The projected 1,500-room Gaylord Rockies hotel and conference centre in Aurora, Colorado, US is to include an extensive indoor/outdoor water park, according to an announcement by developers RIDA Development Corp. of Houston.

The US$25m (€18m, £15m) plan envisages two water slides and a range of pools, plus a family play zone, a lazy river and a 'Colorado hot springs' experience.

RIDA says the 1.9m sq ft (176,500sq m) resort - situated on an 85-acre site to the east of Denver, costing at least US$800m (€585m, £480.5m) and to be operated by Marriott International - is expected to attract more than 450,000 new visitors to Colorado annually.

The Gaylord brand focuses mainly on the conference and convention business and RIDA president Ira Mitzner says: "A water amenity should encourage convention attendees to bring along family members, resulting in longer stays in Colorado."

Construction and design of the new resort will be in the hands of Minneapolis-based Mortensen Construction and HKS Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas.