Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / France / Biarritz / Hôtel du Palais
Hôtel du Palais
Biarritz, France · Unbound Collection · High Luxury
The great Basque grande dame, Napoléon III's 1855 seafront palace in Biarritz, built as a gift to Empress Eugénie, with chandeliered ocean-view grandeur; it ceded its official Palace title in the 2026 reshuffle but keeps MICHELIN Two Keys and its place among France's most important non-Paris palace hotels.
- 142 rooms
- Opened 1893
- Neighborhood: Grande Plage
- Architect: Edouard-Jean Niermans
About Hôtel du Palais
- The hotel began as the Villa Eugenie, built in 1854-1855 as a seaside palace for Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III.
- The villa was converted into a hotel and casino, opening as the Hotel du Palais in 1893 after the fall of the Second Empire.
- A fire in 1903 destroyed much of the building, which architect Edouard-Jean Niermans rebuilt in grand style by 1905.
- The E-shaped landmark, its shape a nod to Eugenie's initial, holds roughly 142 rooms overlooking Biarritz's Grande Plage.
- The hotel holds MICHELIN Two Keys for 2025 and was named to the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List in 2023.
History
The Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz began life as the Villa Eugénie, a seaside palace built in 1854-1855 for Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, on the Basque coast. After the fall of the Second Empire the villa was sold and converted into a hotel and casino, opening as the Hôtel du Palais in 1893. A devastating fire in 1903 destroyed much of the building, which was rebuilt in grand style in 1904-1905 by architect Édouard-Jean Niermans.
The palatial E-shaped landmark has hosted royalty and celebrities for more than a century. Now part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection, the roughly 142-room hotel remains Biarritz's most storied grand hotel, overlooking the Grande Plage and the Atlantic.
Restaurants and bars
- Le Sunset - Hôtel du Palais Biarritz — Restaurant · French
- La Rotonde — Restaurant · Haute French
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Water sports
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Condé Nast Traveler Gold List (2023)
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