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The day after Thanksgiving, the Momma To Go family headed up to the Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark for a night of family fun. In two days of posting pictures on social media, I have never before received so many private messages! It seems EVERYONE in the tri-state area is curious about this new indoor waterpark that just opened in 2019! I am super excited to bring you a full review of the Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark.
Review of the Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark
What is the Kartrite?
You might be wondering, what is the Kartrite? And I think part of the mystery is this indoor water park is not another location in an established resort brand. It’s totally new!
The Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark is located in Monticello, New York. It’s about 90 miles from Manhattan, and 120 miles from where we live on the south shore of Long Island. Kartrite is located in the same complex as the Resorts World Catskills Casino.
The Kartrite opened in 2019 and is a family resort with a large indoor waterpark (along the lines of your Great Wolf Lodges or Kalaharis). The “theme” is modern and elegant, more of an upscale experience.
This is a resort – so in addition to the waterpark, there is a hotel attached, several eateries and other non-water activities. On our recent stay, we lodged for one night, and spent the better part of two days in the water park.
I should preface this review by saying we were not hosted in any way. We actually paid the full consumer rate. My kids loved their stay at the Kartrite and are already asking when we will go back! This was truly a great getaway that everyone enjoyed.
Kartrite Water Park Review
I will admit, when we first arrived, I though the waterpark seemed a bit small. But my kids LOVED each and every attraction, so definitely a case of quality over quantity.
There are four “bigger” waterslides. For one you have to be 48” tall, for the other three you have to be 42” to ride. Luckily baby girl is FINALLY over the 48” threshold, but for kids smaller than 42” you will be very limited on what you can ride at Kartrite.
My kids loved the four big slides – Time Warp, Krakken, Nor’easter and Jiggerty-Jaggerty. The wait times were not too long and they rode each one many times.
For smaller kids, there is a baby splash area, called Puddle Ducks, and then a Splash Park for all ages (with two waterslides) called Kartrite Island.
Additionally, there is a really nice lazy river (hubby and I spent lots of time here) and a hot tub, where you can swim out to the outdoor pool – which is open year-round! We loved this! It was so cool to be able to swim outside in the cold, December weather!
One cool attraction at the Kartrite is the Flow Rider. There is no charge to ride the Flow Rider, although when little man and I did it, we did have to wait about 30 minutes in line. We had done the Flow Rider in Grand Turk when we sailed on the ms Veendam, but it was like $50 a person to ride!
Lastly, there were two other water attractions at the Kartrite Water park – a lily pad crossing (same one we love at Fun and Sun Lagoon in Naples, Florida) and a basketball pool!
My kids loved the attractions in the waterpark. What I loved was that it was warm and tropical feeling inside the waterpark. I had read that you could actually catch a nice tan inside the Kartrite waterpark!
Around the edge of the waterpark are plenty of chairs to relax and put your belongings. On the first day when we arrived, we scored a few chairs near the baby splash area. The second day I went into the waterpark right at 9am to snag some lounge chairs behind Kartrite Island. The waterpark is small enough that hubby and I could relax on the lounge chairs, and let the kids go ride to their hearts content.
At the Kartrite Waterpark, there are also cabanas for rent. These looked really nice, outfitted with lounge chairs, a sofa, and a TV, but I believe a day rental was about $400 so a little much for just our family. This would be perfect if you were splitting the cost among a few families. There are cabanas along the edge of the waterpark, as well as up on the mezzanine.
The “upstairs” area of the waterpark, in addition to housing half of the waterpark cabanas, has a really nice, full-service bar called Bar Mez. We ventured up here to get virgin daquiris for the kids, and cocktails for the grown-ups. I have to say, the cucumber lemonade was amazing!
In addition to a bar, the water park also has a concession stand, with some decent food. You are not permitted to bring outside food or drinks into the water park, and they do check bags at the door. (I managed to sneak in a few bottles of water and some la Croix, I’m such a rebel, I know).
Lastly within the waterpark you will find changing rooms, restrooms and an area of lockers for rent. At the Kartrite, towels are provided (although I always bring my own) and each attraction is well staffed with lifeguards.
Rooms at the Kartrite
The Kartrite Resort features a full-service hotel. On our recent stay, we booked the least expensive room, a Junior Suite Double Queen. Like everything at the Kartrite, our room was really nice and new. When you entered the room, there was a bathroom to the left (with toilet and tub), and then immediately to the right there was a sink and vanity.
The room had two queen beds, and a sofa that pulled out to sleep a total of six guests.
Additionally, the room had a desk, mini-fridge, microwave, closet and large television. The room was perfect for one night of sleeping between waterpark trips.
Rooms at the Kartrite range from the standard Junior Suite that we booked, all the way up to three bedroom suites. Some rooms feature balconies or ground floor patios -which would be a nice amenity in the warmer months.
Kartrite Resort Restaurants
We definitely visit indoor water parks for the winter time water fun, but having nice places to eat, and drink are definitely a plus when visiting a resort like the Kartrite.
The Kartrite has several eateries on property, and on our recent trip we did not go off-property for meals. We stopped for lunch on the drive up to the Catskills, so our first meal at the resort was dinner. For dinner at the Kartrite, there are several options:
Eat, Eat, Eat – this is the buffet located on the lower level. The buffet is open for breakfast, and dinner.
Bixby’s – This is the fancier looking eatery located on the lobby level of the Kartrite. We opted to eat here, but the wait time was 90 minutes! Definitely make a reservation if you want to dine at Bixby’s.
Wallbanger’s Pub – this is where we ended up having dinner. Wallbanger’s is located on the lower level, and is adjacent to the bowling alley and part of the arcade. At Wallbanger’s there is a large bar, with dinner tables around. To eat here on our visit, we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. We had burgers, salad, and the kids had pasta and fries. Worth noting that there is a kids’ menu at the Kartrite resort restaurants, however, only the main menus are posted online.
We enjoyed the food at Wallbanger’s and there is a good variety on the menu. Having the full bar, and nice wines and cocktails to enjoy was definitely a plus for the parents. Also, Wallbanger’s offers full sized pizzas- both to dine in and take out.
Other eateries at the Kartrite:
Surfside Grille – Since you cannot bring food or drinks into the waterpark (and trust me, they check your bags) if you want to grab a bite to eat, you get a meal or snack at the Surfside Grille.
The Surfside has pizza, bowls, chicken fingers and fries, nachos and other small snacks. I thought the food we had for lunch was decent, and not too overpriced for an indoor waterpark.
Highline – This is the coffee shop located in the hotel lobby. Hubby did go to get breakfast here in the morning, but he mentioned the line was really long.
NOTE: The only places to have breakfast at the Kartrite are the buffet, or the coffee shop. There is a Keurig in your hotel room, and a microwave where you can make oatmeal as well. For trips like these, we bring cereal, Nutella sticks, and protein bars to have an easy (and cheap) breakfast in our room.
Mez – This is the bar on the mezzanine of the waterpark. This is a great little retreat to sit, have a cocktail and relax like you are on a tropical vacation! I love a good cocktail and I highly recommend the cucumber lemonade! This drink was outstanding. The kids also loved the virgin daquiris and Pina coladas they make here!
Pop’s Sweet Shoppe – Located between Wallbangers and the arcade, there is a cute little sweet shop where you can get cupcakes, gelato or bulk candy. This is also where you can purchase smore’s kits to use at the fire pits!
Other Things to do at the Kartrite
The waterpark at the Kartrite is open all day (hours vary) but even my kids can’t spend countless hours in the water! On our recent visit, we finished up at the waterpark around 6, went back to our room to shower, and then ventured out for dinner at Wallbanger’s, and some non-water entertainment. There is definitely a lot to do at the Kartrite besides the water park!
Kartrite Arcade – Second to the waterpark, my kids love an arcade, and the one at the Kartrite was no exception. The arcade at the Kartrite is really nice, clean with a large variety of games. A little more expensive than I would like, but we bought each kid a $25 game card, which did last a little while. They also came out with redemption prizes that they loved, and we all got to play games like air hockey and foosball together as a family.
Kartrite PRO-TIP: There are additional arcade games located behind Wallbanger’s pub.
Ropes Course – I was pretty impressed with the size of the ropes course at the Kartrite! The ropes course was very similar to the one we enjoyed on our Norwegian Getaway cruise! (My kids also loved visiting ropes courses in Montreal and at the Orlando Tree Trek). This was a great indoor addition to our stay at the Kartrite. It costs $12 for each kid to climb, and they were up there for about an hour.
Remember to bring closed toed shoes if you want to do the ropes course.
Climbing Wall – Next to the ropes course is a rock climbing wall. We gave our kids the choice to do the ropes or wall, so we will have to save this activity for our next visit!
Bowling – Located inside Wallbanger’s there is a two lane bowling alley. Again, we ran out of time to do this, maybe next time!
Smore’s at the Fire Pit – The outdoor courtyard area between the waterpark and the hotel is outfitted with great Adirondack chairs and a whole bunch of fire pits – which seemed to be lit 24/7. This makes the perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors and roast up some smore’s! Remember to pick up your smore’s kits at Pop’s Sweet Shoppe.
Kartrite Water Park Day Pass
We loved our stay at Kartrite, but if you would like to visit the waterpark, but do not have plans to stay the night, you can purchase a day pass called a splash pass.
Should you visit the Kartrite Resort?
Our kids loved their visit to the Kartrite! They tell me it was their favorite vacation ever – of course they seem to most like their most recent trip!
Actually, we all enjoyed our stay at the Kartrite.
Some tips for visiting the Kartrite Resort
- Book online at their website, you can see the pricing which tends to be less during the week.
- I also think one night is plenty. Hotel check in is at 5PM (and check out is at 10AM) but you can use the waterpark and enjoy the resort each day of your stay
- When you arrive, have a waterpark bag packed. If you arrive before your room is ready, you can store your luggage and head to the waterpark to start enjoying!
- When you check in, each guest will receive a wristband. This contains your room key, is your waterpark ticket and can be used to charge things around the resort. NOTE: Even though you can still use the resort after you check out, at this time you can no longer make charges with your bracelet (this is common at indoor waterparks, I learned this the hard way to Great Wolf Lodge)
- The water park at the Kartrite provides towels (and you can take as many as you would like) but I also like to bring my own. (Don’t forget your towel clips as well!)
If you are looking for a one-night getaway this winter (or summer as well – you can enjoy all sorts of hiking in the warmer months) I would definitely recommend heading to the Kartrite! Have you been to the Kartrite Resort and Waterpark?
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This looks like a fun getaway! I’d spend a lot of time in the lazy river, too! It looks like there is a lot to do!
the lazy river is my jam!
Wow, this looks so fun! I have never been to an indoor waterpark, even though we have a few fairly near us since we aren’t far from Gatlinburg.
I haven’t been to a water park in forever, it has to change soon, ASAP, I love that you can visit this in winter too.
Yeah in the summer I like to do outdoor things, although most of our indoor parks have outdoor activities.
Sometimes, we prefer smaller parks… It’s not as overwhelming. It’s cool that this park in indoors and you can visit even when it’s cold.
yeah, Kartrite is quality over quantity. Its not huge, but the kids loved all the attractions. Plus it felt manageable in terms of letting the kids (10 and 8 at the time) just go on the slides themselves.
We love water parks! Hubby and I will have to plan a special trip to enjoy this one. We can’t wait.
we love them too! We have a few more that we would like to try
This looks like such a fun family trip! I’ve never been to an indoor water park.
they are great – esp for our long winters up north!
This is up my street! I absolutely love water parks and the lazy river is my favourite one. The pictures definitely bought this place alive and it looks like a place for a good escape on a wet day.
You should check it out! Wasn’t too bad a drive for us
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
This was a super awesome and detailed! And yes, it reminds me a lot of the Great Wolf Lodge brand. I love that the rooms sleep 6 comfortably, and without having to pay extra. It’s nice to see another resort/waterpark brand pop up!
All I can say this is a brilliant marketing idea to open an indoor water park where people can go year round. And seems like Kartrite Resort is a great place to be during cold season. I always enjoy a lazy river myself, so I would do it, too.
yeah its a great spot. I think its the biggest indoor waterpark in NY state