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Merlin Entertainments

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Merlin Entertainments 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. Incorporated in 2004,^[1] Merlin Entertainments is majority owned by private equity company Blackstone Group. 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. 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. 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, who it is believed^{[attribution needed]} are keen to enter consultation with Merlin for the resort.

1 Brands
2 References
3 External links

Brands

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
Alton Towers - the UK's largest theme park, with over 50 rides, 2 hotels, a water park, conference centre and spa
Chessington World of Adventures - family-orientated theme park located near London, over 50 rides, 6 major shows, a zoo and a brand new Holiday Inn Safari Lodge Hotel
Thorpe Park - The UK's second-largest theme park, with over 40 rides and attractions.
Heide Park - Germany's second-largest theme park, with over 50 rides and attractions, 9 major shows, dolphin displays and a brand new hotel
Park Anglia - The proposed 100 acre development on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, earmarked for opening in 2016.

Midway City Attractions

Madame Tussauds waxwork exhibitions - operating in London, New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and opening in Autumn 2007 in Washington DC and in 2008 in Hollywood
Sea Life Centres - 25 centres across the UK and Europe, including Disneyland Paris, mobile aquariums in Dresden and Nurnberg, the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham, Loch Lomond Aquarium, newly opened in Hanover and a brand new centre at Legoland in Billund, Denmark.
The Dungeons - the London Dungeon and its sister attractions in Edinburgh, York, Hamburg and Amsterdam
Seal Sanctuaries - operate from three centres: the National Seal Sanctuary, Cornwall; the Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary; the Scottish Seal Sanctuary at Oban
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 British Airways London Eye - the world's largest observation wheel and London's biggest visitor attraction

LEGOLAND Parks

Legoland - purchased in 2005 from the Lego Group group in Denmark, Lego continues to own 30% in the ongoing business. There are presently four Legoland theme parks: Legoland Billund in Denmark; Legoland Windsor in Windsor, England; Legoland California in Carlsbad, California, USA; and Legoland Deutschland in Günzburg, Germany
Legoland Discovery Centre - A new concept for 2007, the Legoland Discovery Centre in Berlin, Germany is a small, indoor version of Legoland, containing amongst other attractions a 'Dragon Coaster' and 3D cinema.

Hotels

Merlin owns and operates four hotels across Europe:

Alton Towers Hotel, Staffordshire, England
Splash Landings Hotel, Staffordshire, England
Hotel Legoland, Billund, Denmark
Port Royal Hotel, Soltau, Germany

In addition, the group owns and operates the Alton Towers Conference Centre and Spa at the Alton Towers Resort, and owns the freehold of the Holiday Inn Chessington, which, for operational purposes, is operated by Holiday Inn.