Luxury villas · Pau
Villa Hotels in Pau Facing the Pyrenees
Pau became a fashionable winter resort for British and other foreign visitors in the 19th century, and the grand villas they built still line its quieter streets. The two stays on this page are hotels set in villas, not private villas to rent, so expect hotel rooms and service rather than a whole house. Hôtel Villa Navarre, rated 7.4 from about 600 reviews, sits in an 18th-century building within a two-hectare park, with a spa and views of the Pyrenees. The Originals Boutique, Villa Montpensier, rated 7.1, is a villa-style hotel with a garden in the centre of town.
Pau, capital of the Béarn, is the birthplace of King Henri IV, an elegant city of parks and villas with a long promenade that looks straight across to the Pyrenees, about an hour from the ski slopes and the Basque coast.
Updated October 11, 2026
Park, Spa and Mountain Views
A villa hotel suits Pau, a city known for its gardens, its belle époque mansions and the panorama of the Pyrenees from the Boulevard des Pyrénées. Neither score is high, so these are choices for setting and atmosphere rather than for flawless service, and it is worth reading recent reviews before booking.
Hôtel Villa Navarre is the more distinctive of the two and the one with more reviews, rated 7.4 from about 600. It occupies an 18th-century building set within a two-hectare park, a rare amount of green space for a city hotel, and some rooms have views of the Pyrenees. There is a spa with a sauna and a hot tub, a gourmet restaurant and a bar, which together make it the more complete stay. It is close to Pau station and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The score shows that service does not always match the setting, but for the park and the spa it remains the stronger choice.
The Originals Boutique, Villa Montpensier is a villa-style hotel set in a garden in the centre of Pau, rated 7.1 from about 40 reviews, so its score rests on a modest sample. Rooms are air-conditioned with flat-screen satellite TV and free WiFi, family-size rooms are available, and all floors are served by a lift. On-site parking is a genuine advantage in the centre, where spaces are scarce. It has no spa or restaurant listed, so it suits travellers who want a central, quiet base with a car and plan to eat out in town and spend their days in the city or the mountains.
Neither hotel is a private villa to rent, and their scores of 7.4 and 7.1 are modest, so it is fair to say these are choices for setting rather than for polish. Villa Navarre wins on space, park and wellness, which suits couples looking for a calm weekend. Villa Montpensier wins on central location, air-conditioning, family rooms and parking, which suits families and road trippers. In both cases, check recent reviews and confirm what matters most to you, whether it is a mountain view, parking or room size, before you book, especially for stays in high season.
Pau is built for strolling. The Boulevard des Pyrénées runs along the edge of the old town with a panorama of the mountain chain, and a small funicular links it to the station below. The Château de Pau, where Henri IV was born in 1553, is now a museum with fine tapestries. The Palais Beaumont and its park recall the city's era as a winter resort, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts is close to Villa Navarre. From Pau, the Ossau valley and the ski stations of the Pyrenees are about an hour away, and Biarritz is a little further to the west.
A traveler's take
For a villa stay in Pau, I would book Hôtel Villa Navarre: it is rated 7.4, set in an 18th-century building inside a two-hectare park, and its spa with sauna and hot tub plus the Pyrenees views make it the more memorable stay. If I came by car with children, my choice would be The Originals Boutique, Villa Montpensier, for its family rooms, lift and on-site parking.
Luxury villas
2 stays in Pau
Luxury villasPau
Hôtel Villa Navarre
18th-century villa with spa, gourmet dining, and Pyrenees views
Why guests love itI would choose Hôtel Villa Navarre for a family that likes green space, since this 18th-century building stands in a two-hectare park in Pau. Children get room to roam outdoors, and parents can use the spa with its sauna and hot tub. Some rooms look out to the Pyrenees, which I would ask for. The hotel has a gourmet restaurant and a bar, and Pau train station and the Fine Arts Museum are close by.
Luxury villasPau
The Originals Boutique, Villa Montpensier, Pau
Villa-style hotel with family rooms and parking in central Pau
Why guests love itVilla Montpensier is a villa-style hotel set in a garden in the centre of Pau, which gives families a calmer base than a street-front hotel. Family-size rooms are available, all served by a lift, a help with pushchairs and luggage. Rooms are air-conditioned, with flat-screen satellite TV and free WiFi for quiet evenings. On-site parking is a real plus in a city centre, and it makes day trips towards the Pyrenees easier.
Pau
Local tips
- 1Do not expect a private villa: both listings are hotels set in villas, with hotel rooms and service.
- 2Book Hôtel Villa Navarre for its two-hectare park, its spa and rooms with Pyrenees views.
- 3Choose The Originals Boutique, Villa Montpensier for central parking and air-conditioned family rooms.
- 4Read recent reviews first, as both hotels score in the low 7s.
- 5Walk the Boulevard des Pyrénées at sunset and ride the funicular down to the station.
- 6Visit the Château de Pau, birthplace of Henri IV, and then the Palais Beaumont park.
Related searches
Frequently asked questions
Luxury villas · Pau
No. Hôtel Villa Navarre and The Originals Boutique, Villa Montpensier are hotels set in villas, so you book a hotel room with hotel services rather than a whole house. If you need a private villa with a kitchen for a group, look at holiday rental listings instead.