Jean-Pierre Marois, the former filmmaker turned hotelier responsible for transforming the iconic Les Bains Douches nightclub in Paris into the culture-filled five-star boutique hotel it is today, has embarked on a new project: transforming an existing hotel in the Camargue, an unusually unspoiled part of southern France, into a nature resort that pays homage to the region’s unique traditions and natural beauty.
The hotel, which will open its doors on June 1, is located in the heart of the Camargue, a vast wetland in the Rhone Delta, forming the largest river delta in Europe. The region is known for its wild horses, bulls, and flamingos, and its unspoiled natural beauty. Jean-Pierre, who admits he knew nothing about the region before purchasing the hotel, was immediately drawn to its unique property, which he believed possessed all the makings for the type of hotel he envisioned: horse stables, a restaurant, and outdoor spaces that include the former hotel’s existing swimming pools and tennis court, as well as those cinematic (the small cottages with straw roofs typical of the region). Not to mention the canals, salt cedars, umbrella pines, and wild reeds that stretch over 10 acres of a Natural Reserve (part of the Parc Regional Naturel de Camargue).
“I saw an opportunity to deliver the same type of experience as Les Bains Paris but in resort mode,” he explains. “La Camargue is a region that deserves to be discovered. It’s a natural wilderness, a land of incredible energy and magnificent traditions.” Designed by architects and decorators, the hotel features 67 rooms, including 48 traditional garden huts, reception and lounges, a restaurant and cocktail bar, as well as two swimming pools, a spa, and horse stables. The main aim of the interior renovation was to lighten and restore authenticity to spaces that had suffered multiple renovations, explains designer Samantha Hauvette. “We wanted to give the place the soul of a family vacation home handed down from generation to generation, from rustic furniture from the ‘50’s, 60’s and ‘70s, as well as more contemporary pieces,” adds co-designer Lucas Madani.
To achieve this, the designers enlisted the help of Arles-based antique dealer Julie Barrau, who spent a whole year scouring the roads of France in search of vintage furniture; art curator Jérôme Pauchant, who works with a selection of contemporary artists; and Luce Monier, a floral artist from Arles, who set about rehabilitating the outdoors by rewilding the landscape, which had been neglected and destroyed over the years. The designers wanted to keep the decoration in the —which are built of whitewashed stone with thatched roofs—deliberately simple, reducing them only to the essentials in keeping with the spirit of the land. In the bedrooms, beds are framed with sheer mosquito net canopies and bedspreads are made from a local fabric, featuring a Camargue cross emblematic of the region. Curtains are made in collaboration with Indiennes de Nimes, the makers of traditional costumes, with whom the designers worked to reinterpret a Camargue motif. The rustic regional tropes continue through the subtle natural accents that dominate each space, such as the large jute rugs that cover the rough travertine floors. Preserving the history of the former structure, the designers decided to lay down ceramic tiles in the bathrooms that mimicked motifs from old tiles they came across during the demolition work.
The restaurant has the feel of an old inn,” Lucas explains of Le Pont des Bannes, located in the reinvented, or farmhouse, with its cozy stone fireplaces and masonry benches. (The restaurant opens on July 1.) The designers selected black and white checkerboard accents as a nod to both the history of the Paris bains and the famous blankets, representing the link between the two houses. The food offering will feature a Mediterranean menu infused with a local touch, like beef prepared as a and served with rice, which guests can enjoy at the restaurant or relaxing by the pool. While there’s no nightclub on the property, Les Bains Gardians will host a revolving door of artistic and musical programming, embracing Jean-Pierr’s vision of creating a cultural center in nature, where guests can dance under the stars while sipping signature craft cocktails from the bar.
To uphold the brand’s unique concept of blending heritage and culture through an amalgamation of enlightened hedonism and wellbeing, guests will find various wellness areas scattered throughout the property– from the tennis court to the large ’70s style swimming pool and terrace, where guests can swim and enjoy the view of the pink flamingos in the pond surrounding the property. The hotel currently features a spa with one treatment room, a jacuzzi and sauna, and will unveil their completed spa in summer of 2025. As the property benefits from its own stables, the hotel will offer equestrian experiences, from horseback rides on the wild beaches of to horse-drawn carriage rides along the lakes to discover the local flora and fauna.
In many ways, Jean-Pierre approached this hotel the way he does his films: “It’s about bringing emotions to the people coming to my hotels or going to a movie by telling the story the best way possible,” he explains. For him, it’s a whole production as he emphasizes the importance of finding the right designers, florists, chefs, mixologists, housekeepers, therapists, and even perfumers. “I want to make sure the story of La Camargue is compelling enough, believable enough, coherent enough, so people suspend their disbelief and can really immerse themselves in the moment,” he adds. “Once this is done, it becomes more like a theater stage than a movie set—because the show is live, and the guests are part of the cast.”
