Winston Churchill and Edith Piaf have stayed here!
Located in an exceptional natural setting, with an Art Deco- inspired decoration and a significant history the mythical French hotel Les Roches Blanches has just received a fifth star!
Paradise on the rocks
With its 36 bedrooms and suites, its prestigious restaurant, its Lounge bar, its two pools, its solariums and spa, Les Roches Blanches is a special holiday resort, a soothing and healthy haven of peace for body and mind, ideal for a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Tucked away in the rocks, amidst unspoilt and wild nature, the deliciously outmoded elegance of the site stirs the emotions and is the new retreat for guests seeking beauty, luxury and calm.
A holiday resort turned into a hotel
Built in 1877 on the seafront, this former mansion house takes its name from the limestone rocks which line the coast from Cassis to Marseille. Located beyond the marina, it enjoys a unique location, between the village and the Calanques, with a breath-taking view of the majestic Cap Canaille cliff. The property was turned into a hotel and opened to the public in the early 1920s. Winston Churchill, and later Edith Piaf, stayed here. The building still has some lovely Art Déco architectural elements from this period: its wrought iron, column-framed entrance, two corbelled balconies and a surprising banister with motifs of scales, with the initials RB for Roches Blanches on the first floor. Throughout the 20th century, the hotel was refurbished, then extended, on many occasions.
An enchanting site
The site’s favourable waterside position; its terraced garden, shaded with parasol pine trees; its multiple natural terraces and groves planted with pittosporum tobira, agaves, pigfaces and other succulent plants; its numerous benches, ideal for contemplating nature and the Mediterranean; its direct access to the sea by a staircase hollowed into the rock; its original snail-shaped swimming pool; its breath-taking view which embraces the port, the vineyards and the cliffs out to the open sea; its calm, ultimately, have always enchanted a loyal local, regional and international clientèle. So, when Les Roches Blanches came up for sale, it was customers who loved the place who decided to embark on the adventure. Driven by the desire to reawaken this Sleeping Beauty, they contacted the architect and decorator, Monika Kappel, to modernise the ageing hotel, with respect for its history, and to enhance the site whilst preserving its incredible charm.
Reawakening Sleeping Beauty
Monika Kappel undertook something that had never been done before: a full renovation of the hotel, i.e. a restoration of every single one of the 2,400 square metres spread over buildings of different periods and styles. Her objective: to increase the hotel’s capacity and make the rooms more modular in order to compose suites, or work spaces; to open the hotel up more onto the garden and the sea in order to fully benefit from the magnetism of the place; to restore consistency and a uniformity of style using its Art Déco elements; to offer luxury services in a refined environment. In short, to make Les Roches Blanches the embodiment of French living filtered through the gentleness of the Riviera and the Calanques, for a clientèle seeking hedonism and serenity.
A renovation from top to toe
By converting the house which was formerly reserved for staff, as well as several rooms used as sheds and the attics, the architect has increased the hotel’s capacity from 24 to 36 rooms and modular suites, ranging in area from 24 to 80 square meters. By enlarging the openings – windows and patio doors -, by creating new terraces or by extending the existing ones, and by making the until then unused rooftops accessible, Monika Kappel has enhanced communication with the outside and unveiled a panoramic view of the sea.
The reception, relaxation and dining areas have all been redesigned and magnified. The reception communicates freely with the lobby, which opens onto the former restaurant, converted into a vast Lounge bar with windows all the way round, overlooking the garden and providing an unending sea view. Upon their arrival, guests are irresistibly drawn towards the sea. A new, cosier restaurant, a terrace bar, another bar in the garden, a library / projection room that can be privatised, and a luxury spa with steam room now complete the hotel’s facilities.
Outside, a second pool (20m x 4m), a vast infinity pool in black mosaic, built on the rocks, touching on the Mediterranean, invites guests to take a swim whilst enjoying the spectacle of boats leaving and entering the port. A little private terrace now provides the opportunity for a romantic dinner for two whilst the sun sets over Cap Canaille, and near Reception, another terrace welcomes non-resident customers – notably from Cassis – who want to discover or rediscover the site.
Art Déco as a common thread
The architect becomes a decorator to restore style and uniformity to Les Roches Blanches, Monika Kappel took inspiration from the remaining 1920s’ decorations and redesigned them with modernity. The scale motifs of the original wrought iron banister now decorate the two bar counters – inside and outside -, along with the corridor carpet leading to the rooms. The initials “RB” on the balustrade decorate an elegant stone mosaic in the hotel’s entrance and the floor of the lifts.
Monika Kappel has borrowed from the 1920s the coffered ceilings; chandeliers and wall lights in chrome and glass rods; a black granite floor with brass flecks; wallpaper with palm-tree motifs and golden prints; velvet, walnut and rosewood sofas and chairs, combined with period armchairs, vases, prints and paintings. In terms of colours, the decorator has given free rein to her desires. In a nod to the Riviera, the Lounge bar is decorated in bright blue, while the restaurant is in lemon and the Lobby, with a peacock theme, is in green and grey.
Each room is decorated with an elegant headboard in brass and black lacquer, inspired by Art Déco geometric panels. On the walls, thin beading delineates a plinth painted in delicate powdery shades that match the velvet furniture and the curtains. With the same attention given to materials, the bathrooms are decorated in white marble, or limestone, and black granite.
By subtly combining historical references, customised items and contemporary furniture, Monika Kappel has successfully created a luxury décor, without ostentation but with added soul, in keeping with the mythical hotels on the Riviera.
A new chef for the restaurant
The hotel’s renaissance goes hand-in-hand with the arrival of its new chef, Jean-Paul Cudennec, who has worked in the kitchens of legendary hotels and restaurants, including Kasteel Withof in Belgium where he was awarded a Michelin star. In Les Roches Blanches, in a friendly and stylish atmosphere, the chef proposes Mediterranean cuisine focused on the sea and based on local and seasonal products. His philosophy is to promote simplicity, creativity and taste, not forgetting organic food and well-being, such as a breakfast formula of 750 calories or less. In the Lounge Bar, Jean-Paul Cudennec proposes tapas and mezzes with a sea, land or vegetarian theme, from 11am to 9pm. In terms of wine, Cassis has a solid reputation the 12 wine estates in the area all feature on the menu.
Spa and well-being
The luxury spa, designed by Monika Kappel, has four treatment booths, an elegant mosaic-decorated steam room, a relaxation area and a boutique. The windows, made of dark-coloured materials, which open onto the garden, are designed as living paintings and invite contemplation in this cosy and enveloping atmosphere. Managed by Le Tigre, the spa proposes massages and has a steam room, as well as yoga and pilates classes to practise indoors or in the garden.Unusual surprises
Unusual surprises
“Musical atmosphere”
Les Roches Blanches pays homage to well-known performers of “chanson française” and American jazz from the 1930s to 1950s, with its own playlist in the Lobby (Rina Ketty, Lucienne Delyle, Glenn Miller, etc.) and the organisation of open-air jazz concerts on the restaurant terrace or in the terraced garden.
“Romantic dining”
At the bottom of the terraced garden, looking out to the sea, there is a terrace reserved for romantic dining. Just one table, music and an intimate atmosphere, candles and the sound of the waves, and a menu prepared especially by chef Jean-Paul Cudennec.
Customized services
“Les Calanques by boat”
The hotel owns a pointu – a fishing boat typical of the region – which is moored in the port. It is ideal for discovering the Calanques from the sea, for getting to Ile Verte to enjoy a stroll, for swimming and having a picnic on the sea, etc. The hotel Concierge service can also organise a day on a sailing boat, a catamaran outing, a kayak or paddle-board trip, as well as visits of the local area.
“Business areas”
For companies seeking an exceptional setting for their seminars, the hotel can privatise part of the establishment: versatile Winston Churchill suite (three communicating rooms of 80 sq.m each and a 100 sq.m terrace), library, restaurant.
TheHotelTrotter.com is curated by greek journalist and fanatic hotel lover Eleni Stasinopoulou. With the eye of a fashion and lifestyle editor, Eleni hopes to inspire all connoisseurs of traveling, focusing on stylish hotel moments around the globe.
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