It’s an iconic palace: 86 rooms, 56 suites, all stamped Napoleon III, decorated with rare tapestries and period furniture.
The origins of this hotel lie in a gesture of love. The emperor’s love for his wife Eugénie, when he had this seafront villa built for her in 1854. What had been a fishing port was transformed into a seaside resort where the international gotha would parade: the Duchess and Duke of Windsor, Franck Sinatra, Prince Charles, Karl Lagerfeld, Anthony Quinn…
Today, nearly 200 people work here year-round, and more than 300 in high season. Unique in the country, a permanent brigade of craftsmen – cabinetmaker, upholsterer, dressmaker – repairs the slightest snag. In the kitchen, a Michelin-starred chef and a renowned pastry chef, Raymond Oliver’s great-grandson, are on hand every day.
A story of rebirth for this palace which almost collapsed in the 1980s and which, although managed by an international group, is still owned by the town of Biarritz.
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