Inaugurated on 27 May 1967 in a blaze of glorious celebrations , Hotel Byblos and Les Caves du Roy have contributed from their very earliest days to the international renown of Saint-Tropez , without ever losing sight of their primary vocation : to provide comfort and pleasure . An impressive guest list comprising international royalty , movie stars , singers , rock idols , and writers attended the launch .
Since then , whole generations have rubbed shoulders , enjoyed informal get-togethers and even forged lasting friendships .
The owner of two hotels in Beirut , including the Excelsior and its nightclub Les Caves du Roy , Jean Prosper Gay-Para wanted to create « a bridge between the French Riviera and the Middle East ». He named his creation « Byblos » after one of the most ancient Lebanese towns , which Greek mythology tells us was where Adonis and Aphrodite became lovers . A palace worthy of the Arabian Nights , with a mosaic at the entrance depicting Zeus , who had been transformed into a bull in order to abduct Europa , a Phoenician princess from Greek mythology . Nothing was considered too beautiful for this newly-built jewel of a hotel , in which all the different styles of the Mediterranean from all different ages are brought together in a timeless harmony .
The architects Christian Auvrignon , Philippe Monnin and Philippe Siccardon envisaged the hotel as a small Provence-style village , with narrow houses of different shapes and sizes and dotted with balconies here and there . Boutiques , a bar , patios , fountains , restful lounges : life revolves around a paved square in the shade of a century-old olive tree , imported from Lebanon . The interior designers André Denis and Serge Sassouni embellished the interior with glazed « azulejo » tiles from Andalusia , colourful madras cotton drapes with golden thread , artistic furniture and collector ’ s items . From the wrought iron staircases , the visitor ’ s gaze falls upon the polychrome mosaics of Roger Capron , Alain Vagh and Jean Derval , the leading lights of the Vallauris ceramic movement .
From the moment of its grand opening ceremony ( under the patronage of the French actress Mireille Darc , whom the Lebanese billionaire had met at the Excelsior in Beirut when she was filming scenes for George Lautner ’ s « La Grande Sauterelle »), Byblos has become symbolic with the image of sun-drenched holidays hidden away from prying eyes . The opening night on 27 May 1967 will forever be engraved in the memory of those who were lucky enough to be there ; the 700 invited guests discovering a hotel that shook up the established codes associated with luxury hospitality .
However , the outbreak of the Six Day War in June 1967 impelled Gay-Para to return to Lebanon and to give up his creative dream . This heralded the beginning of a new era in the history of Le Byblos and Les Caves du Roy … the story of Sylvain Floirat and his descendants , the Chevanne family .
On 19 September 1967 , Sylvain Floirat ( 1899-1993 ), a former boilermaker who ultimately found himself at the helm of a self-made business empire ( Aigle Azur , Breguet Aviation , Matra , Europe 1 and the French broadcasting corporation , CFT ) purchased Hotel Byblos and Les Caves du Roy . Early regular guests included the likes of Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton , Duke Ellington , Romy Schneider and French stars such as Louis de Funès , Bourvil , Michel Polnareff , Gilbert Bécaud …
Later , in 1971 , Mick Jagger chose Saint- Tropez as the destination for his wedding to Bianca Perez . A memorable party in Les Caves du Roy with the Beatles among the guests of honour , was followed by a honeymoon in Byblos ’ largest suite – now known as the Missoni Suite .
Hotel Byblos then came into the hands of Sylvain Chevanne who , respectful of his grandfather Sylvain Floirat ’ s wishes , also took control of the Aigle Azur aviation company . But little by little , he found
Issue 54 2022 THE ART OF LUXURY