Hôtellerie des Laquets has reopened in the French Pyrenees, becoming France’s highest hotel at approximately 2,620 meters above sea level. Originally constructed between 1930 and 1933, the property welcomed guests again in late September following renovation and more than 30 years of closure. Its original building has been retained, with furnishings reflecting the region’s mountain culture, while a new wing adopts a minimalist Nordic style. All 16 double rooms offer panoramic views.
Access requires two cable car journeys: visitors travel from La Mongie to the summit of Pic du Midi, then descend to the hotel in a private cable car. Located within the Pic du Midi International Dark Sky Reserve, the property offers unobstructed views of the Milky Way without light pollution. At the summit, visitors can explore observatory science through an exhibition space and attend an immersive planetarium show. A 12-meter footbridge extending into the mountain landscape provides another viewpoint.
The restaurant will feature a menu by chef Stéphane Tournié, who earned a Michelin star at Les Jardins de l’Opéra in Toulouse. A spa with a sauna and steam rooms is scheduled to open in December. The hotel takes the national altitude title from Refuge de Solaise, which stands at 2,551 meters in the Alps. Europe’s highest hotel, however, remains Glacier Hotel Grawand, at 3,212 meters in Val Senales, in Italy’s South Tyrol region. The reopened property therefore leads France’s hotel rankings by elevation, but not Europe’s.
