Hôtel du Palais Biarritz - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

"A lavish estate originally built as a summer residence for Napoleon III, now a baroque hotel with a chandeliered guest room and a balcony overlooking the Grande Plage." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"On the Atlantic coast near the Spanish border, Biarritz is a beguiling mix of glamour and chill surfer vibes. This ambiance is embodied in the Hôtel du Palais, a landmark on the Grande Plage that’s intricately linked to its setting. The hotel was originally built in the mid 19th-century as an imperial villa for Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, who transformed the seaside town into a fashionable resort frequented by monarchs and exiled Russian aristocrats. The Villa Eugénie later became a luxury hotel, and to this day, the beau monde hold court at this sumptuous seaside address. Part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, this Palace-classified hotel completed a four-year renovation in 2021, restoring not only the facade and slate roof but also the period furniture, tapestries, and signature blue carpet—adorned with Napoleon III’s imperial bees—on the grand staircase and hallways connecting the 86 rooms and 56 suites. The chandelier alone (weighing 904 pounds) in the Bar Napoléon III required some 250 hours of restoration work. Chef Aurélien Largeau, who has worked with some of France’s finest chefs including Christopher Coutanceau and Christophe Hay, sources ingredients from local fishermen and Basque producers to craft the Michelin-starred menu (John Dory served with lemon confit and periwinkles, cage-caught lobster roasted on pine needles). Notable accoutrements include a heated outdoor pool with direct beach access and a sprawling, five-level spa with a counter-current pool and Guerlain treatments. When the waves are glassy, the hotel can set you up with surf lessons." - Lindsey Tramuta, Mary Winston Nicklin

"Biarritz has been a resort town since the 1800s and the Hôtel du Palais, commissioned by Empress Eugenie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, arguably put it on the map. With views overlooking the Atlantic and the Pyrenees in the distance, the swank seaside resort reopened in June 2022 after extensive renovations."

"Biarritz, the buzzy resort town, was put on the map in 1854 when Napoleon III scooped up a beachfront property there and erected a monument of his love for wife Empress Eugénie in the form of a tremendous vacation home. In 1892, this palace became the Hotel du Palais, and in 2021 this hotel reopened after a tremendously ambitious 4-year renovation. After all of these years and all of these changes, the sense of tender and decadent dedication not only remains but prevails. Think a ballroom frescoed with fairytales perfect for a waltz, and a sumptuous bar lit by a 900-pound crystal chandelier. Loveliest of all is the vast Guerlain Imperial Spa, named for the perfumier who invented a cologne special just for Eugénie. Within these walls, everything is a gift crafted specially for you." - CNT Editors, Betsy Blumenthal

"Biarritz, the buzzy resort town, was put on the map in 1854 when Napoleon III scooped up a beachfront property there and erected a monument of his love for wife Empress Eugénie in the form of a tremendous vacation home. In 1892, this palace became the Hotel du Palais, and in 2021 this hotel reopened after a tremendously ambitious 4-year renovation. After all of these years and all of these changes, the sense of tender and decadent dedication not only remains but prevails. Think a ballroom frescoed with fairytales perfect for a waltz, and a sumptuous bar lit by a 900-pound crystal chandelier. Loveliest of all is the vast Guerlain Imperial Spa, named for the perfumier who invented a cologne special just for Eugénie. Within these walls, everything is a gift crafted specially for you." - CNT Editors, Betsy Blumenthal