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Imagine checking into a hotel room inside an Airbus A380—yes, the actual plane. That’s exactly what Projet ENVERGURE is building in Toulouse. And it’s not some gimmicky hostel—it’s full-on luxury.
The plane they weren’t going to save
The Airbus A380 was a beast—double-decker, four engines, over 850 passengers in full capacity. It was the pride of commercial aviation… until airlines ditched it. Fuel guzzler, too big for most airports, and too expensive to run. So most A380s? Retired. Scrapped. Sent to boneyards.
That’s where Projet ENVERGURE comes in. They took one of these giants that was heading for the scrapheap and decided to turn it into something unforgettable: a boutique hotel and fine-dining restaurant, all inside the aircraft.
Where it’s all happening
It’s being built just north of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport—makes sense, Airbus’ backyard. You’ve got the MEETT exhibition center nearby, the Aeroscopia aviation museum next door, and an endless stream of aviation nerds, engineers, and travelers passing through. Not to mention business guests from Airbus and other aeronautical giants.
It's not some isolated roadside oddity. The location makes this more than just a novelty—it fits into the ecosystem of Toulouse’s aviation culture.
Not just a hotel—an experience
Projet ENVERGURE isn’t simply stuffing beds into a plane fuselage and calling it a night. The A380 is being reimagined from the inside out.
31 rooms. Two full suites. All carved out within the actual aircraft structure. The suites are where it gets wild. One of them is built into the cockpit. Imagine sleeping where pilots once sat, with panoramic views through that iconic curved glass.
Then there’s a duplex suite tucked into the back of the plane. It uses the original spiral staircase between the A380’s decks. No fake airplane vibe—this is the real deal, with creature comforts layered in.
Each room ranges from 16m² to 35m². Queen and king-sized beds. Private bathrooms. Not the cramped quarters you might imagine. The entire plane becomes a luxury shell, not a novelty shell.
The restaurant isn’t an afterthought
Most aviation-themed places drop the ball when it comes to food. Not here.
The restaurant isn’t in the plane, it’s next to it. In a building modeled after an air traffic control tower, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly at the aircraft. About 60 indoor seats, plus a terrace with views across the tarmac.
The menu? Bistronomy. Think local, seasonal produce done with finesse. No industrial shortcuts. No bland “hotel food.” It’s designed to match the setting: unexpected, elegant, and grounded in French culinary roots. And they’re taking it seriously—sourcing local, minimizing waste, and emphasizing fair working conditions.
Who’s behind this?
Frédéric Deleuze is the guy leading the charge. Airbus engineer, private pilot, and apparently not someone who does things halfway.
He’s not some developer chasing a gimmick. He knows aircraft engineering. He knows aviation culture. And clearly, he understands what it takes to turn a defunct plane into a working, comfortable building—without losing what makes the plane iconic in the first place.
It shows in the way the whole concept is designed. It's not just about recycling the shell—it’s about preserving the story, the scale, the feel of the A380, while adding the layers that make it livable.
The engineering headache this must be
Turning a 280-ton airplane into a building is a logistical nightmare. That’s not an exaggeration.
The plane’s structure wasn’t built for insulation or plumbing or heating systems. You can’t just bolt a boiler into the cargo hold and call it done. Everything has to be refitted—from climate control to drainage to Wi-Fi—without ruining the plane’s architecture or safety compliance.
And this isn’t being dumped in the middle of nowhere. It’s in an active airport zone. That means strict aviation regulations, security clearances, and noise control. Plus, it has to meet hospitality codes and aviation safety standards.
The team is working with architects, engineers, hotel consultants, and aviation authorities to make this fly (pun intended). It's not easy. But the complexity is part of what makes the project impressive.
Who this is really for
Yes, plane nerds are going to love it. But it’s not just for them.
Business travelers from the local aerospace industry, families visiting the museum next door, couples looking for something unique—it’s designed to attract a mix. The hotel has enough edge to be a bucket-list stay, but enough comfort and polish to be repeatable.
And it’s more than a hotel. The plane and restaurant together become a venue. Corporate events, private dinners, weddings. There’s potential for curated experiences like behind-the-scenes tours, themed stays, even tie-ins with flight simulators or museum visits.
It’s what good hospitality projects do—build a story that people want to step into.
It’s also pretty damn sustainable
Here’s the thing: this A380 was supposed to be scrapped. Hundreds of thousands of components dumped, recycled, or trashed. But instead of dismantling it, Projet ENVERGURE is upcycling the entire aircraft.
That’s rare. Most upcycled aviation projects use bits and pieces—seats turned into furniture, engines turned into art. ENVERGURE’s using the whole thing, intact.
The sustainability angle extends into the restaurant too: waste reduction, ethical sourcing, energy-efficient equipment. It’s not a greenwashing side note. It’s baked into the DNA of the project.
What it might cost
No official pricing yet, but don’t expect cheap.
This is a premium product. Rooms in converted transport icons usually start high—think €250 and up for standard rooms, maybe over €500 for the suites. And that’s fair. You’re paying for the uniqueness, the location, the story. Not just the square meters.
Plus, the restaurant alone could become a draw. You might not stay overnight, but people will come for the food and the view. The business model isn’t just beds—it’s atmosphere.
Where this could lead
If it works in Toulouse, it could absolutely scale.
There are retired A380s around the world. Not many—but enough to imagine a small network of aviation-themed hotels in cities with strong aerospace culture. Frankfurt. Dubai. Singapore. Even Paris.
But even if it stays one-of-a-kind, it’ll be a flagship. A case study in experiential design. A tourism magnet. And probably a favorite among aviation geeks, business travelers, and Instagram couples for years to come.
Final thought
Projet ENVERGURE doesn’t feel like a marketing stunt. It feels like a love letter to aviation, delivered in steel, glass, and memory foam mattresses.
It’s rare to see a project that merges this much ambition, technical challenge, cultural depth, and pure design storytelling. They’re not just saving an airplane. They’re giving it a second life people can actually walk through, sleep in, and taste from. That’s worth watching.
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