« This is an event for the group » announced Philippe Bossanne, co-founder of Huttopia, this Thursday, July 9, on the occasion of the inauguration, not of one but of two new sites on the shores of Lake Aiguebelette in Savoie.
The group strengthens its regional presence with the simultaneous opening of two new addresses: Huttopia Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde, combining hotel service with nature-oriented accommodations, and OnlyCamp Le Ferrand, a campsite dedicated to tents, vans and other caravans.
With this double inauguration, Huttopia now brings the number of its establishments around the lake to four, alongside Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette and OnlyCamp Les Peupliers.
In total, the group says it has invested nearly 20 million euros around Lake Aiguebelette since its arrival in 2017, « without resorting to public funding » insists Philippe Bossanne.
The group strengthens its regional presence with the simultaneous opening of two new addresses: Huttopia Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde, combining hotel service with nature-oriented accommodations, and OnlyCamp Le Ferrand, a campsite dedicated to tents, vans and other caravans.
With this double inauguration, Huttopia now brings the number of its establishments around the lake to four, alongside Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette and OnlyCamp Les Peupliers.
In total, the group says it has invested nearly 20 million euros around Lake Aiguebelette since its arrival in 2017, « without resorting to public funding » insists Philippe Bossanne.
The flagship project concerns the transformation of Huttopia Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde.
« The overall project cost us nearly €9 million » specifies Philippe Bossanne during the inauguration.
It includes notably the revival of La Maison Ronde. Built in the 1920s–1930s as a hotel, the establishment later became a holiday center in the 1950s before closing its doors for almost three decades.
« I didn’t even know that this building stood right next to the Le Curtelet campsite, which we had acquired », recalls the founder. Fascinated for a long time by its architecture, he eventually decided to undertake a rehabilitation project that he now acknowledges as particularly ambitious.
« Wanting to rehabilitate this building wasn’t very reasonable », acknowledged Philippe Bossanne at the inauguration. The leader explains that he quickly realized the project would exceed the initial estimates.
For several decades, the building remained abandoned. In 2020, Serge Grollier, the Mayor of Lépin-le-Lac, took the matter in hand again and launched a call for proposals: « When we visited La Maison Ronde in 2020, we found a real ruin, with many brambles on the site, but we were convinced it needed to be brought back to life », he recalled during the inauguration.
In 2022, the choice fell on an operator who wished to transform the site into a youth hostel, but the project did not go through. It was in 2023 that the search for investors was restarted and Huttopia was approached.
« It is a success when you see the quality of the result obtained by Huttopia and the companies that contributed to the projects, after only seven months of work, five of which were carried out in the mud due to heavy rains. Opening for the 2026 season is a real feat » added the Mayor.
« The overall project cost us nearly €9 million » specifies Philippe Bossanne during the inauguration.
It includes notably the revival of La Maison Ronde. Built in the 1920s–1930s as a hotel, the establishment later became a holiday center in the 1950s before closing its doors for almost three decades.
« I didn’t even know that this building stood right next to the Le Curtelet campsite, which we had acquired », recalls the founder. Fascinated for a long time by its architecture, he eventually decided to undertake a rehabilitation project that he now acknowledges as particularly ambitious.
« Wanting to rehabilitate this building wasn’t very reasonable », acknowledged Philippe Bossanne at the inauguration. The leader explains that he quickly realized the project would exceed the initial estimates.
For several decades, the building remained abandoned. In 2020, Serge Grollier, the Mayor of Lépin-le-Lac, took the matter in hand again and launched a call for proposals: « When we visited La Maison Ronde in 2020, we found a real ruin, with many brambles on the site, but we were convinced it needed to be brought back to life », he recalled during the inauguration.
In 2022, the choice fell on an operator who wished to transform the site into a youth hostel, but the project did not go through. It was in 2023 that the search for investors was restarted and Huttopia was approached.
« It is a success when you see the quality of the result obtained by Huttopia and the companies that contributed to the projects, after only seven months of work, five of which were carried out in the mud due to heavy rains. Opening for the 2026 season is a real feat » added the Mayor.
The new Domaine du Lac combines hotel, hotel lodges, canvas-and-wood tents, and chalets
« We do not have a financial shareholder demanding dividends every year. This allows us to reinvest and carry out this type of project », explained the Huttopia co-founder, asserting a participatory family capitalism.
If the Domaine du Lac is operated under a 90-year lease, Philippe Bossanne acknowledges that the challenge now is economic. « The balance of such a project is not obvious. It will have to appeal and attract a lot of people »
The new Domaine du Lac now combines several activities on a single site: a 13-room 3-star hotel in La Maison Ronde along with 12 wooden hotel lodges, 59 outdoor accommodations (32 wooden chalets and 27 canvas-and-wood tents), a café, a beach, a jetty, water activities as well as an old hunting pavilion converted into a seminar space capable of hosting up to 80 people.
« This hotel offering with our hotel lodges and the seminar space will allow us to fill the wings during the shoulder seasons, and perhaps in autumn as well. We must always pursue the project’s viability. » states the group’s founding president.
The establishment will be open from April to mid-November and aims at both local clientele—particularly from Lyon and Chambéry—and international visitors. The Maison Ronde could also, in a later phase, develop a dining offer for local customers: « We have planned it, but for now it is not on the agenda. »
If the Domaine du Lac is operated under a 90-year lease, Philippe Bossanne acknowledges that the challenge now is economic. « The balance of such a project is not obvious. It will have to appeal and attract a lot of people »
The new Domaine du Lac now combines several activities on a single site: a 13-room 3-star hotel in La Maison Ronde along with 12 wooden hotel lodges, 59 outdoor accommodations (32 wooden chalets and 27 canvas-and-wood tents), a café, a beach, a jetty, water activities as well as an old hunting pavilion converted into a seminar space capable of hosting up to 80 people.
« This hotel offering with our hotel lodges and the seminar space will allow us to fill the wings during the shoulder seasons, and perhaps in autumn as well. We must always pursue the project’s viability. » states the group’s founding president.
The establishment will be open from April to mid-November and aims at both local clientele—particularly from Lyon and Chambéry—and international visitors. The Maison Ronde could also, in a later phase, develop a dining offer for local customers: « We have planned it, but for now it is not on the agenda. »
A development built around the lake
The history of Huttopia at Aiguebelette developed gradually.
Philippe Bossanne explains that he was first approached by local officials to develop the first Huttopia campground on the lake: Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette opened in 2017.
The success of this installation then led the group to take over Les Peupliers, and, during a real estate visit, the OnlyCamp Le Curtelet campsite, which has become today Huttopia Domaine du Lac.
In addition, there is a fourth address, adjacent to Les Peupliers, the OnlyCamp Le Ferrand, inaugurated on this same day in its new configuration.
The two sites will also be brought together next year to become OnlyCamp Grands Peupliers.
Philippe Bossanne explains that he was first approached by local officials to develop the first Huttopia campground on the lake: Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette opened in 2017.
The success of this installation then led the group to take over Les Peupliers, and, during a real estate visit, the OnlyCamp Le Curtelet campsite, which has become today Huttopia Domaine du Lac.
In addition, there is a fourth address, adjacent to Les Peupliers, the OnlyCamp Le Ferrand, inaugurated on this same day in its new configuration.
The two sites will also be brought together next year to become OnlyCamp Grands Peupliers.
OnlyCamp Le Ferrand: €1 million invested
The OnlyCamp Le Ferrand campsite also underwent an investment of more than €1 million.
The works mainly focused on infrastructure, the complete renewal of networks, the creation of a new sanitary block, the modernization of the living center, and the development of a dining offer.
Faithful to its philosophy, the site is dedicated to bare pitches. « We decided to make it a 100% pitch campsite, where people arrive with their tent, caravan, van or motorhome », explained Philippe Bossanne.
The site now has 190 bare pitches spread over four hectares, with direct lake access.
For Axel Pénin, the managing director of OnlyCamp, this strategy responds to a sustained demand from traditional campers. The brand network, now with 104 destinations, favors bare pitches, simple yet high-quality facilities and a deliberately affordable pricing policy: « A family with two children can spend a week in the heart of summer for less than €250 », he notes.
A single rate is applied across all OnlyCamp campgrounds, regardless of location.
Pitches for two people are offered at €12 (no swimming) or €15 (with swimming) in off-peak season, then €17 and €24 between July 1 and August 31.
The works mainly focused on infrastructure, the complete renewal of networks, the creation of a new sanitary block, the modernization of the living center, and the development of a dining offer.
Faithful to its philosophy, the site is dedicated to bare pitches. « We decided to make it a 100% pitch campsite, where people arrive with their tent, caravan, van or motorhome », explained Philippe Bossanne.
The site now has 190 bare pitches spread over four hectares, with direct lake access.
For Axel Pénin, the managing director of OnlyCamp, this strategy responds to a sustained demand from traditional campers. The brand network, now with 104 destinations, favors bare pitches, simple yet high-quality facilities and a deliberately affordable pricing policy: « A family with two children can spend a week in the heart of summer for less than €250 », he notes.
A single rate is applied across all OnlyCamp campgrounds, regardless of location.
Pitches for two people are offered at €12 (no swimming) or €15 (with swimming) in off-peak season, then €17 and €24 between July 1 and August 31.
Huttopia Le Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde under the spotlight
Published by Céline Eymery Editor-in-Chief – TourMaG.com See all articles by Céline Eymery
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