Review: The Biarritz Hotel, St. Brelades Bay, Jersey
High above the eastern end of St Brelades Bay, the gleaming white Biarritz Hotel looks down on clean white sands. A private pathway provides quick access to the beach below.
Jersey is almost France, almost abroad, a mere 14 miles from Brittany. There are apocryphal stories that locals take their boats across to France to pick-up a Sunday morning pain-au-chocolat.
Place-names, language and customs recall Jersey’s centuries as part of Normandy. Look out for the Visites du Branchage during July and September when inspectors check that landowners have cut back branches overhanging roads.
Flourishing palms show that Gulf Stream warmed St Malo Bay, where Jersey sits, has a micro-climate, warmer than England‘s South Coast that lies 85 miles away.
When the tide goes out, St Brelades Bay stretches even further towards the horizon. At low tide, Jersey’s territory expands by 30%.And for the record, St Brelade was a 6th century devout wandering Celt.
The welcome
Family-run for over six decades, the Biarritz Hotel has a reputation for superb service.
A friendly welcome tells us about meal times and facilities before taking our bags to the room.
The room
Our dual aspect, premium room has large sliding doors opening out onto a balcony spacious enough for sun-loungers, chairs and a table.
Furnishings are light-pine, curtains are of gentle pastels. A statement fern wallpaper on one wall contributes to a bright seaside ambience. If you still need a reminder of where you are, there is a nostalgic yesteryear Jersey tourism poster on the wall. In addition to a chest of drawers, there is a dressing table. On warm days, chilled water from the fridge is particularly welcome.
The bathroom
A well lit en-suite bathroom has very simple to operate push-button rainfall and directional showers.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If you are reading this article anywhere other than on A Luxury Travel Blog, then the chances are that this content has been stolen without permission.
Please make a note of the web address above and contact A Luxury Travel Blog to advise them of this issue.
Thank you for your help in combatting content theft.
The facilities
The star feature is a terrace overlooking the bay backed by a spacious lounge. A small library, with a wall of books to borrow, is another light-infused spot for a restful afternoon.
It is worth rising early to bag a window-side table in the restaurant for the buffet breakfast.
In the evening a two or three course table d’hôte menu is served, usually offering a fish, meat and vegetarian option for the main course.
Location
A Liberty Bus pass is ideal for getting around on an island, a mere 9 miles by 5 miles, where parking can sometimes be scarce.
One of Jersey’s headline sights is Elizabeth Castle, built on an island out from St Helier. The 15-acre fortresses has over four centuries of history. The battlements date back to when Sir Walter Raleigh was Jersey’s Governor, before Charles l sought refuge there during the English Civil War.
The Botanical Gardens at Samarès Manor are the place to see famous Jersey Lilies and agapanthus, along with an arboretum of alders, conifers, birches, and willows. Originally, the French for salt marsh, Samarès is now a fertile base for the Bee Garden and Japanese Garden.
Mont Orgueil Castle, towering over Gorey harbour, has become Jersey’s iconic image: an imposing reminder of Jersey’s battle-scarred past.
At the end of the Second War, Jersey’s initial reaction was to dump remaining swastika-emblazoned German military equipment into the tunnels of the never completed military hospital.
Over time, the island decided that it was important to remember, so now the Jersey War Tunnels recall the occupation, the slaves who died building the hospital and those who tried to flee German occupation.
Other nice touches
A talk from the daughter of a Jersey woman deported to Europe and interred by the occupying Nazis is typical of the Biarritz Hotel’s lecture programme.
Every morning at 8.45 am guests have a chance to head for the tranquil Sanctuary for morning prayers.
Artwork throughout the hotel, often large scale canvases, feature images from around Jersey: beach scenes and silhouettes of surfers.
The cost
Prices start at £157 for a standard double room and £191 for a premium room.
The best bit
A private path descends through agapanthus, daisies, and hydrangeas directly to the clean sands of St Brelades Bay.
It is a beach that is sometimes rated as the third best in the British Isles.
The final verdict
A small and friendly hotel superbly located for enjoying the best that Jersey has to offer.
Look out for highlights of the Jersey calendar: Liberation Day in May, the Battle of Flowers in August, the Jersey International Air Display in September and Tennerfest, which runs through October and November and offers exceptional value fixed price menus in many local restaurants.
Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by The Biarritz Hotel.
Michael Edwards
Michael Edwards is a travel writer from Oxfordshire, UK. Although Michael had his first travel pieces published nearly four decades ago, he is still finding new luxury destinations to visit and write on.
Did you enjoy this article?
Receive similar content direct to your inbox.
As someone lucky enough to live on Jersey, St Brelades is my favourite beach. It’s got a classic bay shape and lovely green surrounds.
I dip in and out of the other beaches, I always can find some space on St Ouens to run the two dogs but I probably go to St Brelades more than any other beach.
One of the great things about St Brelades Bay is the range of facilities along the sea wall walk. You’ve got shops with beach kit, cafes and pubs. You’re not going to struggle to get an ice-cream or a cup of coffee. Also there are kayaks and other boats for hire.
One thing to watch though, is that the tide comes in very quickly, so be aware and keep an eye open.
All very tempting for a weekend break especially with the beach weather that we’re getting at the moment. Last time I flew to Jersey my flight was only in the air for about 40 minutes and if you do it on hand luggage you can be out of the airport and on the beach in no time.
I think I read somewhere that Jersey is around an hour’s flight, give and take, from about 20 regional airports in the UK, so that definitely makes it long weekend territory. For me, Southampton is my usual route to Jersey, so after take off there’s scarcely time for the crew to serve a cup of coffee.
That is an amazing balcony view. I can see myself sat there with an early morning cup of tea.
For a small island Jersey has a lot to offer.
Tennerfest sounds a great idea for luring visitors in for the tail end of the season.
When I had a holiday in Jersey I hired a car from the airport and it wasn’t a good idea. Country lanes are narrow and it’s rare to get anywhere near 30mph. I struggled to park in St Helier. If I go back I’ll be getting a bus pass.
Another great thing about taking a bus is that you get better views. As you’re not driving you can concentrate on taking in the landscape. Lots of roads in Jersey are bordered by hedgerows and walls. On a bus you’re a little higher up and can see above those walls and hedgerows.
What more could you want from a seaside hotel? The Biarritz has certainly got the location looking done on the bay and yet you’ve got the path straight down to the beach. That must be a big sell for families. There’s little worse than trailing damp sandy kids back to the hotel through busy roads packed with people doing exactly the same thing.