A second hotel in the Basque Country
The HETZI group has announced the acquisition of Villa KOEGUI Bayonne, a four-star hotel in the heart of Bayonne. The deal, signed on 24 July 2026, makes the group founded by Daniel Hiribarren the new owner of the property.
The acquisition comes a year and a half after the opening of BIZIPOZ Hôtel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. It is the group’s second hotel in the Basque Country and strengthens its Hospitality, Leisure & Dining division (HLR, from the French Hôtellerie, Loisirs, Restauration).
An HLR division moving north
The HLR division of the HETZI group currently comprises BIZIPOZ Hôtel, BIZIPOZ Bar and BIZIPOZ La Cave in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, as well as the Txikitalia restaurant in Hendaye. Until now, these assets were concentrated in the southern Basque Country.
The addition of Villa KOEGUI Bayonne continues this momentum and broadens the division’s geographical reach. Bayonne thus becomes the group’s first foothold in the north of the territory.
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Clearly defined investment criteria
Villa KOEGUI shares several characteristics with BIZIPOZ Hôtel. Both properties are rated four stars and operate under an independent banner. They stand out for their strong identity, human scale and city-centre location. It was these features that underpinned HETZI’s investment decision.
These common traits open up tangible synergies between the two hotels. They also make it possible to align the events offerings in Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz so that they complement each other.
A sale born of several years of dialogue
The deal has its roots in a meeting between two local business leaders. Daniel Hiribarren, founder and chairman of the HETZI group, and Guy Neplaz, chairman of the KOEGUI group, met through an APM (Association Progrès du Management) business leaders’ club.
Both men run independent hotels in a tourist destination. They therefore share the same challenges: recruitment, operations, service quality and succession. Over several years, they exchanged their respective experiences. These conversations gave rise to a relationship of trust, within which the sale of the hotel took shape.
Daniel Hiribarren explains that he and Guy Neplaz met through a business leaders’ club and quickly found themselves tackling the same issues: keeping an independent hotel with its own identity thriving in a demanding market. That closeness, he says, grew into a genuine relationship of trust, and it was this that made the acquisition possible. In his view, Villa KOEGUI matches what the group does best: a human-scale property with a distinctive identity and a prime location, much like BIZIPOZ in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. He adds that Bayonne is a natural complement to the group’s presence in the Basque Country and opens up many synergies for its teams and guests alike.
On the seller’s side, Guy Neplaz says he was in contact with several potential buyers and sets out the reasons that led him to choose HETZI. With a view to selling the Bayonne four-star hotel, he was put in touch with several parties interested in taking it over. After talks with each of them, he says, HETZI’s takeover of Villa KOEGUI Bayonne quickly emerged as the obvious choice. Several factors guided that decision: the straightforward, high-quality relationship established with HETZI’s head, a shared ambition to deliver a high standard of guest service, natural synergies with the group’s flagship, BIZIPOZ Hôtel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and career development prospects for some staff within the enlarged business. The KOEGUI group, he adds, wishes the new venture every success.
Le Carré repositioned for events
The hotel’s food and beverage operation and offering will change, refocusing exclusively on the services most in demand among guests. The property will maintain its breakfast offering to the same exacting standards. It will also provide bar service and all-day snacking.
Until now operated as the hotel restaurant, Le Carré will henceforth be dedicated to events. The space will be available to book for private events, business meetings, seminars, weddings and cultural gatherings.
This new positioning builds on the expertise the group has developed at BIZIPOZ. The Saint-Jean-de-Luz hotel hosts corporate seminars, partner evenings and cultural events all year round.
HETZI, a diversified property group
Founded in 1991 in Hendaye by Daniel Hiribarren, the HETZI group is an independent group rooted in the Basque Country. Historically specialising in real estate, it has gradually diversified around four divisions: hospitality, leisure and dining; tourism; property development; and real estate brokerage.
Through its various projects, the group develops living spaces and services for residents, professionals and visitors to the region.
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At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
HETZI acquires Villa KOEGUI Bayonne (France)
Deal signed on 24 July 2026 for an independent four-star hotel in central Bayonne
Second hotel for the Basque group after BIZIPOZ Hôtel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, opened in 2025
Strengthens HETZI’s Hospitality, Leisure & Dining division, now extending to the northern Basque Country
F&B refocused on breakfast, bar and all-day snacking; Le Carré restaurant converted into an events venue
Founded in 1991 in Hendaye, HETZI operates across hospitality, tourism, property development and real estate brokerage
