28.03.2012
Off to new horizons!

Europa-Park builds a fifth hotel in maritime style

Proud and graceful, the red & white lighthouse will enthrone over the roofs of Rust as the emblem of the fifth themed hotel of Europa-Park Hotel Resort and guide the travellers into a safe “holiday harbour”. With „Bell Rock“, Europa-Park sets up a new flagship, symbol of the inexhaustible lust for holiday of the Europeans. Germany’s biggest theme park keeps on developing as a short break destination. With the new and consequently third 4-star superior hotel, Europa-Park transports a fascinating holiday atmosphere for people of all round Europe to the Baden town of Rust. Much like the Europeans, principally Englishman, who strove towards new horizons and adventurously sailed and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the past, the visitors can follow the steps of the founding fathers and explorers from summer 2012 in the new themed hotel “Bell Rock”. Destination of the trip: The cultural and historical cradle of the USA – New England.

A holiday atmosphere reigns over Europa-Park! From summer 2012, the visitors can go for a direct and comfortable trip to New England in Rust, avoiding a long and tiring cruise. They will only have to cross a river to reach “Bell Rock”, the fifth themed hotel of Germany’s biggest theme park. No need to cross an ocean indeed, only a little river, the "Alte Elz", which then flows into the Rhine and later on into the Atlantic Ocean, separates the old from the new world. To reach the new hotel, the explorers can use the motorway for a comfortable trip, regardless to the wind direction or the tides – they just have to fix the 35-metre high lighthouse as they come closer to their destination. 

Red & white striped and sublime, just like its model on the shore of Scotland, the hotel will tower at the southern side of the area and help the holiday-seekers to find the right course. Painted with light and fresh colours, the buildings constructed in colonial style are lined up to one another. The charmful ensemble, composed of the 4-floored and whitewashed main building and the six corresponding outbuildings, stands together harmoniously on a surface of 7,000 m² – directed to the South and always towards the sun. Already before stepping into the hotel, the visitors can easily guess its theme thanks to the typical wooden construction and the unmistakable roof form of the buildings: New England style. Take a portion of seafarer’s flair, add a bit of discoverer-spirit and a breeze of holiday-feeling and you will obtain the delicious English feel-good atmosphere of "Bell Rock". Light-flooded rooms and maritime accessories, mixed with high-quality antiques and abundant craftsmanship invite the visitors to sail away to the new world, the young America. 

The lobby and the corridors are decorated in typical New England shaker-style: a plain, puristic design, high-quality construction materials and precious wooden floors with clear lines convey the typical English atmosphere, simple but nevertheless elegant. No luxurious decoration or ornament in sight, the functionality of the furniture is the main focus. The crackle of the fireplace, a bookcase and greatly arranged window areas invite to rest for a while. 

The 225 family-friendly rooms of which 35 are suites are placed under the sign of the maritime New England style with opulent tapestry and light wood panelling. Flat TV screens, Wi-Fi and the refined bathroom offer far more comfort than the cabins of yore. The wooden floor and the adapted furniture complement the maritime flair. The 35 suites are all individually themed and integrate typical details referring to the several English colonies or contemporary personalities like for example Sir Francis Drake or Admiral Horatio Nelson. 

The highlights in the truest sense of the word are the six suites in the lighthouse. And the icing on the cake is the top lighthouse suite, which offers a 360° panoramic view over the Black Forest, the Breisgau and the French Vosges on two floors – a fascinating and unimpeded sight!

The building complex of the "Bell Rock", the maritime esplanade as well as the neighbouring hotel park and the parking-lot stretch across the 40,000 m² area. The esplanade, southern oriented and spacious, invites the visitors to go for splashy adventures in a maritime landscape and over 2,000 m² water area. The 300 m² ship-like pool area with indoor and outdoor pool and water playground will please young and old seadogs alike. The next door Europa-Park Fitness-Club offers 400 m² of training equipment, different saunas, women’s area and personal trainers. Those who would like to reload their batteries after tiring expeditions can have a relaxing rest at the wellness area. The neighbouring hotel park with fireplaces and authentic gas-lamps emphasises the seafarer flair at the unique coast landscape. Broad-leaved trees from New England line along the shore areas and invite to a pleasant stroll. 

For hotel guests as well as for visitors who would like to plunge into the New-England discoverer-atmosphere for a short while, the three integrated restaurants propose a wide range of culinary delicacies. The seafarers’ palates will be pleased with delicious specialities from New England in the premium buffet restaurant with integrated show-cooking areas and grills. Exclusive cuisine with gastronomic highlights awaits the guests in the fine-dining restaurant of the lighthouse with visible kitchen-area. The VIP-room under the restaurant area, the Havanna lounge and the café-bar with outdoor terrace complete the varied gastronomic offer of “Bell Rock”. Two maritime conference rooms with a total surface of more than 200 m² complement the Confertainment offer of Europa-Park, a concept initiated in 1998. They can host conferences, seminars or family feasts. 

The fifth themed hotel, with its location and theme, will be a perfect match to the existing Europa-Park Hotels. Already during the planning phase, sustainable construction technology was the focus of the project, regarding water and energy consumption. The heating of the building is obtained with a geothermal heat pump and complies with modern ecological and technological standards. The 4-star superior hotel “Bell Rock” will account for the high occupation rate of the existing hotels of Europa-Park Resort and the expected increase of international guests. The aim is to finish the building and its surroundings in less than one year until summer 2012. Furthermore, 260 new jobs will be created and the regional medium-sized businesses will be reinforced due to the numerous contracts granted to suppliers and artisans.