Candy Corn Suite Offers Sweet Escape This Fall At Great Wolf Lodge

GURNEE, IL — If you love candy corn, a new family suite at Great Wolf Lodge will have you tickled pink. Or, more accurately, tickled orange, yellow and white.

In recent weeks, Great Wolf Lodge debuted its first-ever BRACH’S Candy Corn Suite at the popular resort and water park at 1700 Nations Drive, Gurnee. A suite is also available to book at the Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains, in Pennsylvania, this Halloween season.

BRACH’s officials told Patch that their surveys have found that 64 percent of Americans planning to celebrate fall enjoy eating candy corn. And while only 25 percent of the four people in our group staying in the suite in recent weeks also enjoyed the sweet treat, it was hard not to be impressed by our surroundings.

From candy corn headboards to an illuminated wall to a candy corn checkers game, BRACH’S design team “went through a number of creative iterations” before perfecting the room, said Chad Womack, director of seasonal marketing at Ferrara Candy Company.

“Our priority was to ensure the candy corn décor elements showed up in a fun, unique way that only BRACH’S could do,” Womack said.

The collaboration is a new venture for Great Wolf and BRACH’s, and the first time Great Wolf has ever partnered with a major brand, like BRACH’s, said Jason Lasecki, Great Wolf Lodge VP of Corporate Communications.

“This is BRACH’S first collaboration with Great Wolf Lodge, and we’re so excited to bring the Candy Corn Suite to candy corn superfans and their families,” Womack said. “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership for BRACH’S, and we were strategic on when to launch the suite. We knew we wanted to tie it to the Halloween season, knowing that’s when candy corn really has its big moment.”

Forest Park-based Ferrara Candy Company opted to bring their suites to nearby Gurnee, with hopes of drawing candy corn fans from Chicago and Milwaukee to Great Wolf this fall, Womack said.. Meanwhile, residents out east opt to get away to the Pocono Mountains for “its beautiful scenery” in the fall, making it a good spot for the second Great Wolf candy corn suite destination.

BRACH’s market research shows that 96 percent of candy corn superfans in the U.S. “enjoy participating in fall and Halloween activities” compared to 84 percent of all residents across the U.S.

And even if you are not a candy corn fan, the fully stocked pantry cart in the suite will provide you with more than enough candy to hand out this Halloween. And if you are not a huge candy corn fan, the cart also includes BRACH’s new “Mellowcreme” Autumn Leaves candy, which 100 percent of our group enjoyed.

Visitors to the suite also receive a membership to our BRACH’s Candy Corn Club so they can enjoy the seasonal treat year-round, Womack said. A V.I.P. parking spot allows for parking near the Great Wolf entrance.

Themed hotel rooms have been popping up across Illinois and the U.S. Earlier this year, USA Today editors shared their favorite offbeat themed hotels across the country, which included Big Idaho Potato Hotel in South Boise, Idaho; and Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida.

“Themed hotel rooms are a kitschy throwback to the ’70s and ’80s, a time when people were looking for an escape within driving distance,” Lesley Balla writes in the USA Today column.

Earlier this year, Motel 6 teamed up with Sony Pictures Entertainment this past year ahead of “The Garfield Move” premiere to appoint Garfield as the “first-ever Chief Pet Officer of Motel 6.” They also created Garfield-themed rooms at one of 10 family and pet-friendly Motel 6 locations, which were available through July.

“In this campaign, Garfield extended his reach beyond the big screen to help provide more insight on how to make traveling with pets easier and more importantly, fun,” said Motel 6 spokeswoman Haley Klein.

The rooms included orange fur and cat stripe-printed walls to animated plush pillows. Those staying could also enter for the chance to win four tickets to join Garfield on the orange carpet at the movie premiere in May, along with travel and a two-night stay in the Motel 6 Hollywood Garfield Immersive Suite.

For Great Wolf, themed rooms are also not new. In 2023, the resort offered its pumpkin spice-themed suites, which allowed guests to immerse themselves in the popular fall treat.

“One of the standout features of the Pumpkin Spice Suite is the delightful pumpkin spice aromatherapy. The room is infused with the comforting scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, creating an atmosphere that is both soothing and invigorating. It’s like being wrapped in a warm, fragrant hug of pumpkin goodness,” according to Great Wolf’s news release from last year.

Like this year’s candy corn suite, the pumpkin-spiced suite also offered up plenty of treats and special decor.

Regardless, Lasecki says this year’s partnership with BRACH’s has been “exceptional.”

“Great Wolf Lodge is a resort destination that is focused on bringing joy to families, and our friends at BRACH’S are all about moments of connection and celebration, so it’s been a lot of fun working together to create the BRACH’S Candy Corn Suite,” said Lasecki, adding that Great Wolf officials “are absolutely thrilled with the result and feel fans of both brands will absolutely love it.”

He foresees similar partnerships in the coming years.

“Yes, we’re all for creative partnerships that offer a unique experience for our guests and are actively exploring opportunities for 2025 and beyond. We’re not ready to spoil any surprises, so be sure to stay tuned on fun happenings at Great Wolf Lodge in the future,” he said.