Le Provençal Hotel in Hyères Reopens After Renovation

A four-star hotel in Hyères on the French Riviera has reopened after a renovation completed by designer Rodolphe Parente. Le Provençal sits on the Giens peninsula and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, pine forest, and the islands of Grand Ribaud and Porquerolles.

The hotel opened in the 1950s and has remained a destination since that time. Current owners, grandsons of the founder, commissioned the recent work. Parente approached the project with respect for the existing character of the building.

The Giens peninsula lies within the Port-Cros National Park and is protected by the French Coastal Protection Agency. The site is a former island connected to the mainland by a geological formation known as a double tombolo. Former salt marshes stretch between two narrow strips of sand leading to the village of Giens.

The village contains ocher-faced houses, a school, a church, and local shops. Le Provençal stands at the end of the peninsula and offers views across the protected coastal area.

Michel, a local resident, developed the hotel.

He had previously acquired a smaller property in Giens while working as head chef at the Parisian cabaret Le Lido. The current structure opened in the 1950s and later received a four-star rating.