Kalahari Resort, Visit Africa in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in the Pocono Mountains

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions have opened a facility in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Poconos, long a destination for outdoor family fun, has now become even more to attract both leisure and business travelers to the legendary Pennsylvania mountains.  Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is finishing the next phase of their recently built resort to include more options in sleeping rooms supporting both a state of the art convention center, banquet and meeting facility, as well as a year-round family activity adventure park.

Plenty of African wildlife sculptures on the
Kalahari Resort property.

African themes throughout. 

Kalahari Resorts group opened their African themed 150-acre Pennsylvania property in 2015, continues to expand with phases opening up now through 2020. Initially with 456 sleeping rooms straddled in between a 65,000 square foot, full service convention center on one side and a 100,000 square foot waterpark and family activity center on the other. While some find the business and the family leisure focus are conflicting on the same property, Kalahari wants to provide the opportunity to combine both family fun time and business offerings on the same property, so that at the end of the business day, a family can re-connect together.

Kalahari Poconos will double the size of the water park to 220 K
Square feet all indoors, for year-round fun.

The property will boast the largest indoor waterpark in America, with 220K square feet, doubling its present size. With a zip line and treetop adventure facility opening soon followed by snow tubing and miniature golf, bringing more family activities as well as opportunities for business team building, on site.

Kalahari Resorts has plenty of rooms to
accommodate both convention and family events.

Business planners will appreciate the flexibility of having 65,000 sq feet of flexible space, all in one place, from convention floor to ballroom, reception and board meeting space. A 25,000 square foot exhibit hall that can be broken into 8 individual spaces, connected to a separate 9K hall that opens to a covered terrace overlooking the nearby forest and mountains. Add to that six board and meeting rooms that range in size from 750 to 1500 square feet, with dedicated grade level access loading dock. All with the internet bandwidth with speeds up to 100Mb/s with capacity to increase to 1Gbs with advanced order. State of the art HVAC, lighting and audio visual, and numerous built in hi-lumen/Hi-Def projectors and monitors. 

Wonderful African inspired art is a highlight
throughout the Kalahari Resort property.

Leisure planners will appreciate the family friendly spaces with activities for the youngest child to the Spa services for adults looking for a relaxing escape. An activity center set up with everything from a separate area with child sized chairs and tables to plenty of arcade games, duck pin bowling and more for the teens. Of course the 200 K sq foot indoor waterpark with a lazy river, tubes and slides. The full service spa, wellness center and gym to get mind and body in shape. Outdoors is a seasonal swimming pool and humongous hot tub that the entire family can enjoy. Then when everyone wants to get their inner American Ninja going there is the new zip-line and the tree-top adventures. Toss in 6000 square feet of retail shopping, including a Moroccan style market place featuring hand-made African items, clothes and more.

Lots of food and libation options on property at Kalahari
Resorts, with more coming soon

Wi-Fi in all rooms, meeting, convention and public spaces, so everyone can stay connected. No one goes hungry, as meal options abound, with grab & go, buffet and cafeteria to white table cloth fine dining options, all on site, with more coming as Kalahari continues building.

https://www.kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania

Kalahari's Desert room features two queen beds and a pullout
sofa in a large room space for the entire family to stay.

Want to try a taste of Kalahari, and you have a Groupon account?  Kalahari has a Groupon available at the moment. A $149 per night in the Desert Room, their basic room with two queen beds and a pull out queen sleeper sofa, includes the room that sleeps four with $50 arcade credit per night and waterpark admission; dates into December. Additional waterpark passes (2) may be added at check in for $35 each, (normal water park admission is $79 per day.) 

Words and images by William West Hopper
Note: Kalahari Resorts and Conventions hosted
my trip to their Pocono PA property, covering
lodging, travel and meals for this review trip.