Overlooking the beach of Biarritz with its elegant Second Empire silhouette, theHôtel du Palais shone in the spotlight for three days at the end of August, providing accommodation for heads of state at the G7. " Everything went perfectly. We were very honoured to host this summit of world leaders. It was a incredible spotlight for the Hôtel du Palais, Biarritz and the Basque Country, from which we expect major spin-offs" confides Valérie Gallanthe hotel's communications manager.
To host this international political event, this luxury showcase, originally built for Empress Eugénie by Napoleon III, has undergone a partial renovation. Initiated in 2017-2018 by redesigning the swimming pool area and outdoor gardens, the renovation project of the hotel inaugurated in 1894 continued for six months, before reopening at the beginning of July for the summer season.
Led by the architecture and interior design firm Atelier Cosalready behind the rebirth of the Ritz in ParisOver the winter, work was carried out on the back office corridors and the south wing, where the renovation of 45 rooms of different categories. The third and final phase of the works, which will begin after the new closure on 1st October will restore the red brick façades and public areas to their former glory. And, above all, to unveil the 30 June next 139 rooms holidaymakers, business travellers and conference-goers, Biarritz remains an ideal location for MICE destination The success of the G7 is a further illustration of this. If the hotel chain Hyatt is responsible for the management of the facility, which is integrated into its Unbound CollectionThis facelift, carried out by Socomix, a local semi-public company, will ultimately cost a whopping 60 million euros.
" The building needed a major overhaul to rethink the way it was designed. traffic flowsto bring light Our aim is to bring the rooms up to date. We have created connecting rooms and suites thanks to the deletion of 8 roomsbut also put the bathrooms in the right place, with shower and bath if possible" explains Didier Beautempsassociate director of Atelier Cos. The rooms that have already been decorated feature either a classic décor with the emphasis on the toile de Jouy, or a more contemporary style, including an enlargement of a Belle Epoque photo of the Hôtel du Palais.. "We did a lot of historical research and inventoried all the furniture in order to choose the pieces that were restored and reupholstered." he adds. In a small detail, the new suites now bear the names of illustrious personalities who have resided within these walls: Eugenie, Edouard VII, Coco Chanel, Chaplin, Franck Sinatra... Perhaps one day we can look forward to the Macron, Trump or Merkel suites?
