Brindos, Lac & Château, the latest Maison Millésime, is located in Anglet, on the Basque coast, a land of character, a few kilometers from Biarritz. This is part of the Relais & Châteaux collection. This place of life open all year round, with its 29 cocoons, its 10 floating lodges, its 3 dining rooms and its spa, has opened its doors on April 15, 2022.
Brindos, Lac & Chateau has something different, and very very special and unique: its lodges floating.But, what are the lodges? The place where you can spend a dreamy night sleeping and dining on the waters of a private lake in France. To which only accessible by small electric boats. A unique and singular small floating oasis.
View from the sky of the Brindos Hotel
Marie-Christine Mecoen, the artistic director, wanted to bring this magical place to life through its decoration. Thus, the 29 cocoons and their bathrooms have been entirely revisited in a very meticulous way: a fine blend of Millésime’s own DNA and nods to the Basque Country. As in the other rooms of the castle, the original furniture has been preserved and accompanied by a forceful piece, with touches always of current modernity. It also has the Relay Chateaux label, a luxury designation that not everyone has.
The lake is enhanced by the installation of 10 floating lodges in the form of independent rooms on the water, in energy self-sufficient environments, with all modern comforts. The color code used evokes nature: green, terracotta, white.
We find this bias in the various dining areas of Brindos, Lac & Château: the Restaurant, the Etoile Bar, Le Ponton and La Piscine. On the dessert side, it is Mathieu Mandard, pastry chef and French dessert champion (2004), who gives LA with a menu (and trolleys!) of original desserts, composed of revisited classics: chocolate and citrus sponge cake, Basque beret, Basque cakes, seasonal fruit tart, millefeuille, Bayonne de Paris… All to share. A top dessert: the rum baba, and its staging, served with various toppings and alcohol of your choice.
Signature snack at the Hotel Brindos Lac & Chateau
In addition, they collaborate with the emblematic Bayonne chocolatier, Cazenave. Chocolate is discovered in all its forms and becomes a real spectacle to be elaborated in front of the diners. And, therefore, La Chocolaterie also hosts breakfasts and brunches, with no fixed schedule and open to customers of the House as well as external customers, all year round. This gourmet food is composed of local and homemade products.
The hotel spa is a complete experience full of activities.
Finally, a mandatory stop at the SPA: SPA extends over the water with 2 double floating cabins. Everything is designed for a solo, duo or family stay, with several activities to book: guided meditation classes, yoga classes for all levels and all tastes, fitness trail around the lake, dance lessons…
It is one of the experiences worth giving as a gift, and enjoying. There are so many activities to do that it is perfect for all times, families, couples and individuals;
The Brindos Lac & Chateau hotel spa
This is the largest House of the Millésime group to date. The decoration is a dream: the immensity and purity of the water, but also the Renaissance woodwork, the furniture and the origins of the place, are the purest inspiration. Marie-Christine surrounded herself with French actors, and in particular Jean-Vier for the fabrics, curtains and tableware;
Most of the pieces were also hunted all over France, because a site never stops being built;
The hotel always advocates to honor local products and knowledge, whether to consider them as a wealth to be protected and sustained. We find this bias in the various areas of restoration of Brindos. The Panoramic Restaurant, with its 180° view over the lake and its cozy atmosphere, thus offers a total culinary immersion in the purest Basque tradition, sprinkled with a wind of creativity. One of the most important features is the fresh and seasonal cuisine, for an unprecedented culinary journey. The products are selected in France and Spain.
A hotel with a special charm… and with a long past.
But that’s not all… A Lake Brindos is surrounded by a legend as mysterious as it is fantastic; long ago, when the beasts spoke (some still speak today) there lived an old and mysterious lady on the shore of the lake. She never went out or spoke to others, except on nights when the moon was full. One day, a curious fisherman followed her. The old woman began to utter some words in a language that the fisherman, hidden behind a huge tree, did not understand. She pointed and touched the water with her finger… out of each water lily came a woman dressed in fabrics more delicate and shiny than the wings of a butterfly. One, two, three… thousands of them came out of the lake and began to dance. It is said that, since then, since that night, every September 14 the miracle happens at midnight.
