50 Years of Magic at Le Byblos in Saint-Tropez

Even legends have a birthday!

This summer all eyes are on a tiny spot on the Mediterranean coast where a luxury hotel celebrates its fiftieth year. Today, we take you on a journey through the history of the iconic Byblos of St-Tropez.

In 1956, Roger Vadim’s “And God Created Woman” introduced the world to Brigitte Bardot and Saint-Tropez, the living symbol of libertarianism.

A few years later, in the middle of the turbulent 1960s, a Lebanese billionaire named Prosper Gay-Para decided on a whim to build a luxury hotel – a village within a village – and nightclub with an antique-style interior design. He constructed an idyllic holiday destination, full of glamour, just like Brigitte Bardot herself, with whom it was said he had fallen hopelessly in love…

Located on the tree-lined Paul Signac Avenue, just a stone’s throw from the Place des Lices, Byblos found its home in this tiny fisherman’s village bustling with writers, painters, designers, and artists.

The 27th of May 1967 marked the opening of both the hotel and the nightclub, and it was an evening met with a blaze of glorious celebrations. From their very earliest days, people were drawn to Byblos for its unworldly beauty and the promise of enjoying a good time.

Almost immediately, the world heard of its magnificent aura and incomparable “joie de vivre”. Their summer guest list filled with international royalty, movie stars, rock idols, writers, and the occasional hedonist.

Its nightclub, Les Caves du Roy, reflects perfectly the lively and joyful atmosphere that reigns at all times in Saint-Tropez.

Made as the exact replica of the eponymous nightclub at the Excelsior hotel in Beirut, Les Caves has seen five decades of memorable all-nighters, a legend alongside New York’s “Studio 54,” Ibiza’s “Le Pacha,” and “Le Palace” in Paris.

With brightly lit palm tree pillars and an animated, lively dance floor, Les Caves has hardly changed over the years. Its upcoming anniversary is expected to be one of the most important events for night revelers from all over the world, and that’s just the start of some of the most extravagant parties planned for 2017.

Thanks to their remarkable history and the passion of their owners, Hotel Byblos and Les Caves du Roy have acquired a mythical status. The Chevanne family has dedicated their talents to cultivating the luxurious French “art de vivre,” and many lasting friendships, magical experiences, and generations of good fun have been the result.