The transformation of theme parks into resorts - Part 3

Europa Park: the multifaceted resort 

Having already looked at Disneyland Paris, let's turn our attention to Germany's Europa Park.

The first steps in hospitality 

The second most visited park in Europe, Europa Park has established itself as a major leisure destination over its 50 years of existence. Welcoming millions of visitors each year—6 million in 2023—the park had to develop a corresponding accommodation offer. 

While the German park’s adventure began in 1975, its first hotel did not open until 20 years later. The Hotel El Andaluz, as its name suggests, immerses visitors in a theme inspired by Spain, one of the park’s first zones. The opening of this first establishment marked a strategic turning point for Europa Park, initiating its transformation into a short-stay destination with an initial hotel project of 192 rooms. 

The Spanish-themed universe expanded again in 1999 with the opening of the Hotel Castillo Alcazar, offering 120 rooms. Connected to the park’s first hotel, this new establishment is inspired by a Spanish medieval castle, thus reinforcing the immersive narrative desired by the Mack family. 

A growing and upmarket portfolio 

A new hotel opened in 2003, the Colosseo, which this time pays tribute to Italy. It is the park’s largest hotel with 324 rooms and also stands out from the previous two by its upscale positioning. With the opening of this new establishment, Europa Park began the upmarket shift of its accommodation offer. 

This upmarket shift is reflected notably in the development of a wellness area within this hotel, and a similar space was added four years later in the Santa Isabel hotel. In the style of a Portuguese monastery, this fourth establishment is the first to adopt a holistic vocation. 

An approach reinforcing the park’s desire to move upmarket, as it no longer simply aims to...