Hôtel Ville d'Hiver

Located in Arcachon’s Ville d’Hiver, perched high above the sea, the hotel is surrounded by remarkable villas. The architectural range, from neoclassical gems to whimsical Swiss chalets, feels like a step back into the Belle Époque. The interiors honor the neighborhood’s origins as a winter retreat, blending heritage with a warm, quiet elegance. Pine-infused amenities echo the lush, wooded landscape surrounding the property. It’s dog-friendly too: my greyhound gave it a firm paw of approval! And the restaurant, with its sun-drenched terrace and generous desserts, is well worth a stop.

Okay, lets start with the disclaimer. If you want a corporate style chain hotel with exactly the same stuff as you can get anywhere in the world this hotel is not for you. If you want a homely chic place with great service and beautiful rooms spaced out in the gardens then I would highly recommend it. There are a lot of steps and no lifts so if you have mobility issues you will struggle. Otherwise the walk is worth it. We had a balcony room. Beautiful and very well maintained with a lovely bathroom. The team are great, our welcome on arrival was second to none, and we were offered a choice of rooms and allowed to see them all. |The restaurant is excellent, I highly recommend the evening meals (but make sure you book as it is very popular).|Breakfast is an enhanced French breakfast, with beautiful artisan breads and limitless fruit accompanied by "boil your own eggs" and lovely pastries. We struggled to eat it all.|The pool is lovely - make sure you visit it at least once!|Overall a great experience. Not cheap but worth every penny!

We stayed three nights at this hotel exploring the bay of Arcachon and surroundings. The main house is a quiet place with a very nice garden and the pool is a converted old water cistern. It is an old building but well maintained. Arcachon downtown with the Ferry pier is about 15min walk from here. Breakfast is classic French, and everything is served (no buffet), time to slow down. It's a place to relax with no rush. Recommended to book at least once dinner at the restaurant, the food was excellent, good selection of French wines.

Another visit to this stunning hotel! We have been coming here every year for years - and shall continue! Great staff and fabulous restaurant - make sure you take the breakfast too! ;). Update as I drink a strong and tasty coffee (from the room) on the little calm terrace - feels like I am in Costa Rica with the singing birds on this fresh Saturday morning. For those with dogs (welcomed here), there is a great forest literally next to the hotel as well.

Hôtel Ville d’Hiver blends Arcachon’s heritage with boutique comfort. Once a 19th-century waterworks of the Compagnie Générale des Eaux, the restored red-brick station reopened as a hotel in 2009, preserving industrial details while offering a leafy retreat in the historic sanatorium district. Rooms are intimate, with deep tones, vintage desks and balconies overlooking gardens of palms and pines. The reception and restaurant carry Belle Époque charm with curated art, tiled floors and warm service. Dining highlights include local fish, Pauillac lamb and monkfish risotto – rooted in regional produce and elegantly plated. A stay here feels connected to Arcachon’s history of health, air and water.

We’ve just spent 3 nights at this lovely hotel. It was our first visit to Arcachon and the hotel was perfectly located for exploring the town and surrounding area. Friendly and helpful staff; very comfortable rooms; fantastic breakfasts and easy parking. The hotel also has a fantastic beach bar and restaurant which is a 30 minute walk from the hotel. Great food, friendly staff and just the most perfect spot to enjoy amazing sunsets. Would highly recommend both the hotel and the beach bar. We will return!

We were on a two week trip to France and this hotel was due to be our ‘special treat’ as it was expensive. We were very disappointed. Whilst the reception staff were lovely the hotel is in need of a major refurbishment -especially for the price they charge. The main problem was the communal areas which were grotty! The bed throws and rugs and cushions on the balconies of the bedrooms were also dirty and tatty.||The hotel describes itself as having a private beach club. However it’s not private it’s open to the public. We were completely mid-sold. ||The place is a haven for mosquitoes as there is so much stagnant water. The pool area was equally tatty with dirty rugs and cushions everywhere.||We paid for what should have been a 4-5 star experience based on the cost. The standard was two star at best.

Nice hotel obtained by revamping an historical villa in a quiet part of Arcachon. The room that was assigned to us was in a separate building, few meters away from the main site. Room was spacious and well equipped. Unfortunately lighting was quite low and insufficient for reading in the evening. We were not satisfied with the service, which was not very professional: on a couple of occasions there was no one at reception; at arrival we were not told that breakfast was included and this led to a misunderstanding. Overall, I cannot recommend this hotel.