If you have kids (or are a big kid at heart!) then the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells area is a fabulous holiday destination. Unless you are lucky enough to live in the area you will need to find a hotel near the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark to stay at after a long day of fun in the water! Never fear, there are many hotels, suites & resorts in the Wisconsin Dells area that are conveniently located near Kalahari. Here are my reviews of some of the best hotels Kalahari is close to.
Best Hotels Near Kalahari Indoor Waterpark
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Wisconsin Dells
You can’t get closer to the water park than this! As the name would suggest, the Kalahari Indoor waterpark is in fact located on the grounds of the Kalahari Resort Wisconsin Dells and entry is free for hotel guests! You do not need to be a hotel guest to attend the water park though, it is also open to the public for an admission fee. The Kalahari Resorts & Conventions location in the Wisconsin Dells is a fun and kid-friendly hotel with African safari themed rooms throughout. You will also find the Tom Foolery’s Adventure Park on the resort property, a theme park and arcade with rides and games for kids of all ages. For family fun, this one is hard to beat!
Staybridge Suites Wisconsin Dells
Of all the other Wisconsin Dells hotels, the Staybridge Suites is tied for the next closest to the water park at just 0.61 miles. You typically get a buffet breakfast included with your stay which is nice, and you can easily walk or drive to the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark and Tom Foolery’s. For shoppers, you’re also located right next to the Wisconsin Dells outlet mall. It’s around the same price as staying at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions when you factor in the cost of day passes for the water park and theme park, however all of the suites include a kitchenette so you could save a lot of money by not dining out. Also handy if you have picky eaters in your party!
Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin Dells
This is the other hotel that is tied for second-closest to the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark. Also located within easy walking distance, the Great Wolf Lodge has the added bonus of having it’s own indoor water park! Now if you’re wondering which water park you should go to, may I propose visiting both while you are in the Wisconsin Dells area? And spend a day at Lake Delton too, while you’re at it. Especially in the summer time, I doubt any kid would be disappointed at the prospect of visiting two water parks! And if it’s not summer, well that’s the beauty of having indoor water parks, they are bad weather-proof. Great Wolf Lodge has a fun ‘summer camp’ vibe and decor that your kids are sure to love.
Mount Olympus Hotel & Water Park
If you hadn’t guessed by now, water parks are kind of a big deal in the Wisconsin Dells area. Honestly, there are a lot of them! But one that I would personally recommend visiting while in the area is Mount Olympus and it’s attached water park. Located on the far side of Lake Delton, it’s not the closest hotel to the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark but it’s one of the most interesting. Mount Olympus has a Greek theme and some truly unique waterslides and rides. There is Medusa’s Wheel which is the first rotating waterslide in America. Opening this summer (2024) is The Rise of Icarus which will be the tallest waterslide in the United States, and certainly the Wisconsin Dells area. Your bigger kids will love the thrill of the big slide (and think of the TikToks!), and there are plenty of milder slides and wading pools for the littler ones. If you’ve got a car, it will be no problem to drive to both water parks.
Holiday Inn Express Wisconsin Dells
For a more budget-friendly option, you can’t go wrong with a Holiday Inn. Although a little north of the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark, it’s still located in Baraboo and you can make the walk to the water park in 15 minutes. For those that are looking to do a quick overnight trip to the water park (and maybe Tom Foolery’s, which is open 2 hours later than the water park), I think this is a fantastic option that won’t break the bank. It’s a Holiday Inn Express, so you don’t get any fancy themed rooms, but you will get a clean and comfy bed and breakfast in the morning. The kiddos are going to be running around the parks until they drop most likely, they probably aren’t overly concerned with room decor.
Honorable Mentions
The following hotels are all perfectly fine as well, I just don’t feel they have as many unique selling points as the resorts & hotels listed above.
- Clarion Hotel Wisconsin Dells
- Ramada by Wyndham Wisconsin Dells
- Motel 6 Baraboo
- Hampton Inn & Suites at Wisconin Dells Lake Delton
- Tru by Hilton Wisconsin Dells
This is hardly an exhaustive list as there are plenty of hotels & resorts in the Wisconsin Dells area, but if your aim is to visit the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark I think these are some great options. The whole area is a lot of fun to visit and Lake Delton is great too. I hope to see you soon here in Wisconsin!