Since it's becoming more apparent that Cedar Fair wants to turn Carowinds into a multi-day vacation destination, I think the park's next hotel should feature an indoor water park a la Castaway Bay. Here's my concept for what I think it should be:
THE GRAND APPALACHIA Themed to a ski resort, The Grand Appalachia would be Carowinds' first non-chain hotel. It would fill the lot of the park's premier hotel, one's that's not necessarily five-star, but has more amenities than Springhill Suites (i.e. balconies, water park, spa. restaurant, etc.). The hotel would contain around 200 rooms, bringing Carowinds' total room count above 300. The exterior would be similar to Disney's Wilderness Lodge at WDW:
sdj1310.jpg (782.02 KiB) Viewed 12846 times
It would be located on the empty plot of land next to Cabela's, with the water park facing the highway for visibility from I-77:
Hotel2.png (1.6 MiB) Viewed 12846 times
The water park, continuing the theme of a ski resort, would have an aesthetic similar to Blizzard Beach at WDW:
4_Waterparks_BlizzardBeach-620x330.jpg (161.49 KiB) Viewed 12846 times
The water park would only be exclusive to guests staying at one of the resorts at the park (i.e. The Grand Appalachia, Springhill Suites, and Camp Wilderness), with Appalachia guests getting early entry into the water park. In terms of attractions, I think something in the vein of what
Castaway Bay already has would work well. Especially something like Rendezvous Run, since there isn't a water coaster in either NC or SC:
The water park would help in driving overnight stays during the last part of the year (Winterfest), and keep revenue coming through the offseason. It could turn a two-day visit to a three-day visit with Carowinds and Carolina Harbor occupying two days on their own. It's also an attraction in and of itself, so it wouldn't necessarily need to piggyback off of Carowinds. So I think a hotel with an indoor water park would be a smart move, if another one is on the way.