Merlin Entertainments

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Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd
Type Ltd
Founded December 1998
Headquarters Poole, Dorset, Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Key people Nick Varney (Chairman and Chief Executive)
Andrew Carr (Chief Financial Officer)
Industry Amusement Parks
Products Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park, Heide Park, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Centres, The Dungeons, Seal Sanctuaries, Warwick Castle, The London Eye, Legoland
Employees 13,000 (2007)
Parent Blackstone Group
Website www.merlinentertainments.biz

Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd is the biggest operator of amusement parks and other attractions in Europe, and the second largest operating globally after Disney.

Headquartered in Poole, Dorset, England, Merlin Entertainments operates over fifty attractions in ten European countries, as well as USA, China and Hong Kong. Its success has been underpinned by strong partnership arrangements with both public and private sectors, with organisations as diverse as Disney and the Worldwide Fund for Nature.

Contents

[edit] History

In December 1998, Nick Varndon and the senior management team of Vardon Attractions completed a management buyout of the company to form Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd. Incorporated in 2004,[1] Merlin Entertainments is majority owned by private equity company Blackstone Group.

[edit] Tussauds

In March 2007, Merlin Entertainments agreed to buy The Tussauds Group for £1 billion. Merlin Entertainments and Tussauds together attracted 30 million visitors during 2006 and employ more than 13,000 staff. After the acquisition, Dubai International Capital will hold 20% of Merlin Entertainment.[2]

The merger with Tussauds was completed on 22 May 2007.[3] The Tussauds Group as a separate entity has ceased to exist, with control of its attractions, including Madame Tussauds, the British Airways London Eye, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park passing to Merlin.

[edit] Freehold sales

On 17 July 2007, Merlin sold the freeholds of Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle and Madame Tussauds to private investor Nick Leslau and his investment firm Prestbury[4]. Although the attractions are owned by Leslau, they continue to be operated by Merlin, leasing each back on a renewable 35-year lease. Chessington World of Adventures (the fifth Tussaud's attraction) was not included in the deal.

[edit] PortAventura

As of 2007, negotiations have reopened into the repurchase of Spain's PortAventura resort, which was built by Tussauds in 1994-5 and operated until 1998, when it was sold to Universal Studios. It has since been resold to Spanish banking group La Caixa.

[edit] Brands

[edit] Resort Theme Parks

  • Gardaland - the biggest theme park in Italy, with 40 rides, 10 major shows, a 247-room hotel spread over more than 60 acres
  • Gardaland Water Park - the water park in Italy situated just outside Milan
  • Alton Towers - Britain's largest theme park and resort, with over 40 rides, 2 hotels, a water park, conference centre and spa
  • Chessington World of Adventures - family-orientated theme park located near London, over 20 rides, 6 major shows, a zoo, aquarium and new Holiday Inn Safari Lodge Hotel
  • Thorpe Park - The UK's second-largest theme park, with over 20 rides and attractions.
  • Heide Park - Germany's second-largest theme park, with 40 rides and attractions, 9 major shows, dolphin displays and a brand new hotel

[edit] Midway City Attractions

  • Seal Sanctuaries - operate from three centres: the National Seal Sanctuary, Cornwall; the Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary; the Scottish Seal Sanctuary at Oban
  • The London Aquarium - one of Europe's largest aquariums, located at County Hall on the South Bank (the aquarium will be rebranded under the Sea Life banner in late 2008)
  • Earth Explorer - a science based attraction, focusing on the way the elements shape our planet, based at Ostend, Belgium
  • Warwick Castle - the UK's most popular historical castle attraction located in the heart of Warwickshire
  • The London Eye - One of the world's largest observation wheels and London's biggest visitor attraction

[edit] Legoland Parks

[edit] Hotels & Business Centres

Merlin owns and operates five hotels across Europe:

  • Alton Towers Hotel, Staffordshire, England
  • Splash Landings Hotel, Staffordshire, England
  • Hotel Legoland, Billund, Denmark
  • Port Royal Hotel, Soltau, Germany
  • Gardaland Resort Hotel, Lake Garda, Italy
  • Alton Towers Conference Centre, Staffordshire, England

In addition, the group owns and operates the Alton Towers Spa at the Alton Towers Resort, and owns the freehold of the Holiday Inn Chessington, which, for operational purposes, is operated by Holiday Inn. A sixth hotel is planned to open in 2010 at the Gardaland Resort in Italy.

[edit] References

  1. ^ WebCHeck - Problems
  2. ^ BBC NEWS | Business | Tussauds firm bought in £1bn deal
  3. ^ Merlin Entertainments, leading name in location based, family entertainment - A New Force in Global Leisure
  4. ^ BBC NEWS | Business | Alton Towers sold in £622m deal

[edit] External links