ANTHÉNEA CREATES A FLOATING SUITE "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY”
The concept of this company, based in Lannion in the Côtes-d'Armor region of France, which markets fully-equipped, 100% autonomous, zero-impact, zero-emission floating suites, has won over a number of luxury hotels. |
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ANTHÉNEA CREATES A FLOATING SUITE "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY”
The concept of this company, based in Lannion in the Côtes-d'Armor region of France, which markets fully-equipped, 100% autonomous, zero-impact, zero-emission floating suites, has won over a number of luxury hotels. |
Category: Worldwide - Suppliers
- Providers
Article written by Guillaume Chollier on 2024-03-07
Lying on the waves, Anthénea, a strange flying saucer, leaves no one indifferent and arouses curiosity and questions. This unidentified floating object, which offers a 360-degree view of the sea, catches the eye and beckons you to climb aboard to discover its innards.
Inspired by a film in the James Bond saga, The Spy Who Loved Me, in which 007, on a mission in Sardinia, escapes from an underwater base in a floating capsule, this 50 m2 suite meets the standards of the finest luxury hotels. With a height of three metres when the parasol is deployed, revealing a comfortable solarium for a dozen people, the impression of space is striking.
The brainchild of Jean-Michel Ducancelle, a naval architect in the 1980s, the adventure really began in 2012, when he teamed up with Jacques-Antoine Cesbron, an industrial refrigeration engineer. It took seven years of research and development to make the dream of 100% autonomy, zero impact and zero emissions a reality. This floating flat, measuring 9.20 metres in diameter, incorporates a concentration of technological innovations that make it self-sufficient not only in electricity, produced by photovoltaic panels on the roof, but also in drinking water production and wastewater treatment, using a quadruple filtering system for grey water and an electrolysis system for black water, which enables clean water to be discharged. Highly stable thanks to an ingenious ballasting process, Anthénea has, in addition to its peripheral underwater portholes, a central well that acts as natural air conditioning for the cabin. As for the bathroom, it is equipped with a bathtub measuring one and a half metres in diameter, allowing either freshwater or warm seawater baths. Installed in 48 hours, Anthénea generates no disturbance and requires no work. "Anthénea suites require no land-based infrastructure or networks to operate, and can safely accommodate unmoored and discerning visitors in any sheltered coastal location, without any environmental impact. They consume only solar energy and discharge only clean water. They play a key role in decarbonising the hotel industry", Jacques-Antoine Cesbron tells Le Journal des Palaces.
It took seven years of research and development to create the first 100% French prototype, manufactured in Lannion (Côtes-d'Armor). Anthénea is aimed at luxury hotels that are always on the lookout for new experiences for their guests. "These hotel suites, with their unique design and high added value, enable their occupants to discover the marine and underwater environment with complete respect for the environment. They are Bureau Véritas-certified floating properties or motorboats. They offer accommodation in places with no energy or water. They allow you to discover the environment, the sea, with total respect for it. They provide immediate visibility for the hotel operator. They promote a virtuous image, both for the operator and its guests. They produce a 'wow' effect for everyone who discovers them", explains the entrepreneur. These floating flats could be grouped together to form truly eco-responsible and self-sufficient resorts, and are a real alternative to houses on stilts, which are fixed underground, damaging coral, algae and fauna.
For those with an adventurous spirit, Anthénea is equipped with two silent electric motors, enabling it to explore inaccessible coves or deserted beaches. The floating capsule is approved for category C, which means two-metre waves and winds of up to force 6. Several versions are currently available: spa, business, lounge and open. A new family version, called 'Atoll', with five to seven berths and a large outside terrace, is currently under construction.
Available, fully equipped, from €420,000 excluding tax, these floating saucers are linked by 24-hour remote surveillance to the operator's technical department, as well as to the technical platform at the Anthénea plant. "Antifouling is recommended every five years, and the interior linings can be easily refurbished," adds Jacques-Antoine Cesbron, adding that discussions with hotel groups are under way. "We'll be announcing shortly the destinations where the next models of Anthénea will be delivered," he says mischievously. While a suite will soon be at anchor in France, managed by Anthénea Booking, an online platform that will enable you to book a stay on this aquatic capsule, the first examples of Anthénea are currently floating in the crystal-clear waters of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman. Two first-rate showcases that will showcase this innovative concept that Her Majesty's most illustrious secret service spy would not disavow.
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