Book Hotel du Palais Biarritz with VIP Benefits

The hotel's story reaches back to 1854, although the present building is not an untouched imperial villa. Architect Édouard-Jean Niermans shaped its Second Empire silhouette, incorporating remnants of the earlier walls. The roof, facades and clock decoration in the courtyard are protected as historic features. That architectural distinction is visible from the beach, where the building forms part of the town's seafront rather than standing apart from it.

Inside, preservation is a continuing craft. The hotel's Atelier Follin brings together cabinetmaking, decorative painting and upholstery skills to maintain its interiors. Salon Les Ateliers takes its name and decorative theme from that work. Traditional furnishings, marquetry and textiles are part of a working hotel, with rooms used for dinners and gatherings as well as overnight stays.

There are 142 accommodations: 86 rooms and 56 suites. The 1 King Bed and 2 Twin Beds categories measure 27 square meters and look over Biarritz or the Grand Courtyard. Deluxe city- or courtyard-facing rooms extend to 32 square meters. Beach View and Ocean View categories are separate choices, so an Atlantic outlook is not universal.

Palais Suites have a bedroom and separate living area. The 2 Bedroom Family Suite combines one king bed and one queen bed with a living room and city views. Higher in the building, the fifth-floor Cruise Liner collection has nautical furnishings and porthole windows. A Rooftop Suite measures approximately 70 square meters, with a king bed, living area and furnished private terrace facing the ocean. The Royal Suite brings a separate living room and ocean-facing terrace to an approximately 100-square-meter setting. Connecting arrangements can be requested, but terraces and multiple bedrooms belong to specific categories.

La Rotonde is the hotel's best-known dining room, with an ocean-facing setting that suits the scale of the building. Its gastronomic dinner service centers on French cooking and ingredients chosen around the season, with a broad sweep of Atlantic views. La Terrasse & Rotonde - Brasserie has a different role, serving traditional, locally influenced dishes. The brasserie menu moves outdoors when the weather allows and is served inside La Rotonde otherwise. Breakfast is also part of this dining setting.

Le Sunset is a seasonal, open-air restaurant overlooking the bay, with grilled dishes, crudos and seafood shaping its menu. Le Salon provides a less formal stop for hot drinks, pastries, light dishes or a cocktail during the day. Lounge Eugénie adds a sushi bar and a panoramic terrace. These venues give meals distinct settings, from the gastronomic dining room to an outdoor lunch, with weather shaping the use of the terraces.

Bar Napoléon III has a particularly rich interior: royal-blue walls and ceiling, bronze-toned moldings and red velvet armchairs beneath a crystal chandelier. The palette makes this an enclosed, evening room rather than another sea-facing terrace. Cocktails draw on regional products as well as familiar spirits, and the bar also prepares alcohol-free drinks. Its selection includes gins and vintage Champagne. The room has a place in French cinema, too: a scene in Pierre Salvadori's film Priceless, starring Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh, was filmed here.

Spa Impérial covers 2,500 square meters and has nine treatment rooms. Guerlain provides the facial and body-care program, while the Leonor Greyl salon specializes in hair care. The indoor pool has counter-current swimming, alongside a jetted tub, sauna, hammam and solarium. Children's access to this pool is limited to designated family periods. Above it, the fitness center occupies the spa's top floor, with ocean-facing windows, strength and cardio equipment, and personal training by arrangement.

Club Impérial centers on a seasonal outdoor pool filled with heated seawater. Cabanas can be rented, providing a poolside lounge space and bathroom. The pool area also has food and drinks service and direct access to Grande Plage. Indoor swimming and the outdoor club are distinct facilities, with different settings and access schedules.

Cribs, high chairs and babysitting can be arranged, and selected rooms can accommodate a rollaway bed within their occupancy limits. Connecting rooms are subject to availability. Children's menus are available in selected dining venues. The kids' club organizes school-holiday activities for ages four to 14; its program follows the holiday calendar rather than a guaranteed daily schedule throughout the year. Families have both the hotel's facilities and the town beach close at hand, with swimming governed by the relevant pool or beach rules.

Salon Impérial is the principal event room, with paintings by Paul Gervais, parquet and marquetry beneath a high glass roof. Its 223-square-meter interior adjoins the Winter Garden, a 110-square-meter veranda. Salon Édouard VII provides a smaller setting with direct access to a terrace overlooking the ocean and gardens. These rooms accommodate private celebrations and meetings, supported by a dedicated coordinator and menus prepared for the occasion. Daylight and terrace access are important distinctions among the salons.

Grande Plage is Biarritz's central town beach, not an exclusively hotel-owned stretch of sand. Surf schools, shops and cafés share the seafront, and the promenade passes below the hotel. Swimming conditions change with the Atlantic, so the marked bathing areas, flags and lifeguard guidance matter. Seasonal supervision is separate from the hotel's pool arrangements. This is a lively coastal setting where beach walks and visits to town fit naturally around time at the hotel.

The address is 1 Avenue de l'Impératrice. Biarritz Pays Basque Airport is approximately four kilometers away, with the hotel estimating a ten-minute drive, subject to traffic. Biarritz railway station is about five kilometers away. Private airport transfers can be arranged through the concierge. On-site parking and valet service are available for a charge, with electric-vehicle charging also available. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are also available.