The best surf & design hotels · Biarritz & the French Basque Coast
Hôtel du Palais
Napoleon III had the Villa Eugénie built for Empress Eugénie in 1855 — a summer residence on the Atlantic cliff above the Grande Plage, shaped like the letter E in her honour. The imperial court spent most of August and September here for fifteen years, and Biarritz became what it remains: the most elegant resort town on the French Atlantic coast. The villa burned in 1903, was rebuilt by architect Édouard-Jean Niermans with the original walls retained, and has been receiving royalty, film stars, and heads of government ever since. Edward VII came repeatedly. The outdoor pool was inaugurated by Frank Sinatra. The only hotel on the Atlantic coast to hold the Palace de France distinction. The Grande Plage is directly below. The hotel has been making Biarritz worth the journey since before surfing arrived on this coast.
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The hotel
The Design
Built for Empress Eugénie in 1855. Rebuilt in 1904 with the original walls. The roof and façade are listed Historic Monuments.
Niermans rebuilt the shell in Second Empire style following the 1903 fire — the roof, façades, and the Horloge courtyard are all listed in France's inventory of Historic Monuments. The Napoleon III Bar chandelier weighs 410 kilograms. The 2022 renovation replaced seventy thousand roof tiles and restored the building without adding to it.
The Design
Built for Empress Eugénie in 1855. Rebuilt in 1904 with the original walls. The roof and façade are listed Historic Monuments.
Niermans rebuilt the shell in Second Empire style following the 1903 fire — the roof, façades, and the Horloge courtyard are all listed in France's inventory of Historic Monuments. The Napoleon III Bar chandelier weighs 410 kilograms. The 2022 renovation replaced seventy thousand roof tiles and restored the building without adding to it.
The Food
La Rotonde. Michelin-starred. Directly inside the building where Napoleon III spent his summers.
La Rotonde is the Hôtel du Palais's Michelin-starred restaurant — Basque and Atlantic produce prepared in a dining room that has hosted the kind of guests most restaurants only read about. It is not the reason to choose this hotel, but it is the reason dinner doesn't require leaving it.
The Food
La Rotonde. Michelin-starred. Directly inside the building where Napoleon III spent his summers.
La Rotonde is the Hôtel du Palais's Michelin-starred restaurant — Basque and Atlantic produce prepared in a dining room that has hosted the kind of guests most restaurants only read about. It is not the reason to choose this hotel, but it is the reason dinner doesn't require leaving it.
