{"id":5068,"date":"2026-08-06T07:07:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T07:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stannelmarketplace.com\/?p=5068"},"modified":"2026-08-07T07:54:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T07:54:08","slug":"luxury-accommodation-destination-on-a-private-island-zannier-ile-de-bendor-in-provence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stannelmarketplace.com\/en\/luxury-accommodation-destination-on-a-private-island-zannier-ile-de-bendor-in-provence\/","title":{"rendered":"Luxury accommodation destination on a private island | Zannier \u00cele de Bendor in Provence"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On a private 70-dunam island just off the coast of Bandol in Provence, and only a seven-minute boat ride from the French Riviera, Zannier Bendor Island<\/strong> opened its doors last spring.<\/p>\n

The retreat comprises 93 rooms and suites spread across three distinct settings, each offering its own interpretation of island living. Its opening marks the completion of an ambitious five-year process of restoration and renewal, conceived to preserve the spirit of the original destination while introducing a new chapter of contemporary hospitality.<\/p>\n

The architectural transformation was led by Paris-based Hardel Le Bihan Architectes<\/strong>, who carefully integrated the island\u2019s historic buildings with new interventions. Rather than imposing a new architectural language, the project works with what was already there – preserving Bendor\u2019s intimate scale, Mediterranean character and sense of place while quietly bringing the island into the present<\/p>\n

Ofri Paz | STANNEL<\/p>\n

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Susan Booth for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Susan Buth for Zannier Hotels\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Susan Booth for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Susan Booth for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Susan Booth for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Emma Jude Jackson for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

The island’s story begins in 1950, when French entrepreneur and intellectual Paul Ricard purchased the piece of rock opposite Bandol and wanted to turn it into a kind of independent Mediterranean space, combining hospitality, culture and leisure. Alongside his family home, a hotel, restaurants, a theater, a gallery, artists’ workshops and a diving center were built on the site, and during the 1960s and 1970s the island became a meeting point for artists, creators and cultural figures. Over the years, the buildings became outdated and some were closed, but rather than replacing the existing fabric with a new and unrelated resort, the renewal process sought to preserve the village feel and the memories that had accumulated among the buildings, squares and paths. The project was born from a collaboration between the Paul Ricard company, which owns the island on behalf of the family, and the Zannier hotel group, which is also responsible for operating the complex.<\/p>\n

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Pierre Lucet-Penato for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Pierre Lucet-Penato for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

The architectural work included the conservation, renovation and new construction of 25 buildings scattered throughout the island. Some required significant structural intervention, including replacing foundations without demolishing the structure above them. The shifting soil, shallow groundwater and continuous exposure to winds and sea salinity made the construction particularly complex, requiring the use of concrete and structural solutions adapted to the marine environment. Access conditions also posed a challenge: all construction materials and equipment were transported to the island by boat, and waste was removed from it in the same way. At the peak of the work, hundreds of professionals worked on site every day.<\/p>\n

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The renovation does not attempt to blur the distinction between the historic buildings and the contemporary additions, but rather connects them through a common language based on the materials, proportions and colours of Provence. Massive local stone has been incorporated into the hotels and spa building, alongside mineral plaster, clay tiles, wood and natural materials. The building additions around the Delos Hotel gradually scale from the waterline towards the centre of the island, so that the skyline remains low and soft and does not compete with the landscape. The five rebuilt pools also blend into the character and scale of the area in which they are located.<\/p>\n

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The interior design was led by Zannier Design Studio, which created distinct languages for the three guest areas, connected to each other through natural materials, Mediterranean colors and a continuous connection to the landscape. Rather than creating a uniform identity for the entire complex, the design gives each area its own character and reinforces the feeling that the hotel has developed over the years as a village of buildings, streets and courtyards.<\/p>\n

Delos, which includes 39 rooms and suites, brings back to the present the restrained glamour of the Riviera in the 1960s. The historic building has been expanded with a new wing and an arched courtyard, while wide openings and glass arches connect the spaces to the sea. The interior incorporates vintage furniture collected in Florence and local markets, rattan and straw items, striped fabrics and textile details reminiscent of beach umbrellas of the era. The graphic patterns, mid-20th-century furniture, and rounded doorways create a nostalgic atmosphere, but avoid turning the space into a period setting.<\/p>\n

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Soukana, with 49 rooms and suites, presents a mineral, quieter and more earthy language. It consists of an existing building with a massive presence and a contemporary addition, both facing the sea and the R\u0113sonance wellness center. Ochre and brown walls with a lime finish, natural stone floors, textured wooden tables and a neutral color palette give the spaces a relaxing feel. The wide windows frame the horizon, while the rooftop terrace and 30-meter swimming pool deepen the connection between architecture, movement and landscape.<\/p>\n

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Susan Booth for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Near the port are the five Madrague houses, once fishermen\u2019s cottages. Each is spread over two floors and has a private garden, a living space on the ground floor and bedrooms on the upper floor. The rustic materiality and Proven\u00e7al simplicity give them a more homely and intimate character, offering an alternative to the two large hotels. Together, the three accommodation areas make the complex feel less like a uniform resort and more like a village that has gradually developed by the sea.<\/p>\n

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One of the project’s most prominent buildings is the R\u0113sonance Wellness Center, a 1,200-square-meter spa complex, integrated into the topography and surrounded by lavender and local vegetation. The structure, built of light stone from the Gard region in southern France, draws inspiration from ancient baths and translates it into a contemporary composition of massive walls, arches, courtyards, and passages between light and shadow. Indoor and outdoor pools, a hammam, a cold water bath, treatment rooms, and a yoga and Pilates studio are integrated into the mineral shell, so that the concept of wellness is not separate from the architecture, but continues the encounter between the body, stone, light, and sea.<\/p>\n

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In parallel with the construction work, the landscape architecture firm Niez Studio led a comprehensive process of renewing the island\u2019s ecological and landscape layout. Concrete surfaces were removed, approximately 200 new trees were planted, and the local vegetation was strengthened with pines, fig trees, sycamore, lotus, rosemary, and other Mediterranean plants. A rainwater collection and management system helps maintain the vegetation in the local climate, while new paths and steps carved into the rock allow movement between the built-up areas and the wild coastline. In this way, the landscape is transformed from a decorative shell into an integral part of the design and overall experience of the island.<\/p>\n

The priority for the landscape is also maintained in the evening. BOA Light Studio\u2019s lighting design is based on hidden and restrained light sources, which emphasize the stone, plaster, and vegetation without overly illuminating the island. Instead of lighting fixtures with a prominent presence, light is used as an architectural material: it marks stairs, reveals the depth of arches and accompanies movement between buildings, but leaves the sea, the sky and the horizon at the center.<\/p>\n

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Emma Jude Jackson for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

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Art, which was an integral part of Paul Ricard\u2019s original vision, is also once again a significant element of the space. More than 200 works of art have been incorporated into the rooms, gardens and public spaces in the Ora\u00e9 Gallery\u2019s collections. The old theatre has been converted into a gallery, and alongside it there is an artists\u2019 village with three rotating workshops for artists in the fields of ceramics, textiles, fragrance and design. The works of art and crafts do not function solely as decorative items, but as part of a living process that allows guests to be exposed to the artists, materials and techniques behind them.<\/p>\n

The hospitality concept of Zannier \u00cele de Bendor is not based solely on the privacy of the island, but also on the encounter between hotel guests, visitors and residents of the area. Alongside the accommodation areas are four restaurants, caf\u00e9s and bars, a beach, p\u00e9tanque courts (a traditional French game of bowls), a gallery and workshops, and large parts of the complex are also open to day visitors. The square next to the port is intended to serve as the island\u2019s social hub \u2013 a place where guests, local families, artists and diners meet around food, culture and scenery. Thus, even after becoming a luxury hospitality destination, the island continues to operate as a Mediterranean village: a place where you can stay overnight, but also walk, gather, create and return to.<\/p>\n

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nysae.studio<\/p><\/div>\n

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Maison Franc 1884<\/p><\/div>\n

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Gallery Ora\u0117<\/p><\/div>\n

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Emma Jude Jackson for Zannier Hotels<\/p><\/div>\n

Architecture | Hardel Le Bihan Architects<\/strong>
\nInterior Design | Zannier Design Studio<\/strong>
\nLandscape Design | Niez Studio Paysagistes<\/strong>
\nPhotography | DePasquale+Maffini for Zannier Hotels<\/strong>, unless otherwise credited<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  On a private 70-dunam island just off the coast of Bandol in Provence, and only a seven-minute boat ride from the French Riviera, Zannier Bendor Island opened its doors last spring. The retreat comprises 93 rooms and suites spread across three distinct settings, each offering its own interpretation of island living. Its opening marks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[251],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stannel-list-the-most-driven-design-hotels"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLuxury accommodation destination on a private island | Zannier \u00cele de Bendor in Provence - STANNEL \u2013 A World of Style<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Luxury accommodation destination on a private island | Zannier \u00cele de Bendor in Provence - STANNEL \u2013 A World of Style\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stannelmarketplace.com\/en\/luxury-accommodation-destination-on-a-private-island-zannier-ile-de-bendor-in-provence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luxury accommodation destination on a private island | Zannier \u00cele de Bendor in Provence - 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