The Mack family constantly strive to exceed visitor expectations at Germany’s largest theme park. We ask managing director Thomas Mack about Europa-Park’s foray into the world of health and fitness, with its Boston Red Sox Gym enterprise

Why did Europa-Park open a health club?
Since the theme park opened in Rust back in 1975, it’s steadily expanded: we welcomed 5.6 million visitors in 2017, making Europa-Park the second-most visited tourist attraction in Germany.
This growth has made it necessary to add accommodation in order for our guests to experience everything on offer.

The first four-star hotel, El Andaluz, was built in 1995, followed by four more (Castillo Alcazar, Santa Isabel, Colosseo and Bell Rock), and we now have capacity of 4,500 beds across the park. Another hotel, Krønasår, will open soon.

When we built the New England-themed Hotel Bell Rock, we had the opportunity to buy a neighbouring health club – the Boston Red Sox Gym. It was ideally positioned so we could make it part of the hotel.

Every element of our offering contributes to the quality of our visitors’ experience and the health club is now as important as any other element. People are getting much more fitness-conscious and like to have access to this type of facility while they’re on holiday.

What facilities does the Boston Red Sox health club offer?
On the ground floor there is a 400sq m (4,300sq ft) gym, with Technogym and Power Plate equipment; a dance studio offering classes including Zumba and yoga; and a spin studio. Personal training and EMS (electric muscle stimulation) training sessions are also on offer.

Because lots of our guests want to chill out after spending all day walking around the theme park, there are ample relaxation facilities, including a wellness area with four saunas and a steamroom, two chill out areas and a rooftop terrace with sun loungers. There are also indoor and outdoor pools.

Who can use it?
Hotel guests from any of the resort’s hotels can access the facilities and classes as part of their stay. Each four-star superior hotel also has its own wellness and spa area with treatments and guests can interchange between them, but the Boston Red Sox gym is the only health club at Europa-Park.

Memberships to the health club are also on offer to locals for €50 a month and Europa-Park’s 3,800 employees can buy a membership for €25 a month.

What are the challenges of operating within a theme park?
Other than maintaining good staffing levels in the gym – as sometimes people are unfamiliar with the equipment – it’s the same as a regular club. We’re keen to ensure all guests have a high-quality experience, so are constantly re-evaluating, investing and listening to customer feedback, with the addition of new training equipment to keep the facility up-to-date.

How does the health club complement the overall theme park offering?
It’s part of our drive to give guests more options, increase our service, lengthen their stay and provide a USP. The health club also helps to offset some of the resort’s seasonality, because memberships are sold all year round, and we use the club as part of the hook for our ‘Feel Good’ weeks, which we use to boost trading in the shoulder season.

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We ask Thomas Mack about Europa-Park’s latest foray – this time into the world of health and fitness. The German theme park’s Boston Red Sox Gym enterprise offers visitors time out to relax from the thrills while boosting off-season attendance with local members

Thomas Mack, MD of Europa-Park,Europa-Park, Boston Red Sox Gym, health and fitness