Les Hortensias du Lac

Think of the French seaside and it’s likely you’re imagining either the balmy Riviera or the coastal towns of Normandy. No less appealing, however, is France’s Atlantic coast, including the resort town of Hossegor, just up the coast from Biarritz. Other hotels face out to sea; Les Hortensias du Lac looks the other way, over Lake Hossegor, less than a quarter-mile inland from the surfers and swimmers at the Plage de la Gravière. Here life is rather more tranquil — a feeling that’s only reinforced by the small size of this newly renovated Art Deco luxury resort.

Twenty-five rooms is small by any measure; most of the rooms here look out over the lake itself, and all are newly decorated in a style that owes more than a little bit to the idea of a Hamptons-style surf shack, from their simple, pared-down wooden furniture and construction to the surfboards that hang above the beds. They’re luxurious, though, in spite of their simplicity — ultimately, the word “shack” would considerably undersell their comfort.

The restaurant, with its oversized windows, overlooks the lake as well, and features the cuisine of chef Philippe Moreno, an alumnus of Gerald Passédat’s restaurant in Marseille. While the rest of the hotel is a mix of original and contemporary design, the spa is pure minimalist modernism, a cloud-light backdrop for its intensive treatments. And there’s always the outdoors to consider: with a location sandwiched between an inland lake and the Atlantic Ocean, Les Hortensias du Lac is paradise for boating, surfing, and beyond.