In Saint-Palace-sur-Mer, on the corner of rue de Bain and Promenade Steislingen, Chez Bob is “known as the white wolf”. Originally a creperie since 1860, the brewery looks out to sea to Bureau Beach and Cordova Lighthouse. Its name is so associated with its reputation that when he took over in 2007, Frédéric Swant quickly realized that it was necessary not to rename the place “Café des Bains” as at first, but to keep “Chez Bob”, which is a diminutive of its name. name. the previous owner, which is why some believe Bob is him. Frederick Swant smiles. The main thing is somewhere else. The entrepreneur of Saint-Palezine has poured his energy into this festive gourmet destination, at the rate of one novelty per year. And the novelty of the summer of 2022 is the hotel.
In a neighboring villa with green wooden roofs and white wooden balconies painted in the colors of the past, a lively fortysomething has just opened a prestigious establishment, unique not only in the city, but in the entire Côte de Bute. A five-star hotel with three bedrooms, including a suite next to the sand and overlooking the ocean, named after the villa in Basque, Hemen Ongi, literally “Here we feel good.” This is his first hotel. “A dream“, confides Frederic Swant, who cut his teeth in Paris Costes, his model and his audacity with Los Angeles, his great escape six months a year for ten years. At 42, this father of a little girl wants to promote his country by investing in hotels where he likes to stay.
California inspired decor
“Vacation for me is going to a hotel without necessarily leaving and enjoying its services 100%.He says. Since its acquisition, the villa, which has been completely redone to remove the 1950s concrete and bring back the 1920s wood, has been listed. It’s a luxury hotel that comes with an elegant welcome, California-inspired decor and ambiance. Furniture with clean lines, tastefully assembled materials, light oak, pearl gray marble, brass, tempered steel, classic fabrics and contemporary design.
“Vacations for me are going to a hotel and enjoying its services 100%”
Frederick Swant
Upon entering the suite on the first floor, one is immediately struck by the Bang & Olufsen, Oak Wood 77-inch television, which looks like a work of art with its two oak-coloured speakers that open like wings on a motorized stand. To appreciate it, by turning the small knob on the entrance, you turn down the music, the volume of which surrounds the room upon arrival. We walk past the minibar. The fridge has all kinds of cocktails, cognacs in beautiful bottles, bottles of prestigious wines, Angelina beers and sweets and bowls full of citrus slices. It is still not enough to make coffee or tea when we arrive, where everything is not finished at that time.
Excursion at “Hemen” hotel
In the living room, a French window opens to a terrace with private access to a charming plunge pool surrounded by lush greenery. But the view from the couch crosses the barrier of plants to get lost in the beach and the ocean. A sense of calm emanates from the interior, with white wood-paneled walls over a cream carpet and a bespoke Pierre Frey rug with vibrant, geometric patterns built into the floor. L:A Bruket sticks release an attractive travel scent. Monochrome nude photos signed by fashion photographer Antoine Verglas add a touch of glamor to the whole thing.
The dressing room is in light oak. Robes in very soft terry. The silky white bedding comes from the Hotel de Paris in Monte-Carlo. The lights are signed by Philippe Starck. Another knob for the background music volume rotates in the bathroom. Gray Carrara marble, tempered steel fittings, it has a large and beautiful oval bathtub and, a rarity, a double shower, which the owner likes to use for his loving couple. We appreciate the magnifying glass, Dyson hair dryer, refillable shampoos and shower gels from Swedish natural skin care brand L:A Bruket. Japanese heated bowl toilets still create surprises.
pocket officer
In the basement there is a pocket spa area that can be privatized, with a whirlpool and a blue mosaic hammam, as well as a small massage parlour. The whole thing gives the impression of living in a private mansion out of time, with its own brand new restaurant.”installed in two months,” according to chez Bob, a wooden extension where you can have breakfast, which in the evening becomes a hotel bar and veggie sushi tapas den that backs away from the beach crowd. But you can always cross the little rue des Bains and grab a coffee at Bob’s.
The morning atmosphere is peaceful and enlivened by the chirping of birds flying at full speed inside. Within hours, the 600-seat restaurant becomes a beehive, with a workforce of one hundred and eighty in the summer for 1,500 covers a day. Service is nonstop from noon to 11 p.m., and in July and August the kitchen is in full swing, with grilled fish and great burgers and stunning pizzas under the direction of ex-Costes ex-executive chef Fabrice Rialand. , where Frederick Swant became a friend.
PRICES AND COMPREHENSION WITH BOOKING.COM
Hotel Hemen, 3 rue des Bains, 17420 Saint-Palais-sur-Mer. Phone: 05 86 58 04 05. From 450 euros.
Source: Le Figaro
