Fairly regularly Nicolas Sarkozy made a break

Stored in the State where it was built by the Second Empire, the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz is still a very popular palace.

Establishment of luxury to the proven charm"for a renowned Red Guide, the Palace Hotel figure for ages at the top of the Biarritz section in most tourist nomenclatures. With 134 rooms and 22 suites, this small seaside business has everything in the palace, including its cuisine served in a restaurant who was a ball under the Second Empire room. Because the Hotel du Palais is now indissolubly linked to the seaside resort city that it was by its construction to Napoleon III and his wife, Eugénie de Montijo.

A body defending, another emperor contributed previously to discover and enjoy the places: Virgin in Spain against the little corporal, the Duke of Wellington and his generals did indeed stop in what was then only a small fishing port and have kept a very good memory of the basque coastline they done know. Curiosity is sharpening, the municipality set road in 1840 to the bathroom and the station became fashionable. Road to Bayonne having supported little before the arrival of the train, in 1854 on the banks of the Adour and a year later to same Biarritz, brought into the rich and noble city, aristocrats and heads of State. Married the previous year, Eugénie and Napoleon III are the movement. Before the enthusiasm of the Empress for the coast then wild where it is was formerly her husband decides in 1854 to purchase 18 hectares of dunes overlooking the sea. A domain is built with Park, ponds, Woods and pavilions, but also stables. To make it a summer residence, the couple committed the construction of what will be the villa Eugénie, and today, the Palace Hotel. The work starting as early as October 1854, both that essentially ended less than a year after. The "Emperor of the French" moved into the building on July 24, 1855. Hippolyte Durand, architect bayonnais, presided at the site. The building consists of red brick and stone structures, inflows to the careers of Bidache, East of Bayonne. All reports by a central body with three perpendicular wings forming the letter E as Eugénie and especially an exceptional situation, on a promontory, slight overhang of the ocean. Had he been able, Victor Hugo rebel would not dream better. This illustrates arrival accelerates the growth of the station: the Imperial Court found, visitors arrived there attending the villa Eugénie or mansions blooming in Biarritz real estate booming: here is the King of England or the Spanish monarchs, that's writers such as Théophile Gautier, Ernest Renan or Stendhal, and Bismarck himself... The defeat of Sedan and the fall of the Empire will not immediately affect the villa Eugénie. In 1871, it is decreed by the regime of Adolphe Thiers "national property reserved for the wounded". For a time only. Exiled in England, the Emperor leaves his death domain to his widow will yet more come to Biarritz and offers it for sale in 1880. The following year, the whole is dispersed in 265 batches. The villa itself becomes a casino offering also a residence hotel under the name "Palais-Biarritz. July 14, 1881, establishing new way was inaugurated with great pomp. The popularity of Biarritz remaining intact under the third Republic, courts and nobility urge until 1914, the Tsar to the more obscure German princes.

In 1903, a fire destroyed the Palais-Biarritz which is immediately restated in its traditional configuration, including the floor added in 1867. The current hotel remained faithful to this refounding. Exception, the canopy of the dining room which has disappeared. It was only on March 20, 1905, the building finally takes the name of "Palace Hotel". It is now managed by a company of mixed economy where the city is part. The Belle Epoque wanted all to be a world-renowned palace. The specification then progressed 300 rooms, more shows and lunchrooms in a cosy atmosphere. As soon as the columns hall, the visitor can move with confidence: overlooking the large range, the account is. In the Fasti found during the 1930s succeeded the stars of both economic and post-war arts with a strong influx of American notoriétés: next to the Windsor are past Frank Sinatra, Gary Cooper and Jane Mansfield not forgetting Alain Delon, Coco Chanel and the patterns of multinational companies. Fairly regularly Nicolas Sarkozy made a break. And along with "people" of the time, the visitor can remake the world on the edge of a swimming pool in which, in the morning, had to be recover Serge Gainsbourg return to a somewhat watered spree.