Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center

Such a big indoor water park. We walked in and purchased tickets late afternoon when tickets were discounted. Parking was scarce but free. Plenty of restaurants, cafes, restrooms, activities for kids of different ages and interests. Lazy river and cabanas for a whole family to rest. Some things were not so pleasant: overpriced drinks, lockers, a local store for swimwear and swim shoes was overpriced as well. Cleanliness in bathrooms and changing rooms could be better. Definitely recommend for anyone who likes extremes and a good family time.

We recently stayed at Kalahari Resort, and while the experience had some highlights, there were also significant disappointments. **Pros:** - The kiosk check-in system was fast and convenient, saving us time upon arrival. - We were able to get our room 1:30pm which is early prior to 4pm promised. - The resort’s amenities are well-distributed across its 8 floors. The 1st floor houses the waterpark, conference rooms, arcade, and fitness center. The 2nd floor, which also serves as the lobby, is home to many restaurants, a dessert shop, a convenience store, a spa, and some hotel rooms. Floors 3 and above are dedicated to additional hotel rooms. - Washer and dryer access is available on the 3rd and 6th floors, but this is insufficient for the number of guests. Fortunately, we found a laundromat nearby. **Cons:** - Locating our room was challenging due to a lack of clear signage and directories. - Our room, though clean initially, was fairly small for the price, with two beds, a couch, and a very small table. - We discovered that the bathroom trash can had not been emptied from the previous guests, which was unacceptable. Despite calling room service twice, no one showed up until the second day when the daily room service finally arrived. - We also discovered crumbs on the couch which is also unacceptable. - The pending deposit charge of $900 was excessive and far higher than what we’ve experienced at similar waterpark resorts ($300-$500). This included the $200 meant for bracelet storage, but the charge still felt unreasonable. Overall, while the resort offers great amenities and a convenient check-in process, the issues with cleanliness, service, and unexpected pending charges left us disappointed. We hope the resort can address these concerns to improve the guest experience.

Considering the Kalahari is a desert, the water park serves as a rhetorical representation. The resort features a mix of high-quality art pieces alongside some poorly executed depictions of Africa’s animals and people. It would be much better if they focused solely on the good-quality pieces. The hotel room sections successfully capture the vibe of some hotels across the continent, adding an authentic touch.

Second time being here and it will be our last, the only reason we gave it another shot was because we were given a gift certificate last time because it was a terrible experience. Cons: I’d still say the lifeguards are rude and think they’re gods because they have a whistle. I get being safe but most of it was over the top. I’d still say the cleanliness is MAJORLY lacking. When my husband has to ask for sheets that aren’t stained, a bottle of cleaner so I can clean out and disinfect the tubs because we found multiple hairs PER TUB, it’s pretty bad. I could have asked to be moved rooms but if you missed multiple hairs in each tub I’m sure the cleanliness is lacking in any room and I’d have just cleaned things myself due to lack of trust at this point. I still think everything inside the resort is insanely overpriced which I get is normal BUT it shouldn’t be. You charge enough for the rooms, charging insane amounts for food but not allowing people to bring their own food inside is crappy. You know what you’re doing. Don’t you make enough money? Cleanliness of the pools were lacking as well. Band aids? Ew. I think they’re lacking staff but not an excuse when it comes to people’s health. Cabanas. I still think these are pointless for how expensive they are. There’s no top to them -water splashed in on us multiple times because they put them under slides with no roof. There is no door or even a curtain to actually maintain any level of privacy or to prevent theft. -if someone doesn’t know what you have or if you’re inside they’d be less likely to come take something of you left your cabana. Also due to no top or closing door the TV inside is absolutely pointless, I turned it to 100 and couldn’t hear anything at all. In fact our kids and my husband and I practically were yelling at each other to be able to hear one another. Pros: Everyone besides the lifeguards were super nice, customer service improved greatly! Everyone was nice from Asia (the girl who waited on us at the cabana-she has great customer service) to the front desk people. They were doing tons of stuff for the kids to win prizes and the prizes were actually nice. So all in all I wouldn’t be back. I gave the place a second chance and it’s just not worth it. We come to the Poconos every year for our daughter’s birthday gift. So we’ve hit all of them and the best is camelback, for sure. 100% better than here.

Went up for a Conference April 2023. The room was really nice but expensive, however, it was nice to have the ability to enjoy the water park. The prices for any drinks, including water to drink, was at least $5 which you had to buy as there was no free options for water. The water park was nice but busy. The water park had many options for kids and adults. Unfortunately, since I was at a conference that provided food, I was unable to try any of the dining options on the premises.