New Water Park Resort Opens In New York, Hoping To Bring Tourists And Revenue To Catskills
MONTICELLO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - For years, New York has puzzled over how to revitalize the Catskills. Now, another pricey piece has been added to the picture.
A $200 million water park and resort started welcoming guests in Monticello on Friday.
Many are betting it'll fit well with the billion-dollar casino next door – and bring in some much needed revenue to the fairly barren upstate area.
The Kartrite Resort and Indoor Water Park bills itself as two acres of aquatic adventure.
"This project has been under construction for two years, and now that we're finally here, when you look around the entire property from the outside, the exterior, to the interior, it's magnificent," Kartrite's general manager David Kohlasch said.
Many of the 324 rooms have bunks and can sleep up to eight.
Nightly rates will reportedly top $400 during vacation weeks, but include two-day access to the water park.
The Kartrite is one of the reasons the unemployment rate in Sullivan and Orange counties keeps dropping. They hired 500 people, most of those jobs will be full-time.
Next door, the Resorts World Catskills Casino employs 1,400 people, but has fallen short of its revenue targets.
There's every expectation having a family friendly water park on the same campus will benefit both properties.
"The casino has something for the adults to do when they're done with the water park. Those two things co-exist so well together, it's just not something we've found any place else and we're proud to be the first to bring it to the northeast," Resorts World CEO Ryan Eller said.