Nickelodeon hotel: Where business and pleasure mix

In an unusual licensing deal, Nickelodeon and the Marriott Hotel chain are teaming up to launch a branded resort hotel geared for families and business travelers who have children.

Dubbed the Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott, the first hotel is scheduled to break ground at Liberty Station in San Diego in January 2008 and to open in early 2010.The 650-room hotel will be designed by the Gensler firm of architects and will include a 100,000-square-foot water park. The hotel will be designed with decor incorporating Nickelodeon icons like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants and plans call for opening up to 20 resorts throughout the world by the year 2020.

The top executives from both companies announced the venture at a May 31 press conference in New York City and described it as a good fit for both. “We’re here to unveil the next great chapter for Nickelodeon: connecting with kids and families everywhere,” said Judy McGrath, chairman and ceo of MTV Networks, which operates Nickelodeon. “It’s a terrific next step forward with a world-class partner for our booming recreation business.”

Marriott International ceo J.W. Marriott said the new resorts would help the chain attract a more diverse clientele. “Besides being a great destination for families, we believe these exciting properties will also attract younger adults and the young at heart,” said Marriott.

Millar Global Properties is also part of the venture and will have exclusive rights to develop and own the resorts in certain parts of the world. Both companies said they would explore other potential resort locations in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Australia.

On that same day, Warner Bros. Entertainment and the Universal Orlando Resort announced another unusual licensing deal that would put a “Harry Potter”-themed environment inside a Universal Theme Park.

Warner said the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is going to be a “theme park-within-a-theme park” at the Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla. The “Harry Potter” area is scheduled to open in late 2009 and will allow guests to visit some of the locations found in the books, including the Forbidden Forest and Hog-warts Castle.

“In Universal, we found the right partner whose unparalleled commitment will ensure that this is a world-class destination,” said Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products.