Year in and year out, tourists flock to France’s Quiberon Peninsula. Famous for its jagged coastline, sandy coves and dramatic ocean views, this narrow point draws families for the beach, surfers for the waves — and others for the cure.
Nestled near the peninsula’s tip is the Sofitel Quiberon, a five-star resort dedicated to “thalassotherapy” — the power of the ocean to heal. Taking advantage of its setting on the Atlantic, the Sofitel Quiberon offers its guests a wide variety of seawater experiences, from the comforts of an outdoor jacuzzi to the rigors of a cold-water plunge.
For maximum effect, the integration of sea and spa in this special environment should feel seamless. But sophisticated technology is required to keep raw seawater flowing through a complex installation at carefully controlled temperatures. Furthermore, salt water is highly corrosive. The same mineral content that gives ocean water its special appeal is guaranteed to wreak havoc with metal plumbing.
Sophisticated automation from GF Piping Systems helps the Sofitel Quiberon make the most of its spectacular setting.
At Sofitel Quiberon, process automation with GF Piping Systems provided a robust and sustainable solution to these challenges. With flow meters, transmitters and corrosion-free thermoplastic butterfly valves from GF, managers gained the reliable, centralized control they need to make the Quiberon experience truly exceptional.
The saltwater cure
“Thalassotherapy” (“cure by the sea”) is a popular form of alternative health care in France. As defined by the International Thalassotherapy Federation (and as regulated under French law), a “thalasso” center must be located in close proximity to the shoreline, in areas protected from industrial contamination. Treatments must use natural seawater and/or natural marine substances such as mud or algae. Care is provided by specially trained staff under medical supervision.
The Sofitel Quiberon was originally founded in 1964 by renowned cyclist Louison Bobet, the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years. A native of the region, Bobet felt he had benefited from thalassotherapy in his recovery from a career-ending automobile accident in 1960. The resort was acquired by Accor in 1984, becoming the centerpiece of its “Thalassa Sea and Spa” brand.
To give guests the full benefit of “thalassotherapy,” the Sofitel Quiberon’s semi-Olympic swimming pool contains seawater heated to 82° F.
Left: Made of durable, corrosion-free thermoplastics, the Butterfly Valve 565 from GF Piping Systems is 60% lighter than metal alternatives. Taking into account its 3x longer expected lifetime, the 565 also contributes 75% less in terms of greenhouse gases. Right: Flow meters from GF Piping Systems give technical managers at the Sofitel Quiberon the feedback and control that they need.
Today, the Sofitel Quiberon offers seven different pools and 80 private treatment rooms. Guests can enjoy healthy meals made with local ingredients, or choose spa treatments based on marine mud or seaweed. But the pride of the place belongs to the seawater itself. Throughout the resort, visitors have ample opportunity to immerse themselves in water from the same ocean they see through their windows — at whatever temperature they choose.
A 25-meter seawater swimming pool (semi-Olympic size) is heated to 82° F. A nine-stage, 400 square-meter Marine Course offers a sequence of water jet experiences at a balmy 91° F. For the adventurous, the course includes a separate cold-water corridor, kept at a more bracing 57° F. As the grand finale, guests can luxuriate in an outdoor hot tub (97° F), complete with a spectacular view of Brittany’s famous Belle-Île. In total, the resort makes use of 60,000 cubic meters of seawater per year.
Seeking a robust, low-maintenance solution for their seawater applications, the Sofitel Quiberon installed the Butterfly Valve 565 from GF Piping Systems throughout their complex installation.
9900 transmitters from GF Piping Systems enable managers at the Sofitel Quiberon to monitor flow at a glance.
Standing up to the sea
Pierre-Vincent Le Déoré, technical manager at the Sofitel Quiberon, summarized the resort’s position as follows: “We have the good fortune to be in a privileged place, but we have some technical challenges.”
The Quiberon team needed systematic, centralized information in order to manage their complex array of water features. It was also essential to choose equipment that could stand up to the salinity of seawater.
A partnership with GF Piping Systems enabled the Sofitel Quiberon to address both goals. As one part of the project, GF’s Butterfly Valve 565 was installed throughout the resort. Due to its thermoplastic composition (with a housing made of fiber-reinforced polyamide and a disc made of PVDF), the 565 inherently resists abrasion and corrosion — critical requirements for this unique application. With a long operational lifespan and minimal maintenance requirements, the Butterfly Valve 565 offered the durability that Quiberon’s rugged conditions demanded.
The use of the Butterfly Valve 565 furthermore allowed the Sofitel Quiberon to honor one of its core values: sustainability. Consistent with its close-to-nature ethic, the resort promotes sustainability through a wide variety of initiatives, ranging from the elimination of single-use plastics to keeping supply chains short for the dining room. Meanwhile, the Butterfly Valve 565 is the first butterfly valve to carry an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). By comparison to metal alternatives, the product is 60% lighter and produces only 25% as much CO2 in the course of its life cycle.
A 400 square-meter Marine Course provides nine stages of seawater relaxation.
An outdoor seawater jacuzzi kept at 97° F, provides dramatic ocean views.
Process automation components from GF — fully compatible with the modular design of the Butterfly Valve 565 — completed the picture. GF flow meters and transmitters now allow the resort team to monitor and control the flow of seawater, through visual readouts on site but also through a centralized technical management system. In the words of Vincent Genouël, sales manager for Process Automation at GF Piping Systems: “For a site like this, we’re able to propose a complete solution, one that allows the customer to measure flow and control it, with total compatibility with the actuator that is behind the valve.”
Technology brings harmony
The Sofitel Quiberon’s location could hardly suit its purpose better. From its perch far out in the Atlantic, with only the slenderest connection to the mainland, the resort invites its guests to connect with the ocean instead. But as legends throughout the world attest, taming the sea is no small matter. To allow it to cure — without allowing it to destroy--the best of human technology is required.
In Quiberon, process automation from GF provides order and control in a complex and challenging environment. Sofitel’s choice to use Butterfly Valve 565 furthermore embodies its interest in a responsible, sustainable relationship with the natural world. With comfort indoors and the beauty of the sea and sky outside, visitors to Quiberon can relax without distraction. With corrosion-free, sustainable technology behind the scenes, managers at this elite resort can rest easy as well.
