Okko Hotels Bayonne Centre ★★★★

The French have never had much time for rules. There is something in the beauty and joy of France that cannot be restrained or, perhaps, it is simply something in the cheese and wine. Whatever it is, there is a reason the phrase laissez-faire comes from the French – does any other European nation have such a reputation for insouciance? At Okko Hotels Bayonne Centre ****, they go a step further. Not content with simple nonchalance, they have thrown out the rulebook entirely; looked at the traditional way of running a four-star hotel and deemed it entirely insufficient.

Buffet breakfasts in hotels are usually lamentable, although in France, as always, the food is a cut above the average. A coffee and a croissant is a wonderful way to start the day; better, though, is the generous and delicious spread laid on by Okko Hotels Bayonne Centre ****. Tuck into this banquet of pastries, jams, cheeses, breads, fruits, eggs, and meats, often locally sourced and organic.

However, it is the Club where the hotel’s revolutionary masterstroke truly comes to the fore. The Club, set on the hotel’s top floor and overlooking the River Adour and the Rhune Mountain, cannot be defined by one function. It’s not quite a lounge, though you are welcome to lounge there; not quite a bar, though you can enjoy a glass of wine or champagne with the view. It’s something of a mélange, a mixture of different purposes and experiences, without compromising the quality of any. Simultaneously having a boutique shop, a fully equipped health and well-being centre, and a one-of-a-kind of restaurant, one can find all they need for a holiday right within the hotel.