Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn all-suite Orlando family resort featuring two waterparks and entertainment-oriented amenities.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark is an all-suite family resort in Orlando, Florida, operated under the Holiday Inn Resort brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The property is located near Universal Orlando Resort and approximately one mile from Walt Disney World Resort, placing it within the city’s principal family-tourism corridor. Its accommodation format is centered on one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites rather than conventional single-room lodging, with the aim of serving families and groups traveling together. The resort originally opened on July 7, 1999, as Holiday Inn Family Suites. Its most prominent phase began after Holiday Inn and Nickelodeon announced a partnership in 2003. Following a substantial renovation reported at approximately $25 million, the property reopened in 2005 as Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn and subsequently became widely known as Nickelodeon Suites Resort or the Nick Hotel. From 2005 through 2016, the hotel used Nickelodeon characters, programming, live entertainment, themed activities, and branded food and retail concepts to differentiate itself from conventional Orlando hotels. Its principal physical attractions include the Lagoon Pool and Oasis Pool waterparks, along with an arcade, a multilevel basketball court, a golf course, a 4-D cinema using SimEx-Iwerks technology, family game shows, and event areas. During the Nickelodeon period, the resort also offered Nick Live, Who Knows Best, and later a Double Dare-inspired game show. A former shopping and dining area included a Nickelodeon retail shop and the Nicktoons Café. The property also held a time capsule that had previously been located outside the former Nickelodeon Studios complex at Universal Studios Florida; the capsule was later transferred to Nickelodeon Animation Studio in California before the resort’s rebranding. The Nickelodeon identity supported a broad program of family-oriented promotions and seasonal events. These included Noggin-themed activities, appearances by television personalities, film promotions, preschool programming events, character encounters, dance parties, weddings, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed laser maze. The resort received recognition as one of AAA’s top ten family vacation spots in 2010 and became the first property to receive the AHLEI Certified Guest Service Property Designation in 2011. In 2016, the property ended its Nickelodeon licensing and returned to the Holiday Inn Resort identity. The transition was announced in January, with Nickelodeon experiences ultimately continuing through May 31 before the rebrand took effect on June 1. The change removed the resort’s most distinctive entertainment license but retained its family-suite and waterpark orientation. The property later experienced severe operating pressure during the COVID-19 disruption to Orlando tourism, including the reported loss of approximately 300 jobs in April 2020. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 18, 2021. The bankruptcy filing is a significant part of the property’s recent history, although the available reference material does not establish a final closure or a definitive change in ownership.
History
The property opened on July 7, 1999, as Holiday Inn Family Suites in Orlando, Florida. Its all-suite configuration was designed for families visiting the area’s theme parks, and its location placed it close to Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Rather than relying solely on proximity to attractions, the resort developed an on-site recreation model built around large family accommodations and extensive facilities. A major change came in 2003, when Holiday Inn and Nickelodeon announced a partnership to renovate and reposition the hotel. Nickelodeon had considered opening a hotel independently but chose instead to license its name and characters to Holiday Inn. The partnership followed an earlier promotional relationship in which Holiday Inn had featured SpongeBob SquarePants. The resulting concept became Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn. A reported $25 million renovation was completed in 2005, followed by a Memorial Day reopening. The property then operated for roughly a decade as Nickelodeon Suites Resort, also known informally as the Nick Hotel. Its programming included live game shows, character-based entertainment, themed parties, children’s activities, and branded dining and shopping. Nick Live and Who Knows Best were presented nightly, while a Double Dare-themed show was added in 2012. The resort also maintained pools and waterplay facilities, a 4-D theater, a large arcade, a golf course, a multilevel basketball court, and spaces for family events. Former Nickelodeon-related facilities included the Nicktoons Café, a Nickelodeon merchandise store, and Nick After Dark event locations. The Nickelodeon period included several promotional and seasonal initiatives. In 2007, the hotel staged Noggin Month with programming tied to Nickelodeon’s sister channel Noggin and appearances by Donovan Patton, known for his role in Blue’s Clues. In 2009, the resort introduced customizable wedding packages. In 2012, it promoted Hotel Transylvania through character appearances and dance parties. A 2014 event supporting Dora and Friends: Into the City! used preschool-themed activities and characters associated with several children’s television programs. The same year, the property introduced a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed laser maze. In 2015, the hotel marked its tenth year under the Nickelodeon name with weekly events running from March through November. The resort’s Nickelodeon identity ended in 2016. An announcement posted on January 29 stated that the property would return to Holiday Inn branding. The planned timetable was delayed, and Nickelodeon experiences continued until May 31, with the Holiday Inn rebrand taking effect on June 1. Before the transition, the time capsule associated with the former Nickelodeon Studios complex was moved to Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, California. Following debranding, the resort continued to operate as a Holiday Inn Resort but faced financial and tourism pressures. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a major decline in Orlando travel, and approximately 300 jobs were reportedly lost at the property in April 2020. On January 18, 2021, the debranded resort filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The available reference material does not provide a definitive account of the bankruptcy’s resolution, a permanent closure, or a subsequent ownership transfer. The property’s legacy has also been examined by Defunctland, whose 2018 documentary about the former Nickelodeon Hotel attracted millions of views and became one of that channel’s most viewed productions.
- 2021
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
[1]The resort files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 18.
- 2020
Pandemic-related employment reductions
[1]Approximately 300 jobs are reportedly lost as the pandemic reduces Orlando tourism.
- 2016
Returns to Holiday Inn Resort branding
[1]The Nickelodeon identity and associated experiences end, and the property is rebranded as a Holiday Inn Resort on June 1.
- 2011
Receives AHLEI guest-service designation
[1]The property becomes the first hotel to receive the AHLEI Certified Guest Service Property Designation.
- 2010
Recognized by AAA as a leading family vacation property
[1]Nickelodeon Suites Resort is named among AAA’s top ten family vacation spots.
- 2005
Nickelodeon-themed renovation is completed
[1]A reported $25 million renovation concludes, and the hotel begins its principal Nickelodeon-branded operating period.
- 2003
Holiday Inn and Nickelodeon announce a hotel partnership
[1]The companies announce plans to renovate and convert the property into a Nickelodeon-themed family resort.
- 1999
Original hotel opens
[1]The property opens on July 7 as Holiday Inn Family Suites in Orlando.
Products and positioning
Family-oriented Orlando resort accommodation combining multi-bedroom suites, waterpark facilities, and on-site entertainment near the city’s major theme-park destinations.
Accommodation · 1999
One-to-three-bedroom suites
The resort’s core lodging product consists of suites with one, two, or three bedrooms. This format is intended for families and groups who need more sleeping and living space than a conventional hotel room, and it remained central to the property across both its Nickelodeon and Holiday Inn Resort identities.
Waterpark facility
Lagoon Pool
Lagoon Pool is one of the resort’s two named waterplay areas and forms part of its on-site recreation proposition. The pool complex helps the property compete as a destination resort rather than merely serving as accommodation for visitors spending their days at nearby theme parks.
Waterpark facility
Oasis Pool
Oasis Pool is the second principal waterpark area identified with the resort. Together with Lagoon Pool, it provides an in-property family leisure option and is reflected in the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark name.
Resort entertainment · 2005
Family entertainment program
The resort has offered live family entertainment including game shows, character activities, and themed events. During the Nickelodeon era, notable programs included Nick Live, Who Knows Best, and a Double Dare-inspired show. The available material does not establish which branded entertainment remains after the 2016 rebrand.
Entertainment attraction
4-D cinema
The resort featured a 4-D film theater using SimEx-Iwerks technology. The attraction added an immersive indoor activity to the resort’s waterpark, arcade, and sports facilities, although the available source does not confirm its current operating status.
Events · 2009
Wedding packages
Beginning in 2009, the resort offered customizable wedding packages. This extended the property’s commercial scope beyond family vacations into hosted celebrations and event services.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Nickelodeon tenth-anniversary events
United States
The resort held weekly celebratory events from March 6 through November to mark its tenth year operating under the Nickelodeon name.
Outcome. The program served as a final extended celebration of the Nickelodeon operating concept before the following year’s rebrand.
- 2014Dora and Friends: Into the City! premiere promotion
United States
A preschool-focused event supported the premiere of Dora and Friends: Into the City! and featured costume characters associated with several children’s television programs.
Outcome. The event reinforced the property’s positioning as an entertainment destination for families with young children.
- 2012Hotel Transylvania promotion
United States
The resort promoted Hotel Transylvania with walk-around characters and film-themed dance parties.
Outcome. The promotion used the hotel as an experiential venue for a family film release.
- 2007Noggin Month
United States
A month of hotel activities themed around programming from Nickelodeon sister channel Noggin, including an appearance by Donovan Patton and distribution of Oobi-inspired plastic puppet eyes to guests.
Outcome. The event broadened the resort’s programming beyond its core Nickelodeon identity and connected the hotel with a wider portfolio of children’s television properties.
Brand decisions
2016
End Nickelodeon licensing and rebrand as Holiday Inn ResortStrategyBackground
The property announced that it would discontinue its Nickelodeon identity less than a year after celebrating ten years under that name.
Action taken
Nickelodeon experiences were extended through May 31, 2016, and the hotel returned to Holiday Inn Resort branding on June 1.
Aftermath
The resort retained its suite-based accommodation and waterpark orientation but no longer operated under the Nickelodeon-themed concept.
2005
Complete major themed-resort renovationStrategyBackground
The partnership required a substantial physical and experiential transformation of the original family-suites hotel.
Action taken
A reported $25 million renovation was completed, followed by a promotional reopening during Memorial Day.
Aftermath
The resort operated for approximately a decade as a prominent Nickelodeon-themed family hotel.
Reported renovation cost. $25 million (2005)
2003
Adopt a licensed Nickelodeon family-resort conceptStrategyBackground
Holiday Inn and Nickelodeon sought to create a branded family hotel while Nickelodeon avoided directly operating a standalone hotel after observing difficulties experienced by some competing themed ventures.
Action taken
The companies announced a partnership to renovate and relaunch Holiday Inn Family Suites as Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn.
Aftermath
The property became Nickelodeon Suites Resort and operated with Nickelodeon branding and programming from 2005 until 2016. Plans for additional Nickelodeon-branded hotels did not materialize according to the reference material.
Sources1 sources
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