An emblematic example of Belle Epoque architecture on the Basque coast, the Regina Hotel & Spa, as the property was originally named, was built in 1907 by architect and landscape designer Henry Martinet in the Neo-Basque style with plenty of Art Deco touches animating the interiors, most impressively in the monumental 15-metre-high atrium. Topped with a glass roof designed in the style of the Eiffel Tower, the grand, light-filled space is where the hotel’s heart beats, now serving as a foyer and bar.
Thoughtfully configured by Meilichzon into numerous intimate sitting areas, the expansive space is populated with voluptuous sofas inspired by the Itsasoan footbridge that architect Henri Godbarge built in the 1920s in Guéthary, a charming village a few kilometres away. The sofas are swathed in brick-red, dark green and Prussian blue hues, a nod to the typical colour palette of the Neo-Basque architecture style. Low-hanging paper lanterns by Ingo Maurer and Anthony Dickens, and straw totems provide a more human sense of scale, while natural materials like sandstone, ceramics, and natural fibres complement the space’s Art Deco glamour with a vernacular charm. Serving a selection of classics and signature Experimental cocktails accompanied by live piano music and DJ sets, the long bar counter at the back of the space pays homage to modernist architect Eileen Gray.