On July 10, Melco Resorts & Entertainment opened City of Dreams Mediterranean, Europe’s first integrated resort in Limassol, Cyprus. It has 500 rooms and a 7,500-square-metre casino, as well as eight restaurants and bars, a retail promenade and Cyprus’ largest expo complex. City of Dreams Mediterranean is also home to several different entertainment experiences, including a children’s club, Cyprus’ largest resort pool complex, and the world-class Adventure Park, which features a zip line, high ropes courses, mini golf and a trampoline zone.
Encompassing 5,000 square metres, the Adventure Park at City of Dreams Mediterranean provides family-friendly entertainment amidst a stunning setting featuring vibrant vegetation, turquoise water features, and intricate rockwork.
Adventure Park was designed and constructed by Greenspan Projects Ltd., a creative design and build specialist. We speak to Marlon Hirsh, vice president of hotel and F&B for City of Dreams Mediterranean at Melco Resorts & Entertainment, about the company’s vision for the new amenity, plus Graham Marks, project manager at Greenspan Projects and Rod Morton, CEO of Greenspan Projects, about how his team brought this vision to life.
Something for everyone at City of Dreams Mediterranean
Melco develops, owns and operates integrated resorts in Asia and Europe. It operates the Altira Macau and City of Dreams integrated resorts in Macau and also majority owns and operates Studio City Macau. In the Philippines, its subsidiary operates and manages City of Dreams Manila.
Introducing City of Dreams Mediterranean, Hirsh says:
“Whether you’re travelling for leisure or business, if you’re here for a honeymoon, if you’re here with family…we’ve got something for everybody.”
It was always part of the plan to include a world-class Adventure Park in the construction of this new resort destination, he adds:
“It is part of our model of having something for everyone. If you look at our other properties, like City of Dreams Macau where we have Kids City and City of Dreams Manila where we have DreamPlay, that’s a big part of our model when creating destinations. In terms of the overall design and wanting to incorporate a theme park, that was part of the project from the very beginning.
“What kind of park we include changes depending on the location and the audience. So here, our Adventure Park takes inspiration from the local area, from things like Greek and Roman myths. And then the weather influenced the decision-making too. Cyprus has around 310 sunny days per year with very little rain. So, we knew people would want to engage with an outdoor attraction.
“The park is great, with high ropes and climbing ropes, and trampolines and miniature golf. It’s a great way to engage our guests outdoors, and it’s a nice attribute of the property.”
Bringing the project to life
The Adventure Park project has been developed through close collaboration between Greenspan and Melco. Speaking about the initial brief, Morton says:
“Right from the get-go, we knew this was going to be an exciting project. We loved Melco’s vision and we had so many ideas. When the pandemic hit, we were in the same boat as everyone else. Yet we wanted to ensure communication was clear at this vital stage.
“We admired the heritage that Melco wanted to retain. They wanted to pay homage to historic Cyprus, which works so well for the space. I can’t imagine it looking any different. I think if we had gone too bold and with too many colour variations, it wouldn’t be as stunning and special as it is today.”
On bringing the adventure to the forefront, Marks adds:
“The adventure park offers a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities. From a real adrenaline high – flying through the air on a zip coaster – to leisurely putting past the stunning landscape, there are so many possibilities to make this a unique experience.
“The family ropes allow for all ages to get involved. It’s a low course, all about the immersive journey, rather than the challenge. This is heightened by the theming of the course and the environment.”
And it’s not just about the fun. Greenspan also carefully considers elements such as safety and enhanced knowledge when it comes to attractions.
“Our activities are built with the highest safety measures to ensure customer and staff safety”, says Marks. “We offer a turnkey package. This includes training and equipment so that staff can be fully comfortable with the operation, and understand all aspects of safety. This ultimately helps Melco understand their responsibilities when it comes to optimising the overall experience.”
Adventure Park at City of Dreams Mediterranean
Strict quality and safety standards have been followed in the planning and construction of Adventure Park’s attractions. Among these is an 18-hole Adventure Golf course, which combines real-world elements with a sequence of challenging holes. It has great views of the high ropes adventure overhead. It is flanked by plants, trees, water hazards and sand bunkers.
A Zipline Coaster is another feature. From the 8-meter ride height, guests “fly” at up to 80 km/h while taking in resort views.
Meanwhile, climbers of all skill levels can enjoy the City of Dreams Climbing Wall. The tracks are colour-coded: blue is for kids and novice climbers, green is for experienced climbers, and yellow is for climbers with advanced abilities. An automatic belay system protects guest safety by gradually lowering climbers to the ground when they reach the summit or lose their grip.
The park’s High Ropes Obstacle Course is a family attraction with three courses for different skill levels. The Adventurer Course has 13 intermediate-level obstacles that are 5 metres high, and there are 13 advanced obstacles on the 8-meter-high Extreme Course. The Family Course has a mini zipline and the “Leap of Faith.” With breathtaking views, all three courses are situated above the golf course.
Elsewhere, the Trampoline Zone has several components. The main court has eighteen interconnected trampolines that go up the walls. Youngsters can practise parkour skills on the free-running court and there’s the enormous airbag, a new sensation that Greenspan calls “bouncier, rounder and definitely entertaining.” Additionally, the Trampoline Zone’s Giant Air Trampoline is “the perfect way to work off boundless energy.”
Finally, the youngest guests are catered to with the Sinking Ship Kid’s Playground. This offers soft sand, swings, slides, monkey bars, a teeter-totter, and more. There is plenty of room to stay cool under sunshades.
Designing for a wide range of guests
“The Adventure Park at City of Dreams Mediterranean caters for all ages, from kids to adults,” explains Hirsh.
“I’m 52 years old, and I’ve enjoyed the high ropes and the zipline. I’ve done pretty much everything at the park. Our high ropes are five and eight metres, our trampoline is great for the younger kids, and then the zipline anybody can go on, anybody can play miniature golf. I think that kids and families engage in any of these activities because it is not age-defined or age-specific.”
“There is also an adrenaline rush. With the rope courses, you’re five and eight metres high. My kids are 11 and 16 and have both gone on the low ropes as well as the high ropes. There is a nice element to having the kids and the parents working through the courses together, and we also have the family ropes course. It brings the family together and is a lively way for parents to engage with their kids and spend the quality time that they are looking for.
“Then it also caters to corporate leadership and team-building opportunities, as well as the local market, for things like school field trips.”
“We want everyone to feel included,” adds Morton. “Of course, some of our projects have catered more for adults and night-time venues. But designing and building family attractions has been our speciality for years!
“It comes back to creating an unforgettable experience. Attractions have changed over the years but ultimately, the end goal is for visitors to have the most incredible time. And that’s what they’ll get from City of Dreams Mediterranean’s Adventure Park.”
Theming at City of Dreams Mediterranean’s Adventure Park
The new Adventure Park also features engaging theming, taking inspiration from the nearby Kolossi Castle, which dates to the 13th Century.
“Theming is extremely important – as this is where the real individuality of an attraction comes into play,” says Morton.
“It’s about making a mark – and an impact. Our design team created incredible concept visuals to bring the whole adventure park to life and they are now so iconic to Greenspan – they are truly stunning, and we know it has been some of our best work yet.
“We still like to showcase them at our biggest trade shows, alongside a handmade model of the project, which visitors love to come and see.”
Choosing Greenspan Projects
Talking about why Melco chose Greenspan Projects to design the Adventure Park at City of Dreams Mediterranean, Hirsh says:
“They have a great reputation. I’ve met with the Greenspan team on numerous occasions, and I think they are the utmost in terms of professional expertise in their field, in terms of creating parks like this.
“Greenspan has done a wonderful job in terms of making sure that every element of the park is safe, as well as being well thought out. When I speak to parents, they feel very comfortable in all aspects of the park. The staff are very well trained, the safety gear that we’re using is topflight, and every facet of the park in terms of its construction is high-quality and safe. So, guests tell me they feel like they are in good hands, that their children are in good hands, and they know the park is a fun and safe environment.”
“The team is also easy to work with. You can create or provide a concept, and then they can bring that concept to life. This park takes inspiration from the nearby medieval Kolossi Castle, and they really ran with that concept and brought it to life. I can’t say that everybody can do that.”
Delivering the project despite challenges
When it comes to challenges faced during this project, the key issue was of course the global pandemic. However, the Adventure Park was still completed on time, despite this.
“We started pre-COVID, and we finished post-COVID, obviously, so I’d say that was probably the biggest challenge. Greenspan did a great job of having their labourers put the park together – in some cases, they were faster than the rest of the property!
“It’s a great outfit. Greenspan was exceptional in terms of quality of work and attention to detail, whether it was the colour of the sandstone or making sure that the Kolossi-type Castle concept was executed 100%.”
“The biggest highlight for me in terms of working with them is number one, the responsiveness. Whether it’s a message through email, a text message, a voicemail message, or picking up the telephone, we were always able to communicate easily and directly. From an operational leadership perspective, that is a real highlight.
“And then, the fact that the quality of the product came out as expected is a huge highlight in terms of being able to bring that product to life. Any changes that we wanted to make along the way, any improvements, they also could rectify or modify the design as the process went along. For instance, I came on board partway through the project, and I had some ideas to make things easier for my guests in terms of the flow of the traffic or the view, and they were more than accommodating.”
Stand-out moments
From the perspective of the Greenspan team, Morton adds:
“COVID-19 was certainly a challenge when it hit. We wanted to ensure we communicated well – from Zoom and Teams calls to regular updates as often as we could. I’d never spent so much time meeting people from behind a screen…but we made it work and even learned some valuable tech skills along the way.”
“If anything, it helped our relationship grow stronger and when it was safe to do so, we loved getting more involved in the project details – from our project management team taking the City of Dreams Adventure Park design team to nurseries in Spain to hand pick the beautiful trees to design instruction from Melco’s CEO Lawrence Ho himself. He wanted to add a second level to the high ropes to make it more adventurous, so we did!”
Guests enjoy Adventure Park at City of Dreams Mediterranean
The integrated resort has been open since July, and the Adventure Park has already proved popular with guests.
“The reception has been fantastic,” says Hirsh. “In my opinion, what makes it fantastic is the number of people that go time and time again.”
On the wider resort, he adds: “Our guests appreciate that we offer something for everybody. The kids can be entertained, and the parents are also looked after, whether they want to have lunch or a coffee, go into the casino, walk around the resort, or sit by the pool. It really is all-inclusive. We tried to think of every possible facet to make sure that everyone would have a good time.
“Our properties are larger than life. And when you go to this attraction, the Adventure Park, it too is a little bit larger than life. There may be similar parks on the island, but not one of them has the same quality, the same features, the schedules, the operating hours, and the ability to entertain.”
Collaborative working
“Working on this project has been incredible for Greenspan,” says Morton. “We regularly visit Cyprus, as we have a great deal going on across the Mediterranean in terms of new projects – so it feels like visiting old friends.
“We are working on a collaborative event with Melco Resorts & Entertainment for City of Dreams Mediterranean in 2024 and hope to celebrate the success of the first year together in some shape or form next summer. It is a “watch this space” at the moment!”
Looking ahead at what’s next for Greenspan, there are several more projects in the pipeline, he adds:
“We have a great deal set in motion across Europe, some not too far from Cyprus. More will be revealed in 2024, but they are certainly ones to watch out for. We have recently announced our partnership with Heritage Private School in Cyprus, for example, for exciting and innovative adventure play.
“There is also plenty to celebrate with the success of Puttify, which is set to land in Australia in 2024, as well as the official launch of our Homestead Adventure Park in Ontario, Canada on the horizon, not to mention a few surprises in the US and across the UK.”
Greenspan Projects will be exhibiting at IAAPA Expo 2023, which takes place in Orlando, Florida, from 13 – 17 November. Attendees can meet the team at #3886.
