Open onto a vast coastal scene – our heroine’s hair blowing in the sea wind and seagulls crying from the cliffs…
This gorgeous coastal scene was the very thing to capture the imagination of young Eugénie, destined to become Empress Eugénie, later causing her husband Napoleon to impulsively buy the entire plot and build a summer palace! As you stand in the sea breeze, looking out onto the waves crashing against wild rocky outcrops, you can’t help but picture grand duchesses in tall hats rolling down the promenade in stately carriages, especially with the grand Belle Époque palace towering above you.
Cut to a dinner scene, setting the period – Belle Epoque, luxury, soft lighting…
In its days as the royal Villa Eugénie, these walls echoed with the dinner table conversation of kings and queens, aristocrats quaffing French vintages, and the biggest names in European art debating life and love. Today, the award-winning restaurant has lost none of its VIP grandeur, hence its name “Villa Eugénie”, with sparkling chandeliers casting a soft amber glow onto the Belle Époque pillars with intricate moulding, and luxurious curtains draped around floor-to-ceiling windows, highlighting the epic view.
Develop the romantic story – our heroine amidst plush furnishings, understated elegance…
In the rooms, this epic historic tale is truly brought to life, with delicate handmade furniture, embroidery and drapes – all courtesy of the Hôtel du Palais’ own craftsmen. As you read in one of the 19th-century style armchairs by the light of a chic Grecian-urn lamp, only the flat screen TV will interrupt the period feel. Yet, what’s 5 star excellence without a little modern comfort?
Credits sequence – particular mention of the staff…
Like a true film diva, we haven’t even mentioned the many fabulous staff that help this historic monument offer such fabulous luxury every day – and they deserve their place in the credits. From the front desk staff, always ready with a smile and generous advice on where to visit in Biarritz, to the impressive sommelier, with his expert tipple tips, the staff are unfailingly polite and endlessly accommodating. After all, what would an epic palace like Hôtel du Palais be without its “downstairs heroes”…?