About this hotel
General information
Napoleon III built this palace on the Bay of Biscay in 1855 for Empress Eugénie, and it was first known as the Villa Eugénie. Over sixteen summers the imperial couple received Queen Isabella of Spain, King Leopold II of Belgium, Bismarck and Prosper Mérimée, and Biarritz became known as the resort of kings. In 1893 the villa became a hotel and casino; Russian grand dukes followed, and in the twentieth century so did Charlie Chaplin, Sarah Bernhardt, Ernest Hemingway, Igor Stravinsky, Jean Cocteau and Frank Sinatra.
The interiors keep the Second Empire manner — moulded ceilings, tall windows, Empire furniture — within a landscaped park. The hotel hosts business meetings, conferences and weddings, and offers dry cleaning, laundry and boutiques. Tours of Biarritz and the surrounding coast are led by a local historian and journalist.
Location
The hotel sits on the Atlantic shore, 100 m from the centre of Biarritz and a two-minute walk from the casino. Biarritz airport, about an hour’s flight from Paris, is 10 minutes away; Bordeaux airport is two hours by road and Bilbao airport in Spain an hour and a half.
Spa
The Imperial Spa is run in partnership with Guerlain. It has a heated 15-metre indoor pool, a Turkish bath, a hot tub, a solarium, a beauty salon, a gym and a generous relaxation area with a spa bar. Treatments use Guerlain products and range from massage, hydrotherapy and balneotherapy to lifting facials and peels.
Sports & leisure
The grounds hold a heated outdoor seawater pool, a sauna, a mini-golf course and a top-floor gym with boxing, Pilates and stretching classes and personal training. Nearby are surfing, windsurfing, waterskiing, diving and fishing, tennis courts, twelve golf courses, horse riding and the casino.
For children
Children have their own pool and a playground. During the French spring school holidays the Chic&Boom club welcomes children aged 5–12.
Restaurants & bars
Dining is spread across three venues, and room service is available.
- La Villa Eugénie — gastronomic restaurant in a festive room lit by hundreds of glittering lights
- Le Jardin de l’Océan — brasserie overlooking the town’s grand square, with an ocean terrace serving fish and salads in warm weather
- The Sunset Bar — drinks and light bites
Swimming
An equipped public beach on the Atlantic lies directly in front of the hotel.
Pets
Pets are welcome.
Rooms
Rooms and suites are decorated in light tones. The first to third floors keep the palace style of Napoleon III, fourth-floor rooms are a little larger but with lower ceilings, and the fifth, the Penthouse Floor, was redesigned in 2005 in the spirit of an ocean liner, with porthole-like windows facing the sea and the Biarritz lighthouse.
Rooms have an LCD TV with satellite channels, Wi-Fi, a telephone, a writing desk, a safe, a minibar, a hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers.
1 King Bed
An intimate, refined room with a king-size bed, looking out over the town or the palace’s main courtyard.
2 Twin Beds
A pastel-toned room with two single beds and a view of the town or the palace’s main courtyard.
1 King Bed Deluxe
An elegant, comfortable room with a king-size bed overlooking the town or the main courtyard; ceiling heights vary by floor.
2 Twin Beds Deluxe
An elegant, comfortable room with two single beds overlooking the town or the main courtyard; ceiling heights vary by floor.
1 King Deluxe Cruise Liner Collection
A fifth-floor room styled like an ocean-liner cabin, with nautical furniture and round porthole windows, a king-size bed and a view of the town or the ocean.
1 King Bed Beach View
A bright Second Empire-style room with a queen- or king-size bed and a sweeping view of the beaches of Biarritz.
2 Twin Beds Beach View
A bright Second Empire-style room with two single beds and a sweeping view of the beaches of Biarritz.
1 King Bed Ocean View Deluxe
A room in fresh, light colours with a king-size bed and an outstanding view of the Atlantic.
2 Twin Beds Ocean View Deluxe
A room in fresh, light colours with two single beds and an outstanding view of the Atlantic.
Junior Suite Cruise Liner
A fifth-floor junior suite with a sitting area, nautical furniture and porthole windows, a king-size bed and a view of the town.
Junior Suite
A junior suite with an Empire-style sitting area and a king-size bed or two single beds, overlooking the main courtyard or the town.
Junior Suite Ocean View
A junior suite with an Empire-period sitting area, a king-size bed or two single beds and a view of the beaches or the ocean.
Junior Suite Beach View
A junior suite with a king-size bed, a sitting area and a view of the beach.
Palais Suite
A suite with a bedroom and a sitting area, a king-size bed or two single beds, overlooking the main courtyard or the town.
Rooftop Suite
A fifth-floor suite styled like a ship’s cabin, with porthole windows, a sitting area, a king-size bed and a private ocean-view terrace with outdoor furniture.
2 Bedroom Family Suite
Two bedrooms, with a king-size and a queen-size bed, and a living room overlooking the town — for families or friends.
Ambassador Suite Cruise Liner
A fifth-floor ocean-view suite with a separate living room, nautical furniture and porthole windows, and a king-size bed or two single beds.
Ambassador Suite
An elegant suite with a separate living room and a queen- or king-size bed; ceiling heights vary by floor.
Impérial Suite
A suite with a king-bedded bedroom, a separate living room, map-patterned wall tapestries and a panoramic ocean view.
2 Bedroom Impérial Suite
Two bedrooms with king- and/or queen-size beds, a spacious separate living room with Empire furniture and panelling, a lion-footed bathtub and an ocean view.
Royal Suite
A suite with a spacious separate Empire-style living room, a king-size bed, an ocean view and a spectacular terrace; it can connect to neighbouring suites on request.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.