Highlighting one of Myrtle Beach’s largest resort renovations in the last five years, Crown Reef Resort will open a brand new waterpark for guests in late Spring 2014 with two enclosed 38-foot water slides, including the world’s first hotel “Explosion” slide. A popular getaway for families, Myrtle Beach was just named the No. 21 destination in the United States by TripAdvisor.com.

The two-person “Explosion” tube slide stands 38 feet tall and 278 feet long, pumping more than 2,500 gallons of water per minute. Meanwhile, the one-person “Twister” body slide towers 38 feet tall and 302 feet long, pumping 800 gallons of water per minute. The “Kiddie” slide sits 8 feet tall and 20 feet long. The area where the slides finish will be enclosed during cooler months and open during the warm seasons.

“The ‘Explosion’ is a two-person serpentine-style ride with many left-to-right turns in 54-inch enclosed flumes,” said Nik Paas of ProSlide Technology Inc. “There are tight radius, 360-degree turns where the fiberglass enlarges and explodes into a 72-inch diameter to provide a change of speed and direction and add an all-new experience to the ride.”

The water slides, along with a silly sub play area with water sprays, bucket dumps, etc., are scheduled to open later this spring along with a new pool bar and grill. Besides these new amenities, the resort already offers a 125-foot oceanfront pool, one indoor pool, three kid-size pools, 11 indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, and the longest oceanfront lazy river (575 feet) in Myrtle Beach.

The 20-year-old Crown Reef, an all-oceanfront resort that offers the most oceanfront rooms in the Grand Strand, is undergoing a $7.5 million renovation that began in late fall. All the new rooms are scheduled for completion this month in time for the spring and summer tourist season with one tower already available for stays.

All 514 of Crown Reef’s accommodations, which include rooms, efficiencies and suites, are being updated with new headboards, tables, lamps, bedding, balcony and hallway carpeting, bathroom mirrors, new wall finish and paint. The kitchens in both suites and efficiencies will have new appliances, granite countertops and a mixture of light and dark wood cabinets. Every unit also has an oceanfront balcony, a flat screen TV and all of the comforts of home.

A new Town Center, also scheduled for completion this spring, offers dining and entertainment with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop. It will include a casual restaurant, coffee bar, ice cream and sweets shop, and video game arcade and redemption center.

The resort also has a fitness center and 13,000 square feet of space for meetings, banquets, weddings and events for groups from 25 to 1,200.