In 2011, Michel began work on the project to turn this superb location into the first passive hotel in Wallonia. The challenge of transforming and relaunching the site as a vision of a perfect reality, a utopia, required a huge amount of creativity.

An experienced and passionate architect, Michel based his design on a love of art, philosophy and the desire to map out the kind of changes that will lead us to a better world.

Set in delightful leafy surroundings, UTOPIA is a hotel of many moods. Its meticulously planned architectural style sees buildings blending subtly with gardens, lakes and other spaces designed to promote a sense of peace and tranquillity.

Every detail of the design has been carefully considered with guests' well-being in mind, down to the sound levels and the flow of people between each area. This approach extends to the furnishings and layout of the rooms, where the most appropriate colours, lines and materials have been combined with a subtle use of light to showcase the art at its best.
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One room of the restaurant Ô Jardin is called LES SALINES (The Saltworks), a name inspired by the philosophy of the Enlightenment.

It refers to the Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans (Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans), which was designed by celebrated Parisian architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux. Ledoux used the Saline Royale to explore his innovative concepts of town planning and architecture as a force for improving society, his Ideal City loaded with symbolism and meaning. It is considered one of the earliest examples of utopian architecture.