Best Luxury Hotels in France’s Basque Country
Basque Country’s Spanish side seems to get all the love, thanks to the southern part’s avant-garde cuisine, dazzling art and design scene, and famous Running of the Bulls festival. But the swanky seaside towns and traditional hillside villages found in Basque Country’s French side, to the north, certainly pull their weight when it comes to drawing power. Check out the most majestic luxury hotels in the region.
Grand Hôtel Thalasso & Spa
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
It's hard to beat the luxury at Grand Hotel Thalasso & Spa, a beachfront leisure hotel that pairs historic Art Deco details with chic, modern style. The hotel offers luxe amenities like a thalassotherapy pool with direct beach access, a sauna and steam room, fitness facilities, and 20 treatment rooms, some with individual spa tubs and beach views. There's a stylish fine-dining restaurant, outdoor terrace seating, and a chic bar with lots of lounge areas, though on-site dining can be pricey. The hotel's 56 rooms and suites offer sophisticated decor and modern bathrooms with rainfall showers, heated towel racks, and robes. In-room amenities include minibars, Nespresso coffeemakers, and 46-inch flat-screen TVs.
Hotel du Palais
Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Hotel du Palais is a four-and-a-half-pearl luxury hotel on the Bay of Biscay overlooking Grand Plage beach, a short walk from Biarritz shopping and dining. Originally built in 1855, the hotel is filled with richly detailed Second Empire interiors. The excellent amenities are highlighted by the seasonal outdoor and indoor atrium swimming pools, plus a fitness center, Guerlain spa with sauna and steam room, and Michelin-starred restaurant. The 153 elegant and classically styled rooms come with marble bathrooms, minibars, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. Some feature ocean views.
