KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort (Gurnee, IL) Review

ABOUT:

KeyLime Cove is a Florida-Keys inspired family resort perfect for a quick getaway or just to relax.  It is just a short drive from Chicago or Milwaukee, and directly across the street from Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL.

Features:

• Kid-friendly hotel with 414 resort-style guest rooms and suites
• Waterpark is included with admission
• Includes 6 restaurants inside – from D.W. Anderson’s, an old-fashioned soda fountain, to The Crazy Toucan Margarita Grille, your thatched-roof oasis, as well as places for hot dogs, pizza, homemade fudge, ice cream, tropical drinks, and more.
• 10,000 square feet of entertainment including the RipTide Reef Arcade, Leapin’ Lizards artistic adventure spot for funky crafts and games, Pinki’s Pet Palace where the kids can make their very own pet, and much more.
• Paradise Mist Spa on premises to indulge in treatments like the Lava Shell Massage, Pure Fiji Paradise Glow, and Six Layer Deep Facial are guaranteed to remove stress and help you emerge feeling rejuvenated.

MY THOUGHTS:

We first stayed at KeyLime Cove last year (read post here) during Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America and couldn’t resist coming back.  We arrived at KeyLime Cove about an hour earlier than check-in and luckily a room was available so we could check-in right away, otherwise you can still enjoy the waterpark and walk around.  What I love though about KeyLime Cove is that you have to have a room to use the waterpark (there are a few exceptions during off-season) so it is not overly crowded with people just coming for the day, the people using the waterpark are all hotel guests.  When you check-in, each guest (children included) receive a wristband which allows access to the waterpark, you can then designate who can also have a room key and/or the ability to charge hotel purchases also on wristbands.  This is extremely nice because you don’t have to carry a room key or your wallet, just be careful!

  

Our room was nice, we had two queen size beds and a pull-out sofa, a TV, iPhone alarm clock, mini-fridge, and a bathroom, oh and a wonderful balcony!  The only flaw about the room was that the bathroom door was a sliding door with no lock so my boys kept opening the doors on whoever was in the bathroom!

The first thing we did was change into our bathing suits and head down to the waterpark.  You don’t need to bring towels or life jackets either as both are provided free of charge.  The waterpark is enormous to say the least (considering it is all inside a hotel!)  There are 65,000 square feet of activities inside the Lost Paradise Waterpark and the water is a nice 82 degrees.  The waterpark includes a Lazy River, 5 big waterslides (including the Hurricane Vortex), a few waterslides in Toukies Big Deluge (a big aquatic playground) a pool with basketball hoops, a hot tub area for adults, a wave pool, and a kiddie area with a gate to keep kids in!  There are also tons of lifeguards all over, ready to jump in if need be.

Out of everything available, I can’t even say where we spent the most time because we went from attraction to attraction.  My boys love the kiddie area which has three little slides and a shallow pool, I loved the gate which kept kids from going in and out.  We floated around Lazy river a few times which was a nice tour of the waterpark and very relaxing, even with the kids on us!  The lazy river also floats into the wave pool which doesn’t have huge waves but is still fun.  This year my sons (2 and 3 years old) were old enough to go on the bigger waterslides as long as they went with a responsible adult.  I thought for sure they would be scared since it is a double tube slide in the dark (the tubes actually go outside but you can’t tell when your in them!)  My boys said “More More” every time we went down the slides, which was a trek up to the top since there is a lot of stairs and I’d have to carry a tube and hold one of their hands.  My favorite waterslide though was the Hurricane Vortex.  I went on this numerous times with my 12-year old sister that came along.  You go down the slide and start going round and round like you were in a giant toilet bowl!  Everything though was great!

Other than the incredible waterpark there is so much more to do!  The Leapin’ Lizards is a hangout where there are toys, games, coloring sheets, and crafts you can do all for free!  There are a few crafts like pottery painting that you have to pay for but we didn’t had plenty to do with all the free stuff!  My boys colored, played Connect 4, watched kiddie movies, played with blocks and at night there was even Nintendo Wii tournaments.  There is of course an arcade, which is pretty big and has both regular arcade games and ones that you receive, tickets for playing.  We were able to cash out our few tickets for quite a few prizes, small but fun prizes!  It was tough though in the arcade because most machines require more than one token which adds up quickly.  We also had room charge on our wristbands so we could just walk up to a token machine and charge tokens; I wouldn’t recommend allowing your kids this privilege!

There are two actual sit-down restaurants inside, which are both good and reasonable priced.  One is a more adult restaurant where they have live-music some nights while the other is a very family-friendly restaurant with an ice cream parlor attached!  I do have to add to that they have a dessert served in a kitchen sink but it is huge and I have yet to try it.  The ice cream though is fabulous!  There are also four to-go type restaurants that serve hot dogs, pizza, dessert treats like homemade fudge and candy, and more.  If you wanted something else, there are plenty of restaurants in the Gurnee area to choose from.

I have heard good things about the Paradise Mist Spa but I have yet to have a chance to try it out!  The weekend I stayed at KeyLime Cove was actually their Fall Into Beauty Event that featured educational and inspiring topics and demonstrations in the Spa, but I unfortunately missed it.  The best part is that it was free as is many of the events and entertainment KeyLime Cove offers.

Overall, KeyLime Cove is one of my favorite spots for a quick weekend getaway.  It is only about an hour from my house and there is so much included in the hotel cost that you don’t really have pay for anything other than food and maybe some arcade games.  My sons are 2 and 3 years old and love it as does my 12 year old sister, so it really is fun for all ages – not to mention my husband and I get a kick out of it!  Walking around KeyLime Cove does feel like we are on vacation even though we are so close to home because of the fun, tropical atmosphere.  From little shops to restaurants, you really feel like you are walking around a tropical town or if you have been on a cruise ship it reminds me of that too.  I also want to add though that keep in mind that there is a $10 a night Resort Fee plus 13% tax, which made my bill higher than I expected.

VISIT: Check out the Key Lime Cove website for upcoming events and coupons/specials!

Mama’s Money Savers Disclosure:  I received a media rate for the nights I stayed at KeyLime Cove.  My opinion remains my own and I was not compensated in any other way.  Please see my Disclosure Policy.