Visit to the heart of the “Berceau de la Reine” construction site, future four-star thermal establishment in Bagnères-de-Bigorre

It’s a real renaissance that has been taking place for a little over a year at the old Queen’s Baths. Acquired in 2019 by the town of Bagnères-de-Bigorre which entrusted its management, by public service delegation, to Semetherm DT (already manager of the Grands Thermes and Aquensis), the thermal establishment, renamed “Berceau de la Source”, benefits from a complete redevelopment to offer spa guests a level of 4-star standing. Its opening is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. Until then, the companies are working on the final finishing touches. We were able to visit the site in the company of the president and director of Semetherm Dt, Nicole Darrieutort and Marie-Hélène Blanque.

A fake rock larger than life

If the furniture, contemporary and elegant, is still sheltered under plastic tarpaulins and the dust generated by the work invades the space, we can easily see the atmosphere of the place and the quality of the services that will be offered to the most demanding spa guests. whether in terms of care or accommodation. Certainly, the project was delayed (the fault of a few surprises when “scratching” the existing one) but the result is clear. A feeling of “wow!”.

Starting with this fake rock larger than life which will transport spa guests into an exotic universe before diving into the thermal water pool for their treatments. With the light penetrating through the glass roof located several meters above, you can feel like you’re in the depths of a canyon. Quite simply astonishing reality but its creation, which we owe to specialists from Ukraine, remains a secret. “They have a particular technique but they worked at night and without lighting, except their flashlight, to avoid revealing it,” Marie-Hélène Blanque tells us. A technique visibly perfectly mastered which will undoubtedly cause a sensation among patients but will also invite rejuvenation and relaxation.

A little further on, there is an unusual salt cave that we discover in a room where the choice was made to keep the original walls and ceilings, this time in natural stone. Except the wall located at the back, made up of translucent salt bricks which, beyond their aesthetics and their surprising effect, will release their benefits on the respiratory tract.

Paintings by Blanche Odin in large format

As for the individual treatment cabins, the management has opted for quality materials and a cocooning and elegant decor which contrasts with the sanitized atmosphere of an ordinary thermal establishment. Ditto in the palmarium, a rest space designed in the spirit of that of its cousin the Grands Thermes, and up to the terrace of the building where the only instruction will be to take advantage of the setting, calm, green and sunny, to relax .

It goes without saying that comfort, quality and well-being have been the common thread in furnishing the 25 rooms and suites where spa guests will reside during their three weeks of treatment. Fitted kitchen that blends subtly into the cupboard, premium bedding, etc. Everything is soft and elegant for a stay that Semetherm DT wishes to be high-end. And if there is one element of which the director is particularly proud, it is the presence in the premises of the famous Bagneraise painter Blanche Odin through around twenty of her works, reproductions of which cover the walls. Enough to bring, again, a touch of elegance.