Top European theme park to close its on-site hotel next year for major revamp
A THEME park in Europe, which is often dubbed the “Dutch Disneyland” by visitors, will close its on-site hotel next year for a major revamp.
Located in Kaatsheuvel in The Netherlands, Efteling features over 30 rides and attractions, including Danse Macabre, its latest ride.
The Efteling Hotel will shut its doors on January 6, 2025, and will remain closed until mid-April.
This is because major renovation works will be taking place on the ground floor.
When the theme park’s hotel reopens in the spring, it will be renamed Efteling Wonder Hotel.
The news of its temporary closure comes after several of its rooms were renovated in 2021 and its exterior was given a makeover in 2023.
Earlier this year, the Dutch theme park new themed suite at the hotel – its first new addition in eight years.
The Droomvlucht Suite was inspired by a ride at the theme park.
It has enough space to sleep up to five people, with a huge four-poster bed, bunk beds and a magical sleeping area.
The fairytale theme continue inside with flowers and trees built throughout, as as well as a “Swamper keyboard” kids can play.
Also inside is a private bathroom, coffee machine and mini fridge.
The suite starts from £555 per night, working out to £111 per person.
Prices include breakfast and two-day passes for Efteling.
Nicole Scheffers, Director Park & Resorts commented: “With the opening of the Efteling Grand Hotel in 2025 on the horizon, we wanted to position our very first hotel even more clearly.
“The Efteling Wonder Hotel stands out from our other overnight stay locations through strong theming.
“The hotel, with its boundless wonder, is our very own floating castle of fairytales.”
Last month, Efteling opened a new haunted Danse Macabre ride to coincide with Halloween.
The new ride was part of a €35million (£29.2million) investment by Efteling.
Located in Huyverwoud Forest – a new themed area in the park – the ride is a large turntable, which is topped with six smaller turntables that can accommodate 108 visitors each time.
The large turntable will rise, fall, twist, turn and tilt like a spinning coin, before falling flat to mark the end of the ride, with its ride system thought to be a world-first.
Day tickets for Efteling for anyone over the age of four range from €38 (£31.80) to €51 (£42.60), depending on the day of visit.
Kids under three go free, with discounts for school trips and larger groups.
To get to the park, Brits can hop on a Eurostar service from London St Pancras, and then drive an hour from Amsterdam.
Otherwise flights to Eindhoven are around £14 with Ryanair, with the park around 30 minutes by car.
The fairytale theme park hopes to expand its offering even more in 2025 with the opening of a new “royal gazebo”.
What is it like to visit Efteling?
The Sun’s Catherine Bennion-Pedley visited last year – here’s what she thought of it.
One of our fave rides was Symbolica.
Each carriage can choose the theme of their adventure – music, hero or treasures, with interactive challenges to match – but you all join the magical banquet hall at the end, where flamboyantly dressed characters waltz around you.
Meanwhile, over at the ornate 100-year-old Stoomcarrousel, you can hop on a pig instead of a horse if you fancy.
Later, slide down a polar bear in Fabula – another perfect rainy-afternoon hideout.
Days at Efteling come to a close with the music, light and fire show around the lake.
From there it’s a 15-minute wander to the Loonsche Land Hotel.
Here, kids can borrow an owl teddy for a sleepover and write in its diary.
Come morning, breakfast is a cute spread with ceramic flowerpots to fill up with granola and yoghurt, plus a wooden toy corner.
We’ve found an affordable theme park which you can get to by train from the UK, which recently revealed it’s new dinosaur themed ride.
And here’s the tiny theme park in the middle of a city which was said to have inspired Disneyland.