Detour Pit Stop #99: Hotel Le Garage, Biarritz, France

Pit Stops

Feb 1

Spending the night in a disused garage might not sound that appealing, but Hotel Le Garage in Biarritz has other ideas.

This luxurious boutique residence was once a simple carriage shed built to house the transport of the Belle Epoque guests at the grand Regina Hotel. It was then enlarged and became home to the local aero club, before entrepreneur Robert Barenne turned it into a garage in 1930.

Here the Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs of the Regina’s clientele would be polished and fuelled for day trips along the Atlantic coast for the next three decades (excluding the war years). However, by the end of the 1960s the Esso petrol station was gone and the building lay empty.

In 2020 the garage was given a new lease of life after a ten-month transformation to create a 27-room hotel with spectacular sea views from its cliff-top location, and a modern take on “bien vivre Biarrot”. There’s a large outdoor pool for those who don’t dare brave the Atlantic waves and a bistrot serving traditional Basque cuisine.

Oh, and there’s now an underground car park to keep your pride and joy away from the ocean spray.

Click here to find out more and book your stay

wp-content_themes_legaragebtz_assets_images_home_hotel-le-garage__home__01.png

wp-content_themes_legaragebtz_assets_images_histoire_hotel-le-garage__histoire__05.png

ROADBOOK

CLASS: hotel

NAME: HOTEL LE GARAGE

ROUTE: 50 av de l'Impératrice 64200 BIARRITZ

COUNTRY: FRANCE

You may also enjoy these hotels

Detour Pit Stop #114: Gilks’ Garage Café, Warwickshire, UK

Gilks is a garage-themed café with a unique heritage. Detour sent Sam and Carl from Roadster! magazine along for a taste.

Detour Pit Stop #113: Mollie's Motel and Diner, Oxfordshire, UK

The A420 may not have quite the same ring to it as Route 66, but it is home to a classic American-style motel and diner that wouldn’t look out of place on The Mother Road.

Detour Pit Stop #110: Portmeirion, Wales, UK

This picture-perfect village is the 50-year folly of a Welsh architect and a magnet for fans of The Prisoner and the cars that it starred.

Detour Pit Stop #99: Hotel Le Garage, Biarritz, France

Spending the night in a disused garage might not sound that appealing, but Hotel Le Garage in Biarritz has other ideas.

Detour Pit Stop #75: The Vick, Los Alamos, California, USA

Behind the traditional Victorian facade of this restored mansion is a fantasy world of themed rooms that makes Los Alamos a diverting pit stop on any California Detour.

Detour Pit Stop #66: W Hotel Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE

The W on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is one hotel where you won’t complain about the traffic noise.

Detour Pit Stop #46: Lindner Nürburgring Motorsport Hotel, Germany

More than two million people visit the Germany’s legendary Nürburgring every year. Consequently there’s no shortage of accommodation from four star luxury to boutique B&Bs.

Detour Pit Stop #41: The Madonna Inn, California, USA

The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is possibly the most amusing motel for a pit stop on the legendary Pacific Coast Highway.

Detour Pit Stop #26: Miataland, Italy

Miataland is a boutique B&B with a difference. When you book a room you can also choose from an extensive collection of special edition Mazda MX-5s to drive on the fabulous roads of Perugia.

Detour Pit Stop #12: Parker Palm Springs hotel, California, USA

Palm Springs is a glamorous oasis in the desert and the Parker is the place to stay, finds James Mills. Especially for a roadtrip on the nearby Palms to Pines Scenic Byway.

Detour Pit Stop #10: Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, Wales

Time has stood still at the Pen-y-Gwryd. Take a seat in the bar, lift your gaze to the ceiling and there are the signatures of explorers including Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay.