A French theme park wins three international awards
France’s Futuroscope theme park has been recognized for the green credentials of its new space-themed hotel, winning more awards than any other park
Futuroscope won three awards – more than any other theme park – at the 2022 ParkWorld Excellence Awards, the industry’s “Oscars”.
The latest of the hotels in the Poitiers park, on the theme of the space colony, received an award for its environmental qualities.
The hotel is the first part of an investment program by the new owners of Futuroscope which aims to transform part of the site from a theme park into a resort.
Job creation project
Built by the Vienne department at the end of the 1980s as part of a job-creating project, Futuroscope quickly established itself as one of the main theme parks in France.
Visitors were able to enjoy futuristic buildings and high-tech rides, as well as an immersive 360-degree cinema.
Changes to local government meant it was difficult for councils to invest as much as needed each year to keep the park looking futuristic, and it was sold to private owners.
The Compagnie des Alpes ski resort company is the current owner.
The hotel, which offers double rooms from €220 a night and family rooms for four from €250, was built in two years and opened in time for the 2022 season.
During construction, guidelines were followed on points such as the installation of high quality insulation and the reduction of water consumption, which earned it the qualification of High Environmental Quality project.
Complete
Its 78 rooms were full throughout the spring and summer season.
Read more: France’s tourism sector largely back on track after years of pandemic
The judges praised the fact that the hotel’s parking spaces were all under solar panels providing 130% of the electricity needed to run the hotel during the day, with the excess being used elsewhere in the park.
In keeping with the space colony theme, guests are encouraged to use as little water and electricity as possible, and the hotel has a system to recover heat from the shower and power supply water cold rooms used in the restaurant.
The waste is separated in 12 different recycling or composting lines.
The restaurant is also themed, designed like a canteen on a space colony, with food ordered on screens and delivered, in functional steel bowls, via a system of conveyor belts.
The park’s Tornado Chasers attraction also received two awards for “Best Dark Ride” and “Best Product Innovation”.
The competition is open to theme parks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Futuroscope said its high season with 625,000 visitors in July and August was the best in 25 years.
It hopes to reach 2.1 million admissions by the end of the year.
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