{"id":2803,"date":"2026-10-16T00:45:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T15:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/?post_type=briefing&#038;p=2803"},"modified":"2026-10-16T00:47:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T15:47:07","slug":"2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-en","status":"publish","type":"briefing","link":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-en\/","title":{"rendered":"A hotel returns at 2,620 metres in the Pyrenees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>2026-10-16 00:45:20 KST<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>H\u00f4tellerie des Laquets, at 2,620 metres above sea level in the French Pyrenees, reopened on September 25 and received fresh international travel coverage on October 15.<\/p>\n<p>The operator and tourism authority present it as France\u2019s highest hotel, a category that does not include every mountain refuge or establish a world accommodation record.<\/p>\n<h2>Why travel above the hotel first?<\/h2>\n<p>The official route starts at La Mongie, where a cable car takes visitors to the Pic du Midi summit at 2,877 metres. A private cable car then descends to the hotel. Subtracting the two published elevations gives a difference of 257 metres. The hotel is therefore below the summit; describing it as standing on the peak would be inaccurate. Reaching a room involves more than the usual arrival at a roadside hotel.<\/p>\n<h2>What has returned after the long closure?<\/h2>\n<p>The building dates from 1930\u20131933 and, according to the official history, closed in 1996. Its 2026 return follows about 30 years of closure. Renovation and expansion have produced 16 rooms. This is the revival of a historic mountain tourism facility, rather than the creation of a large new accommodation complex. Reports give differing renovation costs, so no definitive project budget is stated here.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2793\" src=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-d6953d99002e4bb0.webp\" width=\"1672\" height=\"941\" alt=\"A hotel returns at 2,620 metres in the Pyrenees\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-d6953d99002e4bb0.webp 1672w, https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-d6953d99002e4bb0-1024.webp 1024w, https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-d6953d99002e4bb0-640.webp 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px\" \/><figcaption class=\"op-briefing-image-caption\">AI-generated explanatory illustration; not an actual photograph or an exact reconstruction of architecture, observations or experiments.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What exactly does the height comparison mean?<\/h2>\n<p>Euronews identifies the previous highest hotel as Refuge de Solaise in the Alps, at 2,551 metres. Laquets is 69 metres higher. The comparison is elevation above sea level, rather than the height of the buildings. Mountain refuges or other accommodation types can sit higher, so removing the word hotel would make the claim broader than the evidence.<\/p>\n<h2>What should visitors check next?<\/h2>\n<p>The operator asks guests to reach the departure counter at La Mongie before 4 p.m. Actual operation and access need checking against notices for the intended travel date. The official advice also calls for warm clothing even in summer. This report does not confirm a particular departure, room availability or price. Cable-car timetables, weather notices and cancellation conditions matter more for an actual visit than the record alone.<\/p>\n<h2>Primary sources and independent checks<\/h2>\n<p>Operator: elevations, 16 rooms, access route, history and arrival instructions: <a href=\"https:\/\/picdumidi.com\/fr\/hotellerie-des-laquets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pic du Midi: H\u00f4tellerie des Laquets<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tourism authority: September 25 reopening plan and hotel category; actual reopening checked against later reporting: <a href=\"https:\/\/presse.tourisme-occitanie.com\/nouveautes\/lhotellerie-des-laquets-un-nouvel-hebergement-de-luxe-accroche-au-flanc-du-pic-du-midi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tourisme Occitanie: 25 September 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Independent travel coverage: reopening, altitude comparison, rooms and route; not availability or price confirmation: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/10\/15\/rooms-with-a-view-the-highest-hotel-in-france-just-opened-in-the-pyrenees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Euronews: Dianne Apen-Sadler, 15 October 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mountain reporting: confirms actual September 25 reopening and 69-metre difference: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.actumontagne.com\/art-de-vivre\/le-pic-du-midi-ouvre-le-plus-haut-hotel-de-france-a-2620-metres-daltitude\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Actumontagne: Aur\u00e9lien Antoine, 7 October 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Read in other languages<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-ko\/\">\ud55c\uad6d\uc5b4<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-en\/\">English<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-es\/\">Espa\u00f1ol<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-ja\/\">\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-16-laquets-hotel-vi\/\">Ti\u1ebfng Vi\u1ec7t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reopened on September 25, H\u00f4tellerie des Laquets is reached by going up to Pic du Midi and taking another cable car down. Its height claim concerns hotels, rather than every mountain refuge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"class_list":["post-2803","briefing","type-briefing","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/briefing\/2803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/briefing"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/briefing"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}