Surf Snowdonia announces major expansion plans. The North Wales adventure destination seeks to build a hotel, spa and indoor attraction.
Surf Snowdonia opened in Dolgarrog in 2015 with its ground-breaking inland surf lagoon. Now the surf park is launching a public consultation before it submits planning applications for a new £10 million investment.
Plans show a 106 bedroom 4-star hotel, with a luxury spa and conference and wedding facilities. Guests who like to make an entrance can do it in flamboyant style – a zip wire will fly them across the 300 metre surf lagoon to check in.
The hotel is planned for the lakeside, in the space currently occupied by the resort’s glamping pods. The wooden pods will take up new homes in woodland on the southern side of the lagoon.
Bedrooms will have garden balconies so guests can experience stunning views across the lagoon to the forests and mountains of Snowdonia beyond.
Indoor attraction beats the weather
Surf Snowdonia also plans an indoor attraction. This is set to be housed in a purpose-built 1,250 space and will feature a range of extreme slides and climbing walls. The aim is to offer non-weather dependent activities for a broad range of ages and abilities. It will also feature rooms for hire for themed parties and other celebrations.
The new attraction will be built on site of the current Crash & Splash lagoon.
Boosting the local economy
The expansion would effectively double Surf Snowdonia’s workforce. It is likely to create over 100 new jobs and turn the attraction into a year-round destination.
“We’re proud to fly the flag for adventure in North Wales. It’s a brilliant region, and rightly regarded as the UK’s capital of adventure,” said Andy Ainscough, managing director of Surf Snowdonia. “Our plans will build on our established high-quality leisure offer and deliver a landmark destination, not just for North Wales, but for the UK and beyond.”
It is hoped that the development would encourage more tourists to the area in general, supporting local businesses as well as Surf Snowdonia itself.
“To hear that Surf Snowdonia is looking to invest further in their Dolgarrog site is great news for North Wales,” said Jim Jones, managing director of regional marketing body North Wales Tourism. “This is yet more evidence that confidence in the North Wales tourism and business sector is soaring.
He said that Surf Snowdonia is one of North Wales’ top attractions: “It is a totally unique attraction, with a reputation that extends way beyond North Wales and it has become a destination in itself, creating employment, stimulating the supply chain, and providing a world class experience as one of a few facilities in the world that can provide inland surfing.”
The public consultation phase will run until the end of July, ahead of the planning application. Construction is likely to begin in autumn 2018. The new indoor attraction is expected to open in summer 2019 with the hotel following in spring 2020.
