It’s still a construction site today, but in a few weeks’ time, Weiswampach will have a brand-new hotel complex right on the lakes, complete with hotel rooms, a bar and restaurant, seminar rooms and a wellness area. This ambitious project, called Anatura, is the work of the Lamy Group, a Belgian family-owned group active in construction, property development and tourism, which already operates on the other side of the border as well as in France. “This is our first project in Luxembourg under the Anatura brand,” explains Jordane Lamy, managing director of the Lamy Group. “Discussions with the municipality began in 2018, construction started in 2020 and today we are in the home stretch.” For the region, it also means the prospect of around 50 new jobs.
A 90-room hotel
Initially, Anatura will be a four-star superior hotel with 90 rooms and suites, all with lake views. The rooms come in a range of formats, from standard rooms to studios with kitchenettes, as well as wellness suites with hammams and jacuzzis, family rooms and connecting rooms.
The special feature of these rooms is that they are not owned by Lamy Group, but by a group of co-owners. “Each room can be purchased, for an average price of €400,000,” explains Walter Borauke, secondary residences & investment advisor for Lamy Group. “They are then let through the hotel, which takes care of all the property management.” As for the return on such a property, this is estimated by the team at around 5% a year for a room occupancy rate of 70%. For the Lamy Group, this is an excellent way of financing its projects, which are substantial investments. For Anatura, the investment budget is around €50m, meaning more than half of the project is financed directly by the sale of rooms.
In the years to come, the hotel will be supplemented by lodges built around the lakes. However, these will not be available for sale, as their lifespan is too short to be sold to a third party.
A menu by a 2-star chef
In addition to the hotel, the Lamy Group has taken a major step forward with its restaurant offering. They have called on Yves Mattagne (chef of the two-star Michelin restaurant La Villa Lorraine in Brussels), who has designed all the menus to be offered at Anatura, whether for the Sensa restaurant, the bar where you can order dishes to share, the hotel breakfasts or the catering for the seminar rooms.
“I’m self-taught,” explains the chef during our visit, “and my cooking is inspired by my native Belgium, French cuisine and the cuisine of the many countries I’ve had the opportunity to visit.” Indeed, before settling in Brussels, the chef worked for Hilton and the SAS group, now Radisson, for whom he opened no fewer than 19 restaurants around the world. His cuisine is therefore marked by flavours from every continent. “Our aim here is not to offer cuisine as elaborate as that of a two-star restaurant, but to bring to the plate the authenticity of the taste of the products and a combination of flavours that astonish the taste buds,” says Mattagne, who has not forgotten to create a few dishes for children, and even for dogs.
On a day-to-day basis, it won’t be Mattagne in the kitchen, of course, but chef Valentin Beck, formerly of Ma Langue Sourit, who has a fantastic working tool at his disposal here: an incredibly well-equipped kitchen, as we were able to see during our visit.
During the summer months, a refreshment bar will also be available around the lake. The wellness centre will also have a dedicated menu.
The idea behind Anatura is to offer an experience that connects with nature, allowing our guests to recharge their batteries and enjoy a break in the great outdoors.
Activities in nature
Between now and the end of the year, activities will be added, including a 2,500m2 Cinq Mondes wellness centre, “the largest in the country for a privately-operated centre,” explains Denis Marchal, general manager of Anatura, as well as a cable park on the lake and a tree-climbing circuit in the forest.
These activities will be open to both hotel residents and the general public, and will all be operated by the Lamy Group, which already runs adventure parks in Belgium. “The idea behind Anatura is to offer an experience that connects with nature, allowing our guests to recharge their batteries and enjoy a break in the great outdoors,” says Lamy.
This connection with nature and local roots is also reflected in the architectural direction of the building, which was designed by Valentiny Architectes of Liège. The building is integrated into the site through a play of volumes marked by horizontal bands that create a link between the expanse of the lakes and the slender trees of the forest that borders the site.
Businesses also targeted
In addition to the activities on offer for families, Anatura also intends to add a new dynamic to its MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) offering. “The hotel is equipped to accommodate up to 240 people who can come here for seminars, company parties or team-building activities,” explains Sophie Kinnen, groups & events sales manager for Anatura. “We have a vast 500m2 modular space to accommodate them, with all the audiovisual equipment they need, and a complementary range of catering and fun activities for moments of relaxation. We also have a rooftop and a library that can be reserved for groups.” And for those wishing to stay overnight, the hotel’s rooms are available to accommodate them.
The seminar room, which is still being renovated, can be divided into four modular areas. Photo: Céline Coubray
“We already have a great deal of experience with this type of complex,” explains Lamy. “Our Golden Lakes centre, on the shores of the Eau d’Heure lakes in Wallonia, for example, has already welcomed 1.4m visitors and more than 24,000 seminarians.”
For the time being, the work must first be completed, but it is highly likely that this project, which initially raised the hackles of the local residents because it was built in place of the campsite, will meet with the approval of lovers of outdoor activities while staying in a top-of-the-range setting.
This article was originally published in .