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Do you know what you want to be? Some years ago, while we were meeting with a large and prestigious international hotel chain, we were surprised to find, even they were confused about the differences between hotels and resorts.   At the time, we were programming a project which had all the makings of a resort, but they seemed to think the differences were purely semantic and not substantive. While it’s true that there can be a vast difference between a hotel and a resort, the terms may be mistakenly used interchangeably.

In our opinion, the word “Resort” is one of the most misused words in our industry.  To present themselves in a better light, many hotels have miraculously become resorts overnight, simply by changing their name! The buyer is smarter than that! Even more so today. Although they may not know with words, they know, and demonstrate their knowledge with their pocketbooks.

In an attempt to clarify the issues, we present the following graphic to explain what we believe are differences between hotels and resorts.  You will see the differences are not only semantic, but also physical,  experiential, and economically qualitative and quantitative.  Perhaps we can help you decide what you want to be?

A Master Plan for an attraction, such as a Theme Park or Water Park, a Museum or Resort, is a written and graphic statement as to a hoped-for vision to be achieved within a certain time frame. Master planning is not just physical planning or site planning. Although it is true that the results of master planning lead to a physical plan, the process should take into account far more than physical criteria. Such criteria should also include economic, market, or financial information, political or governmental criteria, construction criteria, and most importantly “guest experience criteria”. Attraction projects are projects within which the public, as the end-user or guest is essentially buying an experience.

In addition, a true master plan looks at all aspects of a problem through time. It states today’s existing conditions, including problems, issues, wants and needs, and at the other end of the time spectrum it points a direction by stating what can and should be tomorrow’s vision. It then fills in a series of steps over time, called “phases”, depicting future conditions which are consistent with that stated vision.

Each set of criteria is graphically shown on a drawing, diagram, or other written document, so that a team can participate in the creation, review, and production of the projects vision. 

Michael Lee Design has a great understanding of all the criteria necessary to produce master planning for the various attractions including, Theme Parks, Waterparks, Museums, Cultural Centers, Learning Facilities, and Resorts. If you have any questions regarding a Master Plan for your attraction project please contact Michael Lee Design.

Our definition of “story” is perhaps slightly different than what is traditionally meant by the word. Story is central to the development of an attraction. Attractions, as the name implies, are places to which people go because there is a drawing power, a magnetic attraction, sometimes nearly magical, but able to be measured and analyzed with numbers, a process invented by Harrison Price. But it is not really just the physical place to which people are attracted…it is to the “experience” they will have by being there. Some places have a type of magic or feeling or spirit that is the real draw. Although there are buildings, although there are exhibits, or shows, it is really the feelings that make the experience, which makes the attraction be magnetic. Take a Broadway musical for example. The theater is not unimportant, but it is just the stage upon which the show takes place. The people are there for the emotion, the spectacle, the learning, the respite, the renewal… in short, the experience. In our business, this is the “story”. It may be written like a narrative, or a novel, or like a fairy tale, but if it is successful, it is always more than words. It is feelings, it is movement, and it is aromas. It is usually visual or, if possible, all of the senses. Indeed the more senses involved, the more people are immersed in the experience and the more they find the experience enjoyable. This has application in many industries. In the world of computers they use the expression, “first software, then hardware”. The software in our case is the story.

Below is a simple diagram explaining the evolution of “Story”

Michael Lee Design specializes in Attraction Charrettes for Theme Parks, Water Parks, Museums, Cultural Centers, Resorts & many other types of attractions. Here you can find a document that explains what an Attraction Charrette is for and what it provides.

“One of the most productive and cost effective techniques for evaluating the market and economic potential of a proposed public attraction project is the ATTRACTION CHARRETTE. It is normally a two-day brainstorming session, and its purpose is to fully explore the entertainment/exhibition/recreation/attendance potential of a development opportunity. In addition, a charrette also establishes preliminary financial and investment criteria by which the proposed project’s viability can be evaluated. The result of the charrette is a multi-disciplined overview of the project – its objectives, its themes and attraction/exhibition/presentation elements, its target audience, its location and market area. The charrette is a front-end tool to assist the client in assessing development opportunities; establishing rough order of magnitude development parameters including annual attendance and project sizing requirements; and identifying a rational investment target based on estimated operating revenues and expenses.”

You may abtain the full explanation document here.