SkiAdcock

Currently the only Marriott property in the Wisconsin Dells area. Opened late 2015/early 2016. Category 4. Since it's a new SHS should be a decent one. Website says larger room can accomodate 5.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...sconsin-dells/

"The new SpringHill Suites Wisconsin Dells offers a winning combination of space, style, and convenience for business travelers and vacationing families alike. As the only Marriott hotel within the Dells area, we're committed to providing you with the amenities and service you've come to expect, at an affordable price.

Our contemporary hotel lobby provides plenty of space for meeting, relaxing, and working, and our 24-hour Market is perfect for guests on the go. Well-designed suites offer free Wi-Fi, pillowtop mattresses, and marble bathrooms; our larger accommodations can sleep up to five guests.

Start your morning on the right foot here in Wisconsin Dells, with our delicious free breakfast; enjoy eggs with local salsa or Greek yogurt and oatmeal, complete with a toppings bar.

Our hotel is also the perfect choice for groups visiting the Dells, with superb room block rates and a small on-site meeting venue. Whatever brings you to the area, let us make you feel welcome here at SpringHill Suites Wisconsin Dells."

MSPeconomist

No mention of a swimming pool???

kklems

They have an indoor pool.

JW6130

The same hotel owner is working on another Marriott-branded hotel in the Dells. It didn't say which brand the second hotel will be, though.

Hoping for a Renaissance, but it will probably be a Fairfield Inn.

rdurlabhji

Doubt it'll be a Ren, not really the demographic that goes to the Dells.

CJKatl

Tread carefully... I love the Dells! I do a conference there every year. I'll miss staying at Kalahari.

SkiAdcock

Unless Kalahari has closed down you can still stay there

I agree that odds are the 2nd property will be a FFI rather than a Ren.

Cheers.

peripateticlife

So what is the demographic for the Ren vs the Dells?

SkiAdcock

More business stays for Rens vs. families for the water parks in Dells?

Cheers.

darthbimmer

Agreed. The Dells is primarily a leisure destination. That demographic fits much better for Fairfield than for Renaissance.

CJKatl

I proudly stay in both! And I'd love to see a Ren with a pipe style waterslide. And a Swiss village building housing a cheese store across the street. And a Sinclair dino.

rdurlabhji

Its a family and leisure location so I'd expect FFI/RI/SHS there.

That I'd like to see.

I just get my cheese at Brennan's grocery store in Madison though.

MSPeconomist

I associate the Dells with relatively cheap family vacations for the kids, although some of the hotels aren't so cheap in high season. Many families drive to get there from the Twin Cities and the Chicago areas, so they save money on air fare and rental cars. (It wouldn't be very practical to get here and stay here without a car.) I don't think of these folks as having high socioeconomic status, although I don't recall seeing data to prove it.

CJKatl

But Brennan's couldn't possibly have the show associated with it. The slick enthusiasm (pardon me on this, but cheesy would be the right word) the cheese experts have at that cheese shop is worth overpaying for the cheese.

My most recent Kalahari stay was in a room that easily slept five, had a microwave "kitchen" and the beds had seventies type brown comforters on top; the kind that don't get changed with every visit. That appears to be the target market of the big resort in the Dells. I've also been at some private homes on the water which were stunning and some restaurants on the water that were awesome, so there is a market there for something more upscale. My customers appear to be working with second home purchasers and vacation renters who are professionals: dentists, doctors, lawyers, etc.

One awesome feature at Kalahari, aside from the slides and giant water toys, is that the farthest section of the top floor is designated a quiet zone. There is lots of signage, and guests are asked if they want to be there when checking in. The quiet zone is largely respected, and it is tightly enforced.

Horace

The second hotel site is the defunct Pine Aire Motel, adjacent the new SpringHill Suites (which was built on the site of the old Evergreen Motel).

These sites are along the highway, with other motels and roadside attractions nearby. It's a "blast from the past," with mom-and-pop motels, restaurants, and attractions. Neither the location nor the size of the Pine Aire site would lead itself to brand like Renaissance.

Wisconsin Dells is well located for driving vacations from Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Milwaukee. Wisconsin Dells bills itself as "The Waterpark Capital of the World!," with indoor and outdoor water parks as the main draw. It's a place to get away from the city and spend family time.

With limited demand for weekday rooms from families when school is in session, Wisconsin Dells has a secondary role as a conference destination.

It's striking how few of the hotels at Wisconsin Dells are affiliated with major brands. As noted in this thread, Springhill Suites is the first Marriott presence (unless you include the various Marriott-branded properties in Madison, around 40 miles away).

I could see an upscale Marriott-affiliated water park resort property somewhere in the Wisconsin Dells region at some point.