The hotel, east of Walt Disney World, will officially become the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites and Waterpark on Wednesday 1st June 2016, following Nickelodeon and Urban Commons mutually agreeing to not extend their partnership.
Lagoon Pool at Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida.
"To me it's kind of sad because that's what the kids love," said Lynne Lopez of Miami to the Orlando Sentinel. "I think the kids come here so they can experience the characters."
It was Lopez's second time staying at the hotel. She didn't know when she initially booked the weekend trip she'd also be saying goodbye.
Since last year, the 777-room property has undergone a major renovation, including the slow removal of everything green and orange, the colors that clearly distinguished the hotel as a Nickelodeon experience.
The $30 million renovation includes a total refurbishment of the lagoon pool deck, updating suites to a more neutral color palette and the end of all Nick experiences.
Most of the rooms have already been updated. Those that haven't will be completed by the end of the year.
Nickelodeon experiences like dinner with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, mass slimings on the pool deck and live performances of the networks hit Double Dare game show were originally scheduled to end in April 2016.
Guests enjoy the final weekend of the Nickelodeon Suites Resort. The hotel is rebranding and will phase out all Nickelodeon themes June 1st and become the Holiday Inn Resort. (Charles King / Orlando Sentinel)
Robert Soto, the hotel's director of entertainment and recreation, said the official rebranding was delayed to make Memorial Day weekend the hotel's final hoorah.
As part of the renovations, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Laser Lockdown is being rebranded as the Batman Laser Challenge, in which challengers having to navigate through a web of lasers as they train with Batman to protect the citizens of Gotham City from The Joker.
"We have seen lifelong Nickelodeon fans make the trek out here to experience Nickelodeon one more time here in Orlando," said Soto.
Guests enjoy the final weekend of the Nickelodeon Suites Resort taking photos with characters Milli and Geo from the cartoon Team Umizoomi. The hotel is rebranding and will phase out all Nickelodeon themes June 1st and become the Holiday Inn Resort. (Charles King / Orlando Sentinel)
Although Memorial Day has historically been a busy weekend for the hotel, fans flocked to be part of the final blowout, Soto said. He said the hotel was almost completely booked as of Friday night.
Soto, who has worked at the hotel for the last decade, said it's a bittersweet experience to say goodbye to beloved characters like SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.
Bidding farewell to other key Nick experiences is equally sad, said Soto.
"We have slimed and pied countless kids and families throughout the years," he said.
Employees who played characters will now be part of new entertainment activities under the Holiday Inn banner, said Soto.
Brec Bassigner's Awesome Fun Time Tour Of The Nickelodeon Suites Resort
Some people staying at the hotel this weekend were experiencing the hotel's messy brand of fun for the first time.
"Slime. I got to get the slime," said Samuel Boone, who came up from Miami to celebrate his stepdaughter's birthday. "I drove up here to get slimed. Four hours to get slimed."
Nickelodeon Suites Resort will hold their last mass sliming on Tuesday 31st May 2016 on the Lagoon Pool Deck.
When first learning of plans to close the Nickelodeon Suites Resort, guests flooded the hotel's phone lines with questions about the rebranding, with a important question arising from those most familiar with the hotel, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year: What will happen to the Nickelodeon Time Capsule, originally buried there in 2005?
"The time capsule will be moved to a Nickelodeon private business office and studio that is currently under construction in Burbank, Calif.," Deanna Padilla, the hotel's marketing manager, assured fans. The exact date for the move hasn't been determined, she said.
The capsule was originally sealed April 30, 1992, and buried at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Orlando. When that closed it was relocated to the Nickelodeon Hotel. Contents of the capsule include rollerblades, Twinkies, a copy of Nickelodeon Magazine and a jar of Gak, a gooey child's toy popular at the time, among other things. You can watch a fantastic video featuring the original burial of the Nickelodeon Time Capsule at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios, Orlando, below. Keeping with the original plan, the capsule will be opened on April 30, 2042.
Although the Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida will be closing, Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) recently opened Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana, Nickelodeon's first-ever international hotel property, which provides both non-stop family entertainment and Karisma's renowned Gourmet Inclusive® Experience. Nickelodeon fans can reserve their hotel rooms today at 1-844-SEE-NICK and www.nickresortpuntacana.com.
Nickelodeon Jacuzzi Pad at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana
Additionally, developer Kam Sang Co. recently announced plans to build the Nickelodeon Resort Hotel, a new 600-room, four-diamond resort on 10 acres with an expanded pool area, in Garden Grove in Orange County, California.
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#FarewellNickHotel, you'll be missed!
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