Great Wolf Lodge-LaGrange Now Taking Reservations (Atlanta, Columbus: how much, hotel, promotional)

[columbusboy8]

The Great Wolf Lodge folks are already taking advance reservations for its Atlanta/LaGrange location. All kinds of directions on how to get there---yet zero mention of it's proximity to Columbus, GA. A missed opportunity for our Columbus Visitors Bureau, which seems to continue the philosophy that if we stay silent (sans marketing our city), folks will someday, someway, find us anyway. Our hospitality folks also seem to be asleep at the wheel.

[JayHey]

Wait, help me understand, why would anyone in Columbus have any say on what the company puts on its website and why would they advertise another destination?

Columbus already has a great water attraction and uses whitewater as the tourism keystone.

I looked up where this place in LaGrange is, very surprised it's not anywhere near the lake, seems like a miss.

[amyers3]

This companies CORE location specs are simply to be near an interstate and accessible to many areas (Montgomery, Columbus, Atlanta, Birmingham) all in a central location. This is why they bill it as LaGrange / Atlanta. This will still bring great amounts of people to LaGrange and Columbus area.

[DWColumbus]

This sounds like a missed opportunity for the GWL From it's location it's going to be much closer to Columbus than Atlanta. The GWL should really focus on marketing this to the Columbus area too since they are at the edge of our area and it's our closest water park.

[columbusboy8]

Great Wolf Lodge is essentially a timeshare operation that also rents very nice rooms, with an indoor water experience for the whole family. My point is that many thousands of folks from all over the world will visit the Atlanta/LaGrange location. Most of them have probably never heard of Columbus, and they need to be made aware of what exists so close to LaGrange! We have a lot to offer---whitewater, zip lining, National Infantry Museum, Port Columbus Naval Museum, Coca-Cola Science Center, Pemberton House, Bradley Museum, Westville, Oxbow Meadows, the Liberty District, Uptown, Mid-Town, Ice Rink, etc., etc. True, most of the GWL visitors will likely choose to "do Atlanta" or simply just hang out in LaGrange the whole time they're here. Let's let them know about our city, and all that we have to offer, only about 45 minutes away! As the old saying goes, it pays to advertise.

[DWColumbus]

There are good ways to market things in Columbus to visitor of the GWL once it's opened. They could target placing Columbus GA bill boards nearby, have Columbus pamphlets in the check in office at GWL, and offer promotional tie ins such as a percentage off the cost of attractions here (Whitewater, etc) for GWL visitors.

[JayHey]

Sounds like the kind of hotel that will have a brochure stands in the lobby and I'm sure there will be a ton of Columbus area attractions represented.

[columbusboy8]

DWColumbus & JayHey, I sure hope you're BOTH right! Columbus already prints some very nice promotional pamphlets.
While we're at it, I'll put in a plug for the Hills & Dales Estate in LaGrange. It's very nice! Check it out!

[TheYoungProfessional]

We absolutely have to be more aggressive with marketing our city! I travel GA on a daily basis and it amazes me that so many people still don't know what all Columbus has to offer. This isn't the same city it was 20-30 years ago which seems to be the perception to many. I think we have a GREAT city, we just have to market!

[columbusboy8]

Columbus should definitely be marketed in Atlanta, for those who want a brief respite from the hassles of the Big City. Recently, I was talking to an Atlanta man who works at the Atlanta airport, and I mentioned how much Columbus has to offer visitors. He said he and his wife have talked about "checking Columbus out," but never seem to get around to it. He'd heard about the National Infantry Museum, but wasn't even aware of the whitewater or zip lining!! That says a lot! Columbus also needs to be marketed in national travel magazines, and in military magazines and newspapers as a great place to retire, and for military reunions!