A new high-end hotel for the heart of the Le Mans 24 Hours racetrack

Posted in News on 30 June, 2025

The AW2 agency, headed by associate architects Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux, is designing a new high-end hotel in the heart of the Le Mans 24 Hours racetrack.

At the initiative of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, creator and organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a 4-star hotel on the edge of the circuit is set to open by 2027. Backed by the private investment company Virage 5, this high-end hotel designed by AW² will feature 104 rooms and suites, a restaurant, and a large panoramic terrace overlooking the Bugatti circuit and the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans track.

AW² architecture & interiors, led by partner architects Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux, signs the design of a new high-end hotel located in the heart of the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit

The project is being developed by ADIM Ouest, the real estate development subsidiary of VINCI Construction. Construction began in February 2025, with the hotel scheduled to open in Spring 2027.

AW², led by partner architects Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux are the architects behind the design of the new hotel. The foundation stone ceremony of the new 4-star hotel on the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit was held on April 28, 2025.

The hotel will be located within the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit

An exceptional location
The hotel will be located within the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit and will offer an immersive experience for motorsport enthusiasts and visitors attending special events. Positioned at the Esses de la Forêt turn, it is fully integrated into the economic and sporting momentum of the city of Le Mans.

A Contemporary and Immersive Architectural Project
Designed as a “landmark,” the building features a refined and eco-friendly design that will blend harmoniously into the landscape. The architecture, inspired by the circuit’s grandstands, has been conceived to offer breathtaking
views of the track.

The project is based on a mineral base integrated into the natural slope of the terrain and consists of two main volumes:
• The main building houses the rooms and suites with balconies, a VIP area, a bar, and a large terrace overlooking the track.
• The second building includes a ground-floor lobby, the restaurant, and a stepped roof designed for spectators to watch the races.

A subtle and refined interior design
The rooms, in ochre and deep red tones, combine modern comfort with elegant style. The minibars, designed to evoke car bodywork, add a vibrant touch of color to the space. The suites offer an exclusive experience, with direct views of the circuit and a refined design that blends intensity with sophistication.

The hotel will feature 104 high-end rooms and suites, including a VIP Suite with a direct view of the track. Comfort and the use of noble materials such as wood, leather, and metal are all carefully chosen to provide a unique luxury experience.

A venue for multiple events
The building has been designed to host a variety of events, such as conferences, product launches, and seminars. Its large panoramic terrace and private grandstands offer total immersion during the races. In addition, VIP areas will allow for the organization of exclusive receptions.

A sustainable approach to enhance the experience
The hotel’s architecture follows a sustainable approach, emphasizing ecological materials and harmonious integration into the environment. The use of locally sourced FSC-certified wood and low-carbon Exegy® concrete helps reduce the building’s environmental footprint while ensuring high performance in terms of sustainability.

The hotel’s energy performance exceeds current standards by 20% thanks to the adoption of innovative solutions such as wooden mesh façades, solar protection systems, and dual-flow ventilation. These technological choices provide excellent energy management while enhancing the building’s natural and aesthetic character.

This sustainable approach also extends to water resource management. The hotel is designed to optimize water use through permeable flooring, water-saving fixtures, and rainwater harvesting. Furthermore, the infrastructure promotes soft mobility by facilitating access to public transportation, encouraging bicycle use with dedicated parking areas, and including charging stations for electric vehicles.

By integrating these eco-responsible practices at every level, the hotel is not only a place of high-end comfort but also a committed player in environmental preservation. It offers an immersive and respectful experience within the natural surroundings, providing guests with an environment that is both luxurious and mindful of the local ecosystem.

A strong environmental commitment
As part of this initiative, several concrete measures have been implemented to strengthen the hotel’s commitment to sustainability:
• Biodiversity: Conservation of 27 trees, transplantation of 5 healthy trees, indepth ecological assessment, and installation of wildlife shelters.
• Water Management: Use of permeable surfaces, landscaped swales, and water-saving fixtures.
• Air Quality: Use of eco-friendly paints and low-impact building materials.
• Energy Efficiency: Enhanced insulation, dual-flow ventilation, and systems independent of fossil fuels.
• Responsible Construction Site: Waste management, pollution reduction, and raising team awareness about sustainable building practices.
• Sustainable Mobility: Easy access to public transport, dedicated bicycle parking, and electric vehicle charging stations.

Timeline and outlook
The 4-star hotel project follows a strict timeline to ensure its opening before the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Construction began on February 17, 2025, with initial earthworks and site preparation. This phase was essential to stabilize the construction platform, given the site’s sloping topography.

By mid-March, the earthworks were completed, allowing major structural work to start at the end of April 2025. This phase, extending until February 2026, will see the building’s structure rise from the foundations to the upper floors clad in wood.

Simultaneously, the installation of the building envelope and technical systems will begin at the end of 2025, marking the start of the finishing and interior fit-out phase. The goal is to complete all construction work by early 2027, leaving time for the installation of furniture, catering equipment, and other essential hotel operations elements.

This ambitious but carefully managed schedule aims to offer visitors an immersive experience in the world of motorsport from the moment they arrive.

Team

• Investor: VIRAGE 5
• Client: ADIM Ouest
• Design and Project Management:
Architect and Interior Design: AW² architecture & interiors
Construction Manager: Artelia
Sustainability Consultant: Dervenn
Façade Engineering: RFR
HVAC/Fluids Engineering: HMC Conceptions
Metal Structure: ALBYR Structures
Concrete Structure: Structures Nord-Ouest
Roadworks and Landscaping: SO.DE.REF Développement
Acoustics: Lamoureux Acoustics
Kitchen & Laundry: Conception Cuisine
Fire Safety: Pyrallis
Building Inspector: Qualiconsult
Health and Safety Coordinator: Qualiconsult

About AW²
AW² is an international architecture and interior design studio led by partner architects Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux. For over 25 years, Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux have both played active roles in the company and are personally involved in the architectural design of all projects, from the scale of the architecture down to the furniture. AW² is present in Paris, Montpellier, Geneva, and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

With projects in 40 different countries, the studio has accumulated a wealth of experience that is internationally recognised for the quality of the projects. Luxury hotels and high-end interiors now form a major part of their portfolio. AW² has also successfully completed other types of programme, such as schools, private residences, offices, facilities, and wine cellars in the Champagne region.

The studio has received several awards over the years including the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award and King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award for Banyan Tree AlUla, the FD100 Award for Six Senses Crans-Montana, nomination for MIPIM Best Hospitality Project for Banyan Tree AlUla, the MIPIM Best Hotel Award for the Six Senses Con Dao resort, the Build Architecture Award for Best International Architecture & Design Studio – Paris, and four nominations for the AFEX Grand Prize in French Overseas Architecture for Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam, the Lycée Français in Amman, Jordan, Ani Sri Lanka & Art Academy in Sri Lanka and Kasiiya Papagayo eco-lodge in Costa Rica.

Our approach
Our approach to design is more an open working process rather than a strict theoretical or stylistic framework by which we abide. For us, architecture is more a question of method than style. The basis of this approach is first and foremost an ‘open’ approach to the project, founded on the notions of idea and context.

AW² designs projects in the most eco-responsible way possible, minimising the use of fossil fuels and favouring the use of local products and resources, with a view to achieving internationally recognised certification wherever possible.

The studio’s work can be articulated around four key steps:
1. Intelligence of place, or understanding the site in all its richest characteristics
2. Context feeds the idea, or knowing how to read the cultural, environmental,
programmatic and economic context
3. Bio-sourced materials, or using the most immediate resources
4. Architecture as a response, or designing projects that respond to both the problem
and the context.