Wonder Hotel – Jokie & Jet Suite in de Efteling

A suite filled with Carnaval Festival

On 18 April 2025, the Efteling Wonder Hotel reopened following an extensive renovation, with a brand-new themed suite as the finishing touch: the Jokie & Jet Suite. Where the Circus Suite once stood, guests can now step into the colourful world of Jokie and Jet, the travelling companions from the classic Carnaval Festival attraction. Located in one of the hotel’s towers, the 53-square-metre suite accommodates up to five guests. We had the opportunity to create its most distinctive decorative feature: the hot-air balloon suspended above the bed.

Sleeping beneath the scenery: a different set of requirements

A decorative feature positioned above a bed comes with very different requirements from one used in an attraction. Guests sleep beneath it night after night, so safety is paramount. The object needed to be light enough to be securely suspended from the ceiling, while also meeting the fire safety requirements for a hotel interior. At the same time, the balloon had to blend seamlessly into the tower room. Guests climb a staircase made from suitcases to reach a balloon-shaped bed that appears to float among illuminated clouds and stars.

jokie-en-jet-suite-bed-toren
JokiJetSuite-2
JokiJetSuite

Fire-retardant composite was the key

The solution lay in the choice of material: we produced the balloon using a fire-retardant polyester resin. The major advantage of this composite is that the finished piece remains extremely lightweight, allowing us to suspend it from the ceiling safely and securely. The project went through our entire production process: the model was created in our model-making workshop, a mould was built, the final piece was produced, decorated in the cheerful style of Jokie & Jet, and finally installed and fitted on site. One decorative feature, all five of our disciplines. That’s what we do at Redbird Studios.

Sleeping among the clouds

Since the hotel reopened, the Jokie & Jet Suite has become one of the highlights of the Wonder Hotel. Staying there is an adventure in itself, even before a visit to the park begins. If you look closely, you’ll spot Jokie and Jet’s balloon outside too, this time as a colourful piece of outdoor scenery. You can read that story in our blog about the Jokie & Jet hot-air balloon. Do you have a space that could use a little more imagination? Get in touch.

LET’S DESIGN,

BUILD  and amaze