In short… Hotel de la Plage is a charming 19th century hotel which just reopened after a brilliant two-year restoration and renovation, and is open year-round.
The surroundings… Cap Ferret is a long skinny peninsula, flanked by the Bay of Arcachon on one side and the Atlantic on the other, with a string of small villages stretching along its length. Hotel de la Plage sits within the picturesque village of L’Herbe, an authentic oyster farming village, with colorful houses lining the alleyways and the beach just in front.
The vibe… Owners Stessy Faber and Nicolas Lascombes, restaurateurs from Bordeaux, bought this hotel-restaurant in 2011. An institution in the area since 1860, it was originally a dormitory and canteen for the pine resin workers. Several years ago, they embarked on a very thoughtful, deep renovation–and reopened this year. It attracts all the locals–and has a great energy–filled with chic Bordelaise and Parisians who holiday here, but in a sandy-feet-in-espadrilles kind of way.
The rooms… The very present owners want it to feel like you are staying at your grandparents’ beach house–bedrooms don’t have tvs, mini-bars, electronic keys, or a safe. There are only 12 rooms in total, and they are very well priced–we booked last minute during the busiest week in August (they must have had a cancellation!) and got a room for 350 euros. The design, conceived by Biarritz-based Atelier Delphine Carrère, is tasteful and restrained, with cheerful seaside/fisherman details subtly introduced. Each room is named after a local personality. The bathrooms feature L’Oceopin, a local beauty company that makes great products. Our room had great light, with glass doors that opened onto the wrap-around balcony. At first Matt was skeptical that there was no AC, but with the fan and milder weather, we didn’t miss it.
The food & drink… The restaurant serves all meals, and is fantastic–using all the best products from Southwest France. They believe in simplicity, great ingredients, and no fuss. The bartender Reynaud is excellent, not something you can always expect in a small seaside hotel. And the staff are young and so friendly, also a nice surprise given how many people they serve in a day. It has indoor and outdoor seating, and a fireplace should you come here in the winter.
Extra credit… While we wish that an environmental policy wasn’t something unusual that deserves a shout out, many hotels still don’t have one, other than the standard suggestion to hang your towels or leave the card on the bed if you don’t want them changed. Here they chose to limit electronics (no screens, no AC), use ethically sourced organic cotton fabrics, and compost food waste.
Pets? Hotel de la Plage welcomes well-behaved pets, but they ask that you don’t leave them in your room unattended.
Be sure to… Visit at least one of the many oyster shacks in the village, where you can get a dozen of the best you’ve ever had for 14 euros.
Date of stay… August 22, 2024
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