PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED
Great Wolf Lodge
Includes Great Wolf Resorts, Great Wolf
family resort · Chicago, IL
- Acquirer
- Blackstone Real Estate (65%) / Centerbridge Partners (35%)
- Year Acquired
- 2019
The water park where Blackstone makes a splash with your vacation budget.
What They Did
- Blackstone acquired 65% controlling interest in 2019 in a $2.9 billion deal with Centerbridge
- Blackstone has invested over $1.5 billion in the company since 2019
- Aggressively expanding to 22+ resorts including new builds in Florida, Texas, and Connecticut
- Family-focused pricing increasingly creeps upward as the PE growth machine demands returns
Since the Acquisition
- Mandatory resort fees of $29.99–$34.99 a night sit outside the advertised rate and only show up on the final checkout screen
- The resort fee covers 'amenities' like gym access, life jackets, and wolf-ear headbands — extras most hotels don't charge for at all
- In 2021, one traveler booked an $84 room expecting about $125 with fees and taxes — the confirmation email quoted $554, Great Wolf refused to honor the booking price, and the trip got canceled
Sources
- PE backing fuels Great Wolf Lodge expansion — Hartford Business(2024-11-01)
- My Great Wolf Lodge bait and switch experience — Travel on Point(s)(2024-01-01)
- Great Wolf Lodge improves resort fee policy (a bit) — The Points Guy(2024-01-01)
- Blackstone Acquires 65% of Great Wolf Resorts — Blackstone(2019-10-01)