“
Today, in medical care as in fitness, everyone wants to be cocooned. If we want to attract a new clientele of stays, we must renovate our structures and modernize the hotel industry
”, launches Jackie Helfgott, regional councilor, president of the tourism commission and of the Thermal Federation of the Grand Est, created in 2016. This year- there, the territorial redistribution made the Grand Est the fourth region irrigated with spring water, with eight stations: the lorraines Amnéville-les-Thermes (Moselle), Plombières-les-Bains, Bains-les-Bains, Vittel and Contrexéville (Vosges), the Alsatian Morsbronn-les-Bains and Niederbronn-les-Bains (Bas-Rhin) and the Champagne Bourbonne-les-Bains (Haute-Marne).
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Except that local customers, the majority, do not necessarily need to book a stay to restore their health. As a result, 4-star addresses can be counted on the fingers of one hand and no center has, for the time being, integrated accommodation. “
It's one of the big projects,
” says Jackie Helfgott. In fact, hydrotherapy has been undergoing a rejuvenation treatment for several years. Latest example: the takeover, at the beginning of March, of the Amnéville-les-Thermes thermal center by the Landes group Arenadour, heavyweight in the sector in its department with six centers frequented 90% by the whole of France. A dream for the Moselle site with 92% local followers. In addition to its updating, a strong marketing plan is announced.
The fountain at the Calodaé center in Plombières-les-Bains. J. Solvery
In Plombières-les-Bains, the Thermes Napoléon, an architectural gem, are ready to reopen after major renovations. In Bains-les-Bains, the spa, a former hotel bought in 1987 by the Thermal chain of the Sun, was completely renovated before the health crisis. Its Jean Prouvé building sits in a large park and has two 3-star tourist residences, admittedly not connected to the care center but close by. In Vittel, the rich thermal heritage of the Second Empire, listed as a historical monument, is next to a state-of-the-art spa of 2000 m². Already a regional pioneer of cryotherapy, he recently cast a new chill on his sensory journey with the creation of a “Nordic space” all of polar mist, Tempête and Gravity (an exclusive) and other Ice Cave, Ice Fontaine and Ciel shower. rain…
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Nancy Grand Thermal for 2023
In Contrexéville, its neighbor, the Covid-19 has delayed the birth of two integrated 4-star accommodation. But that's it, the plans for a 40-room hotel and a 40-apartment tourist residence have been approved, along with a gourmet restaurant. Already last year, this pioneering slimming treatment resort put wine in its water by setting up a wine bar under the Belle Époque Thermal Gallery. “
We are the Petit Poucet of medical treatment
,” explains director François Chalumeau.
Fitness, dietetic or not, represents 80% of our activity, and 30% of our customers are from Ile-de-France.
“For two years, they have arrived directly from Paris by TER.
Finally, in 2023, the Grand Est region will have a ninth resort: Nancy Grand Thermal. A beneficent spring gushes, in fact, in the Lorraine capital. During the Belle Époque, the beautiful people splashed happily in the superb round Art Nouveau basin to heal their joints. This swimming pool still exists, but without thermal water. This ravage of time will therefore be repaired. “
In addition to the construction of new buildings and an aqualudic center, we are going to renovate some of the old buildings, the work is in progress
”, specifies François Werner, vice-president of the metropolis, in charge of the development of the project. This also includes two restaurants and an integrated 4-star tourist residence. And Nancy will become the first large spa town with a center open all year round.
More information:
Explore-grandest.com
From getaways to cosmetics
Question resourcing, the department of Vosges knows a radius between its beneficial waters and its omnipresent forest.
FORêT the Vosges effect is precisely the name of the brand imagined by the departmental council in order to promote these natural assets and the resulting know-how.
Three types of offers are stamped: stays with a choice of 27 addresses, hotels, guest houses, campsites, unusual accommodation;
themed hikes, wild plant-based treatments provided in thermal centers (Contrexéville, Vittel, Bains-les-Bains, Plombières-les-Bains) and the spas of partner hotels, where other local plants, such as edible ones , flavor the restaurant menu.
These proposals cover the whole of the department as well as the Alsatian side of the Vosges massif.
They are also the subject of six all-inclusive getaways (stay + one “experience”), renewed each quarter.
This spring, a new range of FORêT effect Vosges cosmetic products was launched (online sale on their site).
These days, the brand should finally, eleven years after its creation, have its dedicated site.
For the moment, this woody concept is detailed on tourisme.vosges.fr in the chapter “Recharge your batteries”.
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