Iconic Life

“At the age of 24, I spent a year and a half travelling around Australia. It was an incredible road trip and I came back transformed, feeling at peace. Of all the places I visited, it was the time I spent in Byron Bay which made the biggest impression on me. This coastal city in the south-east of Australia is a surfer’s paradise; famous for its lifestyle, its beaches and its natural surroundings, it’s often described as one of Australia’s coolest cities. It’s a truly heavenly place. After spending time there, there was a real sense of a before and an after. I felt incredibly happy and totally delighted to be so close to the ocean, to be living in a kind of a bubble, in a world where everything revolved around surfing: mindsets, music, art, food, fashion and so much more.

What’s the link with Hossegor, you ask me? Well, Hossegor sparked the very same feelings I’d once had in Byron Bay in Australia. I really felt a connection here: Hossegor has great vibes, an incredible way of life, real respect for nature and people and a certain je-ne-sais-quoi which instantly makes you feel good, probably because it’s so close to the ocean.

Naturally, when my brother and I wanted to expand our Iconic House collection, we began by looking in Hossegor. We visited the Ura Aldia property and instantly fell in love with it. In our view, it’s one of the most beautiful houses in Hossegor, sheltered by the pine trees and overlooking the marine lake. Designed in the 1930s by the architect Louis Lagrange, this white and red building boasts traditional local architecture; it has direct access to the Blanche beach and is just a three-minute cycle ride from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a real gem. We put our heart and soul into renovating and refurbishing this house, all with the utmost respect for its past; today, it lives up to its impressive history and stellar reputation.

To continue the comparison with Australia, what I love most about Hossegor (and what I didn’t really find in Byron Bay) are its character, its architecture, its culture, its landscapes, its culinary heritage, its artisans.  And it’s this incredible local variety and diversity that we wanted to highlight in the property of Les Bords du Lac and the edition of ICONS Hossegor, our guide dedicated to the destination.”

Robin Michel, Iconic House cofounder

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