Les Hortensias du Lac, Soorts-Hossegor

Several months of renovation have totally transformed this mythical address in the Landes. It is a chic refuge in the Les Domaines de Fontenille hotel collection, with the atmosphere of a surf lodge facing the sunrise and overlooking the marine lake. Guided tour.

Hardly impacted by the confinement, hoteliers and restaurateurs are cautiously announcing the reopening of their establishments. Where Les Domaines de Fontenille has revamped an institution: Les Hortensias du Lac.

On the waterfront, the hotel has taken up residence on the west bank of the marine lake. Lost in the pine trees and only a few metres from the Atlantic Ocean, guests can pack their bags in 25 clean rooms decorated with light wood and Scandinavian furniture. The peace and quiet of the marine lake is deceptive: just a few hundred metres away, the ocean’s rollers love surfers from all over the world. Echoing their presence, “Les Hortensias” has dressed its décor with surfboards inspired by the chic lodges of the Hamptons.

In the spirit of a surfers’ beach house, the boards are borrowed to brave the waves. And for those who aspire to more peace and quiet, there is still the possibility of staying by the pool or lazing around in the spa, equipped with a Nordic bath, and whose treatments are signed by L:A Bruket, a Swedish brand known for its natural seaweed formulas.

White wall panelling, surfboards and designer wicker armchairs… American influences are assumed here. One could easily imagine Montauk, if the arched windows did not recall the Landes origins of the place. Luminous and dressed with Scandinavian seating and beautiful books, the living room evokes the spirit of a family home. A pleasant place to read with the view of the lake in case of rain…

As for the restaurant, sheltered behind large windows, it is the chef Philippe Moreno (who worked alongside Gerald Passédat in Marseille) who takes the orders for the stoves. Turned towards the local soil, one can taste a responsible cuisine which celebrates the seasons, sea products and planchas. The perfect Landes pied-à-terre in short.