Nickelodeon To Bring Undersea Resort To Southeast Asia
by Jessica Montevago /
Viacom announced Monday it will take its Nickelodeon-themed resort brand to Southeast Asia with a new twist—an undersea resort and attraction in the Philippines.
The resort’s 70 hectares of accommodations and 30 hectares of attractions will feature characters from the children’s TV network, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It will also offer a one-of-its-kind dining experience, with underwater restaurants and lounges 20 feet below sea level.
“Creating immersive on-the-ground consumer experiences are increasingly important. Hence, growing the recreational and consumer products footprint of the Nickelodeon brand in Asia Pacific is a priority for us," said Mark Whitehead, president and managing director of Viacom International Media Network Asia Pacific.
The project is part of Coral World Park Undersea, a larger development that is expected to open over several phases beginning in 2018. The Nickelodeon portion is slated for 2020.
Spread across white sand islands that are 5 to 20 minutes apart by speedboat, the property will offer a multi-island experience that includes island-hopping, lagoons, hot springs, an animal reserve and diving amid shipwrecks. Coral World Park also will be home to the largest coral reef conservation program in Asia, as well as Asia's largest marine sanctuary for dolphins, sea cows, sea horses, turtles and whale sharks.
Nickelodeon opened its first Nickelodeon theme park in Asia, Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon, early last year in Malaysia. Last week, it broke ground on the first Nickelodeon resort in China, the Nickelodeon Cultural Resort in Foshan.