St.-Tropez Hotelier Takes On Basque Coast

The Chevanne family, which owns St.-Tropez's Byblos Hotel, is expanding beyond the French Riviera with an eco-friendly hotel and nightclub.

Groupe Floirat, led by Antoine Chevanne, recently spent 5 million euros to refashion the three-star La Reserve Hotel & Residence in St.-Jean de Luz into a chic mountaintop resort. Unlike the Chevanne family's other hotels, La Reserve isn't limited to the rich and famous.

The pool at La Reserve Hotel in St.-Jean de Luz.

The boutique-style hotel was overhauled to create what feels like a private home with regal-yet-relaxed seating areas emblazoned with the Basque cross and other regional decorating finds. Outside, the all-green landscape is accented by a dramatic infinity pool and strategically placed loungers that ensure privacy. Views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Basque coast complete the picture.

The site has earned a European Union Eco-label, a designation issued to companies working to be more green. At the hotel, that translates into heavy use of repurposed paper, a mandated recycling program and the use of environmentally friendly fixtures like compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow water faucets.

Guest rooms are outfitted in cheery shades of yellow and powder blue with Hermes orange drapes that frame the arched doors that open to furnished balconies. Rooms start at 115 euros, or $160, a night.

The hotel is a 15-minute walk from the village of St. Jean de Luz, where visitors will find cozy architecture, antique shops and restaurants.

The hotel's Restaurant Ilura overlooks the resort's garden and ocean. Light flows into its dining room through floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu takes advantage of local seafood and farmer's markets to create specialties like txangurro crab, slow-cooked rabbit, and fish with artisan ham.