The legendary Hôtel La Ponche unveils its new attire in the historic heart of Saint Tropez

One of the most iconic hotels of the french riviera reopens after an impressive renovation!

Françoise Sagan, Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Romy Schneider, Michel Piccoli, Boris Vian, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir -these were just some of Hôtel La Ponche guests, during the years of its glory as one of the most iconic hotels of the french riviera. Now, after an eight month renovation, the legendary resort reopens in the historic heart of Saint-Tropez.

Overlooking the small beach of La Ponche, this luxurious 21-room hotel (including 5 suites) has been given a makeover under the direction of interior designer Fabrizio Casiraghi. The management of this five-star hotel – from now on open year-round – will be entrusted to Audrey Brémond, a native of Saint-Tropez, with chef Thomas Danigo (Galanga, Monsieur George Hotel, Paris) at her side.

The Hôtel La Ponche has been entirely «revisited» but the most essential element being untouched: its spirit. One finds the taste of la dolce vita mixed with idleness and the roll of the waves, surrounded by this relaxed chic ambience and carefree elegance.

The muse

Hôtel La Ponche’s ambassador is Simone Duckstein -the hotels’ soul. Her parents opened this hole-in-the-wall establishment in 1938 and It was here that, at the end of the war, all the fishermen of Saint- Tropez gathered to celebrate their newfound liberty. Then, the stars came naturally in the 1950s. They came on the famed Blue Train which released them sleepily onto the platforms of Saint-Raphaël train station. Simone was 13 years old when the cast and crew of And God Created Woman came to settle in La Ponche. She saw the Bardot-Vadim love story unravel under the burning gaze of Jean-Louis Trintignant. Boris Vian slipping willingly behind the bar to serve his friends: Daniel Gélin, Michel Piccoli, Pierre Brasseur, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jack Nicholson, Catherine Deneuve… Simone Duckstein saw it all with eyes wide open!

Fabrizio Casiraghi, a rising star in interior design (Parisian apartments in Venice, the Drouant Restaurant in Paris, a resto-club in Hong Kong),knew the place. He regularly stayed in Ramatuelle, which allowed him some distance and enough emotion. The challenge was to renovate it but not to touch the structures, move forward without breaking too much, respecting the soul of this place. Find a common thread (the paintings and their lighting) and keep the spirit of the 21 rooms. “This does not make it a hotel exactly,” Fabrizio says, “but a vacation home by the sea.”

Hôtel La Ponche’s new look

From the reception, the tone of the house is set. It will be both Provencal and summery: black-and-white marbled checkerboard floor, ivory walls, concierge, luggage room, and reception with traditional round brass keys. It will showcase the veranda and its zenith-like overhead lighting, inviting people to meet there in the company of the library and the game tables.

More present than ever, the legendary terrace will have been planted. From breakfast on, it will maintain the myth but also provide lively catering until late in the evening. On the side, a new feature: a dining room overlooking the sea. It can be privatized with prix fixe menus, announcing both the intimate dimension of the hotel (dark walnut parquet) and the artistic (frescoes on the walls and ceiling).

The rooms will be treated with lightness to remain in the spirit of the beginning when the walls were whitewashed and the beds covered with fresh and flowery cretonne. Today, there is an off-white American walnut woodwork, dark-stained, gloss varnish. The tiles are on the floor, the paintings here and there: works by Jacques Cordier, Simone Duckstein’s first husband; original lithographs by Picasso. Artistic collaborations by Victor Levai (ceramic frames), Elvira Solana (fresco), fabrics by Loro Piana and Pierre Frey (green, orange, yellow). The ultimate room is room 8, by Romy Schneider and Daniel Biasini. The terrace is as large as the room, overlooking the roofs of Saint-Tropez, the citadel, the bell tower, and the sea. All of the twenty-one 5-star rooms (including 5 suites) are named after illustrious visitors.

Exceptional gastronomy

The hotels’ chef Thomas Danigo has the experience of an old hand. This Parisian, by birth, has already won awards in professional competitions and is especially known for his work at major addresses such as the Grand Monarque in Chartres (one Michelin star) and for his seven years with Alain Pégouret (true disciple of Joël Robuchon) at the Laurent restaurant in Paris (one star).

This young, modern chef has learned from his many travels around the world to deliver a pleasing Mediterranean menu at La Ponche, focused on local vegetables, fish of the day, and the vibrations of the market. “No fuss, no overdone dishes, but a cuisine focused on ingredients and taste.” Fresh pea gazpacho, grilled lobster, bouillabaisse; daily specials in the charcoal oven and simple desserts, also worked in the sense of the ingredients. At lunch, the terrace will serve cult dishes of the house, while in the evening, the tables will be topped with linen and the menu expanded to more personal dishes by Thomas Danigo. Also of note, a refreshing “finger food” menu at the bar as well as all-night room service, true to the hotel’s five stars.

The best way to judge the embodiment of a celebrated, luxury hotel is by its bar. That’s why the highlights of Hôtel La Ponche will be played out in this venue, which is now also open to the outside world on a small street behind the hotel. And for good reason, the origin of the hotel’s success had a name: The Saint-Germain-des-Prés La Ponche with Boris Vian’s band, who between two trumpet blasts, liked to go behind the bar to serve his friends.

Fabrizio Casiraghi used a wall of mirrors behind the bar, housing shelves and backlighting on the bottles, American walnut wood ceilings, black-and-white checkered tiling, a fireplace, wrought iron coffee tables with glass tops, super comfortable free-standing armchairs, which can be moved around, like the ottomans. All this to be enjoyed at all hours of the day and often late at night, this feeling of beginnings, la dolce vita, the grand menu of cocktails with house staples, private concerts, and the famous nightcap for endless nights…

The spa

With eight years of experience in Paris, Le Tigre Yoga Club (Le Tigre Chaillot, Le Tigre Rive Gauche, Hotel Monsieur George, Le Tigre Hotel Le Normandy, Deauville) will provide treatments adapted to the spirit of the moment: morning yoga on the deck facing the sea. And afterwards, yoga classes on request, body treatments, massages as an invitation to let go at the end of the day. Good news for Le Tigre Yoga Club regulars: massage therapist, Iris Vola (Iyengar Yoga, Ayurvedic massage, Balinese, Lomi Lomi, Swedish…), will be in residence for the entire summer.