RCT3 over a year ago in a news story about Mach Tower.

[Parkgoer]

(04/25/11 01:27pm)James Wrote:  While thats true. Would you really put a hotel behind the Festhaus? Thats the worst location. How would you even get to it?

That statement should end any and all speculation of that location for a hotel. The only way to drive back there is through the employee lot, past gate three(or is it six) down the service roads.

[pandorazboxx]

2014, roller coaster that takes you from the parking lot to your hotel room....

[Balak95]

Having a BGW Hotel?...I just cant see that happening right now or in the next 5 years.