Biarritz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)Hôtel du Palais:Extensive renovation of the majestic and unique palace on the Atlantic coast

In 2018, Eiffage Construction signed a contract with Socomix for the renovation of the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz.

The contract covered the renovation of around a hundred rooms, reception areas and the entire basement housing the hotel service areas in this listed building. Eiffage Construction subsidiary Pradeau Morin created the façades.

The aim of the contract: rejuvenate the hotel without changing its character.

It took five years of work, split into three phases, to completely renovate the imperial building.

The renovation work was carried out by Eiffage Construction on a general contracting basis, under the aegis of Atelier COS, renovator of the Ritz, and Isabelle Joly, heritage architect for the Basque coast.

Preserving the volumes and majestic allure of the palace was the challenge of this gigantic project. The rooms and suites benefited from a complete renewal of the electrical network with the addition of fire doors, but also heat recovery air conditioning and a smoke extraction system. In addition, the walls and ceilings were lined to ensure good thermal and acoustic insulation.

In total 70,000 slates were replaced, almost 15,630 litres of paint were applied to the exterior walls, 27,500 litres to the interior walls and all the woodwork repainted. In addition to this extensive renovation, a new bar has seen the light of day: «Le Napoléon III». Adjacent to the restaurant, a conference room has been converted to offer the hotel a «lounge», where guests can extend their evening after dinner.

The initial target of reopening in 2022 was met, with the teams working tirelessly to meet the challenge. The project work was not interrupted during the Christmas holidays, nor at weekends or on public holidays.