Palace Hotel

When Napoléon the Third realised that his wife Eugénie had set her sights on this little seaside town, he had to admit that he had to do something about their accommodation. Needless to say, this small fishing village did not have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the imperial couple! In 1854, he had the 147-room Eugenie Villa built in the Louis XIII style, in red brick and stone. From 1856 to 1868, the palace hosted sumptuous parties attended by all the European Gotha. At the time, the Gotha was a special directory of all the royal families and nobles of Europe. In summer, when all these European princes were present, the imperial festivities were at their height, with various excursions, fireworks displays and incredible parties. In 1873, upon the death of her husband, the Empress inherited the building. In 1880, she sold it to the Union Parisienne bank, which first transformed it into a casino hotel, Biarritz Palace, and subsequently into the Palace Hotel. In the early 20th century, when the building was destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt in the shape of an E, in honour of the Empress’s first name. In 2011, the hotel became one of the first establishments to be awarded the title of palace, and the only one on the entire Atlantic coast. For those interested, the Alphonse XIII suite, overlooking the ocean, is 177 m².