Fully renovated in 2024, Hotel Arcanse reinvented itself around one simple idea: bringing a little of the Arcachon Bay inside its walls. Colours, materials, furniture, decorative objects… Every detail draws inspiration from the landscapes and lifestyle of the region, creating a true holiday home with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
A design rooted in Its surroundings
The name Arcanse itself carries a piece of Arcachon’s history. Inspired by “arcanson”, the pine resin once used to coat boat hulls, its sound also evokes the idea of an anse, a cove: a place to set down your bags, slow down and enjoy the moment. This connection to the local area is naturally reflected throughout the hotel’s interior design. To create its new identity, Studio MHNA, which led the renovation project, drew on three pillars: Nature, Sharing and People. The hotel was designed as a family holiday home on the Bay, with spaces created not simply to pass through, but to truly live in.
Arcachon Bay as a colour palette
At Arcanse, simply looking at the colours is enough to recognise some of the region’s most iconic landscapes.
The sand of the Dune, the blue of the Ocean, the green of the pine forests and the ochre tones of their resin come together in a soft, natural palette that flows throughout the hotel. Light wood, natural fabrics, soothing tones and warm lines create an atmosphere that feels both contemporary and familiar. Rather than literally recreating a seaside aesthetic, the design seeks to capture its sensations: light, softness, nature and that distinctive feeling of slowing down as soon as you arrive on the Bay.
Bedrooms designed as cosy retreats
Across the hotel’s 56 Rooms and Junior Suites, this inspiration takes on a more intimate feel. Light wood furniture combines with natural fabrics and calming tones to create restful spaces, designed as true retreats after a day spent exploring Arcachon and its surroundings. References to the local landscape are woven into the colours, materials and furniture, extending the experience of the Bay into the bedrooms. A way of bringing a little of the outdoors inside, without ever compromising on comfort.
The Apartment, a true holiday home
The “family home” spirit truly comes into its own in the Arcanse Apartment. With 57 sqm of space, a spacious living room, a fully equipped kitchen and a separate bedroom, it has been designed as a genuine living space to share with family or friends. Outside, a 40 sqm terrace further enhances the feeling of being at home. A place to slow down, spend time together and enjoy the end of an Arcachon day in complete privacy.
Living spaces designed for spending time together
At Arcanse, the family-home spirit extends beyond the bedrooms. The lobby has been designed as a true living space, evolving naturally throughout the day. In the morning, guests gather here for breakfast. Later, it becomes a place to work, take a break or browse the selection of products available in the hotel Shop. As the day goes on, the bar and terrace become places to meet over a drink, enjoy a bite to eat or play an impromptu game of table football.
Open and welcoming spaces, designed less as places to simply pass through and more as places where you will want to stay awhile.
The Vision of Studio MHNA
Behind this new identity is Studio MHNA, founded by Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet, which has been creating interior architecture projects across the hospitality, gastronomy and wellness sectors for more than thirty years. For Arcanse, the studio created an interior that combines aesthetics and functionality while giving the hotel a personality deeply connected to its surroundings. An approach that allows the hotel to tell the story of Arcachon in a different way: not through an accumulation of traditional seaside references, but through materials, colours and an atmosphere that echo the local landscape.
An Arcachon home where you can drop anchor
Since its renovation in 2024, Arcanse has cultivated an approach to design that is inseparable from the overall guest experience. Here, the interior design contributes to the feeling of a holiday home where you quickly feel at ease. A home base just a few steps from the Bay, designed for spending time together, slowing down and enjoying the simple pleasures of Arcachon.
A place to drop anchor… before heading out to explore the Bay.
Want to discover Arcanse? Book your next stay in Arcachon and experience our family holiday home on the Bay.
Book your stay: https://www.hotelarcanse.com/