Serge Papin, the tourism minister, will unveil on June 2 the 2026 list of establishments that benefit from the Palace distinction.
Without waiting, the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz had taken the initiative. By the end of March, its management informed staff that henceforth the establishment would no longer enjoy the French “Palace” distinction that it had shared up to now with 30 other exceptional French hotels.
The Hôtel du Palais was the only “Palace” located on the Atlantic coast. The others were in Paris (12), a good handful on the Côte d’Azur, a few in Courchevel and one in St Barth.
The loss of the “Palace” distinction by the Hôtel du Palais followed several inspection visits conducted by the Distinction Attribution Commission.
During these visits, inspectors would have, according to La République des Pyrénées, revealed an insufficiency in its condition for the “Palace” label.
These shortcomings would concern certain rooms and elements, such as the hotel’s spa or the breakfast room, which would no longer meet the required standards.
According to La République des Pyrénées, the hotel was nevertheless renovated for around 80 million euros between 2018 and 2021. But the Spa was not involved in the project, and the 26 rooms of the north wing had not been fully renovated.
Operated by the American-origin international hotel group Hyatt within its Unbound Collection, the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz is owned by the city of Biarritz (57% of shares), the JCDecaux Group (37%), and the Caisse des dépôts.
Without waiting, the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz had taken the initiative. By the end of March, its management informed staff that henceforth the establishment would no longer enjoy the French “Palace” distinction that it had shared up to now with 30 other exceptional French hotels.
The Hôtel du Palais was the only “Palace” located on the Atlantic coast. The others were in Paris (12), a good handful on the Côte d’Azur, a few in Courchevel and one in St Barth.
The loss of the “Palace” distinction by the Hôtel du Palais followed several inspection visits conducted by the Distinction Attribution Commission.
During these visits, inspectors would have, according to La République des Pyrénées, revealed an insufficiency in its condition for the “Palace” label.
These shortcomings would concern certain rooms and elements, such as the hotel’s spa or the breakfast room, which would no longer meet the required standards.
According to La République des Pyrénées, the hotel was nevertheless renovated for around 80 million euros between 2018 and 2021. But the Spa was not involved in the project, and the 26 rooms of the north wing had not been fully renovated.
Operated by the American-origin international hotel group Hyatt within its Unbound Collection, the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz is owned by the city of Biarritz (57% of shares), the JCDecaux Group (37%), and the Caisse des dépôts.
Palace Distinction: a Major Image Challenge
Two other prestigious hotels are also being downgraded to the five-star category, as they no longer meet the excellence criteria required by the Palace distinction.
They are the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (Rue de la Paix, in Paris) and the Mandarin Oriental (Rue Saint-Honoré, in Paris).
For these prestigious hôtels, this loss represents a major image challenge.
Mandarin Oriental has already confirmed its ambitious transformation program reflecting “the continued commitment to shaping the future of Mandarin Oriental, Paris as one of the city’s most singular addresses”, according to Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental.
As part of these renovations that are due to begin at the end of October, Mandarin Oriental plans to revamp its entire dining and accommodation offering.
The bedrooms and suites, as well as all common spaces, are to be entrusted to the London-based architect Tara Bernerd, with the mission to express “the essence of the destination”, to capture “the spirit of Paris while highlighting Mandarin Oriental’s commitment to craftsmanship and excellence”.
The culinary offering will also be revised, with the arrival of three distinct concepts: a new bar, a Parisian-style brasserie, and a gastronomic restaurant, each with views of the hotel’s interior garden.
The announcement of this ambitious transformation program coincided with the arrival, on Monday, May 18, of a new general manager, Vincent Poulingue. He succeeds Edouard Lapasset, appointed a little less than a year ago.
Curiously, Vincent Poulingue had been at the helm of the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz since 2023.
With more than two decades of international experience in luxury hospitality, Vincent Poulingue has held leadership roles in France, Portugal, Switzerland and French Polynesia within world-renowned groups such as The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group and the Groupe Barrière.
He is recognized for his expertise in repositioning iconic properties, operational excellence, and creating exceptional experiences.
They are the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (Rue de la Paix, in Paris) and the Mandarin Oriental (Rue Saint-Honoré, in Paris).
For these prestigious hôtels, this loss represents a major image challenge.
Mandarin Oriental has already confirmed its ambitious transformation program reflecting “the continued commitment to shaping the future of Mandarin Oriental, Paris as one of the city’s most singular addresses”, according to Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental.
As part of these renovations that are due to begin at the end of October, Mandarin Oriental plans to revamp its entire dining and accommodation offering.
The bedrooms and suites, as well as all common spaces, are to be entrusted to the London-based architect Tara Bernerd, with the mission to express “the essence of the destination”, to capture “the spirit of Paris while highlighting Mandarin Oriental’s commitment to craftsmanship and excellence”.
The culinary offering will also be revised, with the arrival of three distinct concepts: a new bar, a Parisian-style brasserie, and a gastronomic restaurant, each with views of the hotel’s interior garden.
The announcement of this ambitious transformation program coincided with the arrival, on Monday, May 18, of a new general manager, Vincent Poulingue. He succeeds Edouard Lapasset, appointed a little less than a year ago.
Curiously, Vincent Poulingue had been at the helm of the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz since 2023.
With more than two decades of international experience in luxury hospitality, Vincent Poulingue has held leadership roles in France, Portugal, Switzerland and French Polynesia within world-renowned groups such as The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group and the Groupe Barrière.
He is recognized for his expertise in repositioning iconic properties, operational excellence, and creating exceptional experiences.
A distinctly French specialty
Whereas many foreign countries have merely introduced a “superior five stars” category, the highly coveted Palace distinction is a distinctly French hallmark.
This official distinction was created in 2010, in the wake of the hotel classification reform carried out the previous year, which had introduced the 5-star designation, whereas France had previously only “4-star luxury” hotels.
The aim was to modernize the French hotel offering.
By introducing the Palace distinction, the Ministry of Tourism and Atout France – which oversees the attribution process – sought to value and promote truly exceptional establishments among the five-star category.
Since a reform implemented in 2024 to reinforce its exceptional character, the Palace distinction is awarded for three years only (compared with five years previously).
In addition to the dossiers of hotels already benefiting from the Palace distinction, since January last year the files of first-time applicants have been studied. Asked by TourMaG last autumn, the head of the Quality sub-direction at Atout France declined to name a single candidate.
It is, however, widely known that the famous Negresco, located on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, which has recently added a splendid spa and is nearing the completion of extensive renovation and redevelopment works, is aiming for this distinction. The same goes for Parisian establishments Cheval Blanc and Bvlgari.
A decision is expected on June 2.
This official distinction was created in 2010, in the wake of the hotel classification reform carried out the previous year, which had introduced the 5-star designation, whereas France had previously only “4-star luxury” hotels.
The aim was to modernize the French hotel offering.
By introducing the Palace distinction, the Ministry of Tourism and Atout France – which oversees the attribution process – sought to value and promote truly exceptional establishments among the five-star category.
Since a reform implemented in 2024 to reinforce its exceptional character, the Palace distinction is awarded for three years only (compared with five years previously).
In addition to the dossiers of hotels already benefiting from the Palace distinction, since January last year the files of first-time applicants have been studied. Asked by TourMaG last autumn, the head of the Quality sub-direction at Atout France declined to name a single candidate.
It is, however, widely known that the famous Negresco, located on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, which has recently added a splendid spa and is nearing the completion of extensive renovation and redevelopment works, is aiming for this distinction. The same goes for Parisian establishments Cheval Blanc and Bvlgari.
A decision is expected on June 2.
Publié par Paula Boyer Responsable rubrique LuxuryTravelMaG – TourMaG.com Voir tous les articles de Paula Boyer
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