From the year 2010 and until the beginning of 2020 I spent my life in a airplane, for work, mostly, but, as time went on, more and more for pleasure. Since 2018, moreover, he came and went between a small study in The Angels Y New York, which has been my primary residence for 18 years. Once the allure of living on both ends of the country at once lost its shine, the situation ended up becoming an endless loop from which he saw no escape.
The first confinement of 2020 was a sudden stop for the inertia of our day to day. We all start to see those places we thought would always be there and that there would be time to visit through a dystopian and chilling prism, of empty squares and abandoned monuments. The distances with those places were suddenly insurmountable, and the idea of a change of scenery became more and more appealing. And that brought us to the key question: when I can travel, where do I want to go?
The charm of Saint-Tropez lives on.
FASCINATION BY THE COTE AZUL
I have always been fascinated by the Côte d'Azur; or rather, Sara and Gerald Murphy's Côte d'Azur, Maxine Elliott and Brigitte Bardot's, Matisse's, Picasso's. It was my particular siren song. I had even chosen the wardrobe for that French Riviera of my fantasies.
On a Friday afternoon in late August, perhaps for looking for something to get excited about, perhaps for fear of not having the opportunity again or perhaps simply to take advantage of the fact that, for the first time in years, I would not have to be at New York Fashion Week in September, My wife and I booked tickets to Nice. I immediately realized that I was at risk of experiencing my particular Paris Syndrome . Places, like people, are sometimes not up to the mythological image that we create in our imagination. Therefore, the reality of the hotel the punch Saint-Tropez, with its spectacular renovation, is even more impressive.
Facade.
A HOTEL WITH HISTORY
with a charm full of legend and even more legendary guests (including Françoise Sagan, Brigitte Bardot, Romy Schneider, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jack Nicholson, Catherine Deneuve and Simone de Beauvoir, to name a few), the hotel has undergone eight months of restoration, guided by the good taste of Fabrizio Casiraghi.
Since its first construction in 1938, the building has belonged to the Duckstein family, and was under the direction of the marriage's daughter, Simone. In times it was a small but charming refuge for local fishermen celebrating their I freed just released after the war. The famous soon arrived on the famous Train Bleu and, in 1955, with the film And God created woman, by Roger Vadim, which was shot on the neighboring Pampelonne beach, Saint-Tropez's fame as an elegant and distinguished place was etched in the collective imagination.
Details of the renewed decoration.
In 1957, the hotel only had eight rooms and provided a glamorous experience of languid days between the sun and the waves, long after-meals and full comfort. Today it opens all year, has new directors and offers 21 rooms with views of La Ponche beach, a little piece of paradise made of pebbles and crystal clear waters.
Despite the somewhat undeserved reputation of Saint-Tropez as an eccentric and chaotic place, the hotel La Ponche represents, with its relaxed and subtle elegance, something halfway between sweet life and a lazy complacency, the desire to restore the town to its serene sophistication.
Fabrizio Casiraghi, rising star of interior design, took on the delicate task of give a new image to the establishment, with overwhelming success. Since he had spent a lot of time on vacation in neighboring Ramatuelle, he had an ideal prism from which to approach such a challenge. “In fact,” he comments, When I grow fond of a place like La Ponche, I only think of one thing: telling a story”.
To eat in 'family'.
INTERIOR DESIGN (AND NARRATIVE)
The chosen story is that of “a mature man who lives in Paris, in one of the wealthy neighborhoods of the city. Upon inheriting his grandmother's house, he decides to turn it into a vacation destination for his friends, and he begins to gather all kinds of objects, such as armchairs or lights, that evoke in him that conceptual idea of the south, of relaxing in the sun, of la dolce vita... A bit of Capri here, a bit of Positano there, but, above all, Saint-Tropez: the Pompidou mandate, the 60s, the sea, the holidays. Each chosen object is the result of a complex and extensive reflection, because the house speaks. The bedrooms will be simple, without pretensions, but they have the greatest of pleasures: a good shower, good soap and a soft towel to end the day."
Thus, following his inspiration and respecting the structure of the building, the result obtained by Fabrizio is “more than a hotel, a summer house on the coast”. The tone is set as soon as you enter the lobby, which showcases decor inspired by Provence and summer: black and white marble checkered floor, ivory-colored walls and a reception with a doorman from which hang the classic round brass keys.
From the lobby there is access to a porch with a lighted ceiling, perfect for guests to gather to read or to play games such as chess or backgammon. The wonderful garden terrace welcomes guests at all hours and until well into the night, although it is not the only place where you can enjoy the gastronomy of the place, since inside there is a dining room with sea views.
Stairway to heaven.
CHARMING ROOMS
The 21 rooms (including the five suites) are named after some of the illustrious visitors that it received in other times and give off an air of lightness very much in keeping with the original personality of the hotel. The beds are dressed in a fresh and flowery cretonne, and the elegant floors are covered in ornate tiles that draw attention in a very interesting way (the works they show are creations by Jacques Cordier, Simone Duckstein's first husband, along with original lithographs by Picasso), all accentuated by the colors and textures of ceramic frames by Victor Levai, the murals by Elvira Solana and the green, orange and yellow textiles by Loro Piana and Pierre Frey.
The jewel in the crown is number 8, named after Romy Schneider and Daniel Biasini, which has a terrace as wide as the room itself, from which the roofs of Saint-Tropez can be seen , the fortress, the bell tower and the sea itself.
French views.
TO THE TABLE
At the helm of the restaurant is the award-winning young Parisian chef Thomas Danigo, famous for his work at the Grand Monarque de Chartres, with Alain Pégouret, and at the Laurent in Paris. He has traveled the world and learned in great institutions and, with that experience, he has created a perfect menu for La Ponche, focused on local products and fish: a proposal in which quality ingredients and flavor are key.
Some of the recipes they serve are peas gazpacho, grilled lobster, bouillabaisse and dishes of the day cooked in a charcoal oven. Room service is also available to guests 24 hours a day, with finger food from the daily menu. the hotel bar, the Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Open to all visitors, even if they are not staying at La Ponche, through a side entrance to the building, it is the sample of the reimagining of the place by Casiraghi. The back wall, covered in mirrors, displays shelves with bottles lit from behind; the ceilings are American walnut, the floor is covered with checkered slabs and, on them, rest wrought iron coffee tables with glass top surrounded by freestanding armchairs and ottomans; all warmed by the glow of the fireplace.
Hotel dining room.
As for the wellness and health section, it also has its plot: the Le Tigre yoga club offers modern treatments at the hotel's spa, massages and other protocols with specialists throughout the year. Especially noteworthy is the morning yoga session in the gazebo facing the sea: an unbeatable way to harmonize body and spirit.
GLORY RENEWED
Currently, the hotel is under the management of Audrey Brémond, the first manager of La Ponche who has not belonged to the Duckstein family. Simone Duckstein passed the baton to a new generation of purebred tropéziennes, and Brémond has set to work to return the institution to its former glory. The desire of her partner, Nicolas Santiel, for this cause is what gives life and drive to her commitment. “The Hotel La Ponche is, above all, the story of what Simone was like, and that emotion fills everything”, says Saltiel.
Beyond the hotel walls, the area has a lot to offer. Fans of meeting and chatting in cafes are still active in places like Senequier or Nano, and for delicious Moroccan cuisine you can visit Salama. The beach clubs in nearby Ramatuelle exude a much more serene air than you might expect: It was exactly what I needed on my first vacation in years. Specifically, LouLou Ramatuelle is an unassuming modern club, and at Le Club 55 they still treat visitors more like friends than customers.
Reception.
As for the ideal time to enjoy this small oasis of elegance and comfort, there is no doubt: September is the best month of the year to enjoy the magical South of France. The sea water is warm and the streets empty of the crowds of the peak summer season, which It allows you to enjoy the place without suffering masses of tourists or posturing.
Saint-Tropez is a dream come true and, deep down, it maintains the same spirit that so attracted the creative minds of the past. This beauty so pure that the town and the hotel share It can neither be denied nor explained in words: it is everything I dreamed of and much more. The restoration of the reborn hotel La Ponche Saint Tropez has not been an easy task, but its creators, young, wise and reformist minds, have dedicated themselves to it in a professional and committed way. That spirit of rejuvenation that I have been lucky enough to witness during my trip, I could certainly revive the simple, elegant and sophisticated charm of this town that so captivated visitors in past centuries and that has seduced me so much.
This report was published in the number 151 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (May-June 2022). Subscribe to the printed edition (€18.00, annual subscription, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The April issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device