The Hôtel d’Angleterre

In 1880, the Hôtel d’Angleterre (England Hotel) was the first palatial hotel to be built in front of the beach of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, on the protective dykes turned promenade, until other hotels were built in the 1900s. It had an imposing size and a classical architecture style which included bow-windows. In the fast-growing seaside resort, this upmarket complex and its annexe, the Hotel de la Plage, had about 100 bedrooms available. The hotel extolled its modern conveniences such as 60 bathrooms as well as its various living-rooms, its conservatory and its renowned cellar. Next to the hotel, the owners built a small casino (demolished in 1952) which offered, alongside the beach, all the distractions sought by this well-to-do clientele.