Kaatsheuvel, Monday, 20 October 2025.
Efteling confirmed earlier this month that the Efteling Grand Hotel will open inside the park perimeter in October 2025 — the park’s first full-scale luxury property located within its historic walls. For retail and hospitality professionals this signals a deliberate move to internalise lodging revenue, extend guest dwell time and drive higher per-guest spend through IP-led theming and bundled packages — the most intriguing fact being the hotel’s placement inside the protected park envelope. Expect expanded yield-management levers via packaged stays and smoother attendance peaks, but also new operational constraints: permitting and construction within a heritage site, altered access and transport planning for Kaatsheuvel, and elevated recruitment/training needs for premium service. Immediate priorities for operators and investors include modelling incremental spend versus day-visitor economics, adjusting distribution and packaging strategies, and aligning park flow logistics with hotel check-in and F&B capacity to protect guest experience and maximise yield.