REGION : Hossegor – Landes
ATMOSPHERE : Ocean
STYLE : Luxury surf lodge
CATEGORY : 4*
ROOMS : 19 rooms and 6 suites
Members benefits
A bottle of wine from the Domaine de Fontenille
The smell of wax, grains of sand stuck to your skin, your hair in the wind and Californian style, a surfboard tucked under your arm and cheeks stripped clean by salt… Does that ring a bell? Yes? Wait until you discover the 4* hotel Les Hortensias du Lac, in Hossegor, in the Landes. Grounded by high-level comfort, the place rides the coolness wave, without overlooking elegance for a single turn – offering an atypical mix between surf lodge and luxury hotel. The beaches and the Atlantic Ocean’s constant swell, HQ to surfers from all over the world, are only 200 meters away, the city center barely further away, nestled beneath the pine trees, and the marine lake is just at the end of the garden. Close to everything, far from everything: an ideal location.
LES HORTENSIAS, A MYTHICAL ADDRESS, was revamped by Frédéric Biousse and Guillaume Foucher, founders and owners of Domaines de Fontenille (70 Hectares…and the Ocean, Les Bords de mer, Domaines de Primard et de Fontenille – It was up to them to inject just the right amount of hype and purity into the 1950s building. To do so, they were largely inspired by the “surf hotels” of the Hamptons, adding white panelling, surfboards on the wall and a whole collection of designer armchairs to the Basque-Landes building in Hossegor. Large bay windows, arched windows, a large lounge where sitting is privileged… the spirit of relaxation and a little air of “Long Island” reign throughout the premises, even in the exceptional 450 square-meter spa located on the garden level, facing the lake.
THE SAME AMBIANCE pervades the hotel’s 25 rooms and 6 suites. Most of them open onto the lake and are decorated in luminous white, with occasional splashes of color ranging from ochre to peacock blue. A real bonus for families or extended stays, the junior suite has, in addition to its private terrace, a fully equipped kitchenette. The lake view suite, designed as a 60 m2 loft, has a Nordic bath on its private terrace… The ideal place to disconnect and give into the slow rhythm of French California.
SPA – Superb with its undulating light wood walls mimicking the waves, the spa houses many baths (cold bath, whirlpool, outdoor Nordic bath, hammam, sauna) and offers L:A Bruket treatments, a lovely natural, organic brand from Sweden.
FITNESS – WaterRower equipment is freely available. Pilates, sophrology, muscle strengthening and private lessons on request. Free access yoga sessions facing the lake several times a week in summer.
RESTAURANT – View on the lake and iodized cuisine by the chef Philippe Moreno from Marseille, who gives pride of place to seafood and Basque tastes with his tartars of scampi and cubes of foie gras, chipirons with garlic tomato juice and chorizo and spicy Saint-Pierre.
LA CABANE DES ESTAGNOTS – A few minutes away from the sea, a hut with its feet in the water to enjoy breakfast on the sand, lunch in a sarong (bowls, fish burger, fish from the fish market…), cocktails or dinners with a view of the ocean.
SWIMMING POOL – Overflowing and facing the lake, an emerald green jewel where you can chill out on a deckchair.
SPORT – Bikes, paddles and surfboards are at the guests’ disposal.
70 HECTARES… & L’OCÉAN – In the golf course of Seignosse, a second address to immerse yourself in nature. Brunch every Sunday.
