The US$136m (£70m, 80m euro) Key Lime Cove Water Resort indoor water park in Gurnee, Illinois, has opened to the public.

Themed as a tropical town, the 30-acre attraction comprises a 65,000sq ft (6,40sq m) water park, a Paradise Mist-branded beauty spa, 414 resort-style rooms, a 8,000sq ft (750sq m) themed arcade and a range of restaurants and cafés.

The resort is owned and operated by Dave Anderson, the man behind the Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que and Rainforest Café restaurant chains.

According to Anderson, the Gurnee resort is the first of what will become a worldwide chain of water parks.

Rides at the park were supplied by Richmond, Canada-based Whitewater West and include a wave pool, two giant 500ft-long body slides, two giant tube slides, a lazy river and a range of children’s rides and pools.

“Key Lime Cove isn’t just a water resort, it’s a tropical town complete with the best of everything for all ages,” said Anderson.

The park is among the first in the US to be completely ‘cashless’, thanks to RFID (radio-frequency identification) wristband technology.

Guests will be able to access their rooms and lockers with the band, as well as buy food and pay for arcade games.