Hôtel Byblos, or Le Byblos, is a luxury hotel in

Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez ( , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var departments of France, department and the regions of France, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It is west of Nice and east of Marseille, o ...

, in the Var region in France, built by Lebanese hotelier Jean-Prosper Gay-Para. The hotel is open from April to October and is closed for winter. It has 91 rooms, of which 50 are suites. The hotel looks like a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

, a set of small buildings attached to each other over an area of 5,500 m2.

History

According to legend, Jean-Prosper Gay-Para, a billionaire Lebanese hotelier dreamed of building a palace for

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...

, with whom he was infatuated. Building on this "

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

n" and "Tropezian" style hotel began in 1965, with an architecture very different from that of the large luxury hotels of Cannes or Monte-Carlo, it was named after the Lebanese port city of

Byblos Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...

that was frequented by Lebanese and international jet setters. The hotel was inaugurated on May 27, 1967, in the presence of French models and actresses

Mireille Darc Mireille Darc (; 15 May 1938 – 28 August 2017) was a French model and actress. She appeared as a lead character in Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 film ''Weekend''. Darc was a Knight of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the National Order of Meri ...

and

. There were more than 700 guests, many of whom were celebrities, such as

Françoise Sagan Françoise Sagan (; born Françoise Delphine Quoirez; 21 June 1935 – 24 September 2004) was a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Sagan was known for works with strong romantic themes involving wealthy and disillusioned bourgeois ch ...

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

Maurice Escande Maurice Escande (14 November 1892 – 10 February 1973) was a French stage and film actor. In 1948 he starred in the film '' The Lame Devil'' under Sacha Guitry. Selected filmography *1917: ''Un vol étrange'' (Short) *1918: '' Simone'' - Mic ...

Bernard Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''be ...

and Annabel Buffet,

Eddie Barclay Édouard Ruault (; 26 January 1921 – 13 May 2005), better known as Eddie Barclay, was a French record producer whose singers included Jacques Brel, Dalida and Charles Aznavour. He founded record label Barclay. Life Ruault, the son of a c ...

, Jean Lescudier (mayor of Saint-Tropez), Jean-Paul Roy (governor of the Var Region), Alexandre de Paris,

Paco Rabanne Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (18 February 1934 – 3 February 2023), more commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne (; ), was a Spanish-born naturalised-French fashion designer. Rabanne rose to prominence as an ''enfant terrible'' of ...

, Jean Bousquet, Gérard Khoury (Director of Tourism in Lebanon),

Lucien Barrière Lucien Barrière (14 January 1923 – 17 September 1990) was a prominent French entrepreneur and businessman, best known as the founder and heir of the Lucien Barrière group. This group stands as one of the largest conglomerates comprising ca ...

Jacques Chazot Jacques Chazot, (b. 25 September 1928 in Locmiquélic (Morbihan), d. 12 July 1993 in Monthyon (Seine-et-Marne) was a French dancer and socialite. Biography He joined Opéra National de Paris, Opéra de Paris in 1947 as a dancer. In 1956, he joine ...

Juliette Greco Juliette is a feminine personal name of French origin. It is a diminutive of Julie. People * Juliette Adam (1836–1936), née Lamber, French author and feminist * Juliette Atkinson (1873–1944), American tennis player * Juliette Walker Barnw ...

Michel Piccoli Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli (27 December 1925 – 12 May 2020) was a French actor, producer and film director with a career spanning 70 years. He was lauded as one of the greatest French character actors of his generation who played a wide vari ...

Gilbert Trigano Gilbert Trigano (1920–2001) was a French businessman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector co ...

Eddy Mitchell Claude Moine (; born 3 July 1942), known professionally as Eddy Mitchell, is a French singer and actor. He began his career in the late 1950s, with the group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks). He took the name ''Eddy'' from the American ...

and

Michel Polnareff Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944) is a French singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s. He is noted for integrating rock and pop elements into his early work. He wrote pop hits such as "La Poupée qui fait non" and "Love Me, Ple ...

. Subsequently, many media personalities continue to pass through this hotel or its nightclub. The team surrounded Jean-Prosper Gay-Para, his wife, Médéa, and Francis Ducluzeau, the director, who welcomed the guests from Saint-Tropez, Paris and Lebanese. In July 1967, "Les Caves du roy", a temple of Tropezian nights, opened its doors. But when the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

broke out in June 1967, Jean-Prosper Gay-Para decided to return to Beirut to manage his hotels. The hotel was sold on September 19 to businessman Sylvain Floirat. In 1971,

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

married Bianca Pérez Mora-Macias at the hotel, and it quickly became a popular destination for celebrities which has continued with contemporary stars like

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

staying the establishment. On 28 June 2012, the hotel received the prestigious, French designation of ''

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

''. The Byblos called on the Italian architect and designer Antonio Citterio to design the restaurant called Rivea at Byblos. In May 2017, le Byblos et les Caves du Roy celebrated their 50th anniversary. Several partnerships took place for this event, with

Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Holding SA () is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury good, luxury watches, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring ...

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

Dom Pérignon Dom Pérignon ( , ) is a brand of vintage Champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for makin ...

Goyard Goyard is a French trunk maker founded in 1853 in Paris. The company originated as Maison Morel, which was later acquired by François Goyard (1828-1890), establishing the Goyard family in the trade of trunk making and luxury packing. His son E ...

, Sisley and Missoni Home, which is redecorating the largest suite of the hotel (180 m2) and Les Caves du Roy was also remodeled for the occasion. Byblos achieved a turnover of €21,950,200 in 2017. The average annual workforce is 140 employees.

Films set at Le Byblos

* 1968 : '' Le gendarme se marie'' de

Jean Girault Jean Girault (; 9 May 1924 – 24 July 1982) was a French film director and screenwriter. From 1951 to 1960 he worked as a screenwriter, mainly for comedy films. He made his film debut as a director in 1960. He directed more than thirty films bet ...

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Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...

Michel Galabru Michel Louis Edmond Galabru (27 October 19224 January 2016) was a French actor. Career Galabru appeared in more than 250 films and worked with directors such as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson (for '' Subway''), and Jean-Luc Godard. ...

* 1980 : ''

Le Coup du parapluie ''The Umbrella Coup'' () is a 1980 French comedy film directed by Gérard Oury, starring Pierre Richard, Gordon Mitchell and Gert Fröbe. The creation of the film was inspired by several assassinations of Bulgarian dissidents where the so-called ...

'' de

Gérard Oury Gérard Oury (; born Max-Gérard Houry Tannenbaum; 29 April 1919 – 20 July 2006) was a French film director, actor and writer. Life and career Max-Gérard Houry-Tannenbaum was the only son of Serge Tannenbaum, a violinist of Russian-Jewish or ...

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Pierre Richard Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays; 16 August 1934) is a France, French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Richard is considered by some, such a ...

Gérard Jugnot Gérard Jugnot (; born 4 May 1951) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. Jugnot was one of the founders of the comedy ''troupe'' Le Splendid in the 1970s, along with, among others, his high-school friends Christian C ...

Valérie Mairesse Valérie Mairesse (born 8 June 1954) is a French stage and film actress. She was nominated for the César Awards 1978 for Best Supporting Actress for her role in '' Repérages''. Theater Filmography External links * 1954 births Fr ...

* 1984 : ''

L'Année des méduses ''Year of the Jellyfish'' () is a 1984 French drama film inspired by a novel by Christopher Frank, directed by Frank himself with Valérie Kaprisky and Bernard Giraudeau. The film had a total of 1,554,641 admissions in France where it was the 23r ...

'' de

Christopher Frank Christopher Frank (5 December 1942, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, UK – 20 November 1993, Paris, France) was a British-born French writer, screenwriter, and film director. He won the 1972 Prix Renaudot for his novel ''La Nuit américaine'' th ...

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Valérie Kaprisky Valérie Kaprisky ( Chérès; born 19 August 1962) is a French actress. Life and career She was born Valerie Chérès on 19 August 1962 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Kaprisky is her Polish mother's maiden name. She is of Greek-Ottoman and Argentine de ...

Bernard Giraudeau Bernard René Giraudeau (18 June 1947 – 17 July 2010) was a French sailor, actor, film director, scriptwriter, producer and writer. Early life He was born on 18 June 1947 in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime. In 1963 he enlisted in the French na ...

History

Films set at Le Byblos

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