Combining scenography, decoration and multimedia, this completely renovated hotel creates a unique experience. Doping in passing his fill rate.
The circus theme was no longer successful. According to the management of this hotel, built in 2003 and located less than 5 km from Disneyland Paris, the Magic Circus has lost its appeal to the public. When international wealth management group Schroders buys this massive building in 2020, with two other neighboring addresses, the idea is to completely rethink the place to increase its allure power… and, of course, its financial results. In addition to the complete renovation of the 396 rooms, this includes a complete makeover of the common areas with a new theme. The investor’s idea is that visitors should be taken to imaginary worlds and immersed in them using multimedia.
Atmosphere Grand Budapest Hotel
Leave the red and yellow of the circus, make way for the Grand Magic Hotel, a place that doesn’t talk about magic and wizards, but simply creates magic. To carry out this project, which spanned two years, three companies joined their skills: Tétris design x build for the overall design of the spaces, Maison Numéro 20 for the decoration and the multimedia studio Moment Factory to create the immersive experience themselves. If this Montreal group (which now has an office in Paris) is also a regular in the entertainment world, this is their first achievement in the hospitality industry.
What does what bills itself as “Europe’s first immersive hotel” look like? From the entrance hall, the experience begins and you arrive in a cocoon dressed all in red, heavily influencing the decor of the Wes Anderson film The Grand Budapest Hotel. Bespoke lighting, decorations and curved furniture set the tone. It is Mr. Maurice, a fictitious person in charge of the places, who welcomes customers and accompanies them throughout their stay (in the digital portrait, in the resin statue and even with his mustache, which can be found in all the logos of the establishment). And after a dark airlock, we arrive at the heart of the experience in the “Grand Hall,” available in multiple shades of blue.
Through a series of arches adorned with a variety of screens, LED strips and subtly integrated speakers, visitors are immersed in turn in four different universes: one evoking French gardens, another an air world or even a forest pavilion, without forgetting an aquatic atmosphere of severity this blue environment. The perfect integration of the different elements creates a real trompe-l’oeil effect, which reaches its peak at nightfall. That’s good, it’s the period when returning customers arrive for much of Disneyland.
32 tons of steel
“That’s a real wow effect,” says hotel manager Guillaume Béchard. And since the place is very instagrammable, the pictures are circulating a lot on social media. We have come a long way, we who welcomed mainly groups in front of a dormitory hotel. Now the customers at the bar are like in a merry-go-round, they stay for a long time to watch the show.” Result: The occupancy rate has skyrocketed and with it the average prices. “This kind of unique installation was quite a challenge for us,” recalls Dominique Barlaud, director of hotel departments at Tetris. We had to start from scratch and coordinate everything in the midst of a health crisis. In particular, the resistance of the floors had to be guaranteed since the monumental arches housing the multimedia equipment represent 32 tons of steel. The installation also represents 1.2 km of LED tape and 110 speakers.
With the knowledge that the codes of the office and the company are increasingly mixing with those of the hotel industry and that Tetris also provides office space, we can certainly imagine immersive spaces in companies in the future. In addition, the Moment Factory is already creating immersive spaces for corporate reception halls, there is only one step left to get to the office. Tonic atmosphere in the morning, softer at the end of the day, festive to accompany the pots…