Converted A380 hotel invites you to spend a night in the cockpit suite
The clock may be ticking on the A380, but a new hotel conversion is keeping the dream alive – and you can sleep in the cockpit.
By Chris Ashton, February 8 2022
While most travellers prefer to spend as little time as possible onboard an aircraft, plans to transform an A380 into a hotel in the French city of Toulouse - home of superjumbo manufacturer Airbus - might be enough to change our minds. And it could be open as early as 2024.
Dubbed Envergure, or ‘wingspan’ in English, the ambitious ‘three star plus’ hotel and restaurant is the idea of former-Airbus aeronautical engineer Frédéric Deleuze, who spent 15 years at the renowned aviation company, and esteemed French real estate developers Groupe Duval.
The hotel will be located in the northern section of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, close to the city’s Aeroscopia aviation museum and the MEETT Toulouse Exhibition and Convention Centre.
With 31 cosy guest rooms spanning two decks of the aircraft, including a one-of-a-kind suite within the cockpit, the hotel is an opportunity to experience a piece of aviation history – and spend a night aboard the world’s largest aircraft - without your feet leaving the ground. Available in Standard, Deluxe and Suite categories – rather a missed opportunity to call them Economy, Premium and Business – rooms will feature a queen-size bed and private shower, as well as a small office space. The Cockpit Suite will also feature a king-size bed and bathtub, while a two-bedroom Duplex Suite at the rear of the plane will utilise the original staircase. Rooms vary in size from approximately 16m2 in the Standard to a more spacious 35m2 in the Suite, with pricing likely to begin at €100 (AUD $161) per night. Newly-released concept images also reveal a control tower-like building adjacent to the aircraft, which will house a 60-seat restaurant, as well as a large terrace overlooking the fuselage. More than simply an option of chicken or beef, the restaurant is expected to feature a high-quality bistro menu featuring local produce and designed with seasonality in mind. Deleuze credits an Airbus meeting on the environmental impacts of dismantling A380 as the idea behind the hotel, with the concept for the large-scale “upcycling” quickly taking shape. Throughout its 18 year production run from 2003 to 2021, a total of 254 superjumbos were built by Airbus. Emirates has been the largest A380 operator by far, with a total of 123 in its fleet. Despite the last aircraft rolling off the assembly line in 2021, it’s not the end of the story for the double-decker superjumbo: Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Emirates have been bringing some of their aircraft back into the skies after an extended period of hibernation. Still, if travellers do miss out flying onboard the A380 one last time, a night in the Envergure could be the next best thing.
A unique stay: the Envergure or 'wingspan' Hotel turns an A380 into a 31-room hotel.
A unique stay: the Envergure or 'wingspan' Hotel turns an A380 into a 31-room hotel.
A unique stay: the Envergure or 'wingspan' Hotel turns an A380 into a 31-room hotel.
01 Apr 2014
Total posts 114
Quote: "former-Airbus aeronautical engineer Frédéric Deleuze, who spent 15 years at the renowned aviation company"
Yet they still couldn't manage to draw a realistic landing gear in the artists impression, particularly the nosewheel.....
23 Jul 2017
Total posts 99
Waste not want not! What a great idea. If I were in the area it's a place I'd try to book for at least one night. I wasn't all that comfortable flying in the A380, but this is different. Well done, Frédéric Deleuze and French real estate developers Groupe Duval.
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