Zannier is to manage the redesign and operation of Ile de Bendor, which sits opposite the city of Bandol in Provence. The island was first developed by pastis pioneer Paul Ricard more than 70 years ago and is still owned and used by his family. 

A redeveloped 93-room hotel will be central to the plans, becoming Zannier’s sixth property. But rather than just be situated within one building, the accommodation will be spread village-style across four buildings and among a terrace of fisherman’s-style houses when the project is completed and launched in 2026. 

Visitors have previously been able to stay at two four-star hotels on the six-hectare (15-acre) Cote d’Azur island, which has had a more localised appeal, although many international celebrities and artists – including Salvador Dali, who was among notable guests in its 1960s heyday – have passed through over the years. Ricard himself was an artist, and this will also play a key part in this latest version of Bendor, with artisans invited to create and trade there.

Creating a destination

Speaking to TTG Luxury, Arnaud Zannier, founder and CEO of Zannier Hotels, explained: “In order to create an experience that is a bit different from travelling to the South of France, staying a week or two in an hotel, we wanted to use this advantage of building this hotel on a private island to try to create a complete destination.

“So you could choose to book a room in one of the buildings called Delos, which will be more 1960s inspired with a lot of vintage furniture to transport customers back to these times.

“Or, you could go for the traditional Provencal small houses on the harbour or another type of room in a building called Soukana, which will be slightly younger, more family-orientated, more millennial, more wellbeing-orientated.”

The UK market, currently accounting for 18-20% of Zannier Hotel’s business worldwide, will be important for Bendor, Zannier said. The project is the group’s largest to date, and development of spa and wellness facilities on the car-free island will also be important to efforts to entice visitors beyond the peak season. 

Several different types of bars, cafes and restaurants will include Nonna Bazaar, a “more family-orientated, festive” immersive dining concept which Zannier Hotels introduced last year on Menorca. A beach club, children’s club and sports activities for teenagers will also feature.

But Zannier was also keen to stress the range of outlets will be designed to make the island inclusive, so that locals and anyone not staying in the hotel can still continue to enjoy a day trip to the island. 

There will be no zoning as such, but Zannier said he expects certain areas to naturally be favoured by couples or families. 

Sustainability plans

The development revolves around renovating existing buildings where possible and working with Green Globe and others towards “ambitious” sustainability accreditation goals; already much concrete has been removed from the island and extra trees planted. 

Explaining the motivation behind the redevelopment, Marc de Jouffroy, board member of Societe Paul Ricard and the entrepreneur’s great grandson, said: “After 70 years of being very exposed to the climate, the sea, the wind, we’ve had little option other than to renovate all the buildings of the island. 

“The DNA, the history, the emotional link we have with the location is extremely important to maintain, though, and we wanted to see how we could capitalise on all these aspects, whilst still projecting ourselves into a new chapter with international knowhow. And we wanted to do that with someone who is able to create an impact for this destination worldwide and can fit with all the trends of luxury, of international clients – and this was Zannier.”

He said Zannier Hotels won the tender process by “understanding the soul of the island”, and that he had also been impressed by both the French family’s own values and the business’s global growth over the past decade.

De Jouffroy’s great grandfather Ricard was a French industrialist who created the now iconic pastis brand, ensuring it became a household name in France. It later merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod leading to the creation of Pernod Ricard: the group now owns many of the world’s most famous drinks brands. 

“My great grandfather was always very much about the conviviality of life, and that’s what Ricard the brand became about, and now what we will be weaving through the island,” said de Jouffroy, who previously spent eight years working for Club Med.

De Jouffroy also said he would like to preserve the convivial and authentic village atmosphere of the island, with people meeting in cafes and bars around petanque games. 

“This is why we think we’re developing an amazing project, it’s not just a hotel – it’s a small world that is very typical of the South of France,” he said.

The Ricard family also owns another Mediterranean island nearby, Ile des Embiez, which can be visited by the public, and de Jouffroy said trips between the two islands would be one of many activities available for guests. 

An “ambitious” plan to develop Embiez and make it better known is also under way, with direct family management, but de Jouffroy said the Bendor project is currently taking precedence.