Hotel Lilou, with an exterior in shades of peach and pale blue, is a local heritage site. Originally called The Hotel des Etrangers, this property existed in the 1800s before eventually being renamed to Hôtel du Parc. When the site was put up for sale in 2020, French entrepreneur David Pirone bought it, with the renovation taking three years. Redesigned by Paris-based Haddou Dufourcq, the property opened last year with four floors and 37 rooms, and immediately became popular with locals and international travelers.

© @Lebon.jour

Behind the doors of a remarkable hotel often lies a remarkable bar. At Hotel Lilou, in the provencial French town of Hyères, you’ll also find a bar considered somewhat charismatic by locals and visitors. Made of poplar burl wood and serving drinks and small plates in a retro atmosphere, the bar sets the tone for the entire hotel.

Hotel Lilou’s lounge and bar is designed as a remix of the winter gardens of the area’s 19^th-century hotels. White trellis on the walls pairs perfectly with a fireplace. Rattan sofas, from the original design by Gabriela Crespi, recall the exotic and tropical style of the 1920s. Long ochre and earth-tone corridors are lined with checkered carpets, and most rooms have high ceilings. Large mirrors and cork parquet floors create a comforting atmosphere.

Between the fireplace, restaurant and tasting cellar, more than 250 Mediterranean wines are served at decent prices. Exceptional vintages find their way into the cellar, including Domaine Hauvette, Clôt St Vincent, Domaine d’Anjoube and Grandes cuvées Château Malherbe; only a few bottles of each are negotiated each year.

© @ludovicBalay

Friendliness, laughter and the art of sharing occurs every day and night at Hotel Lilou, with food inherited from cultures of southern Europe that may include panisses (chickpea pancakes) with toum (a garlic condiment common in the Levant); bouillabaisse croquettes; anchovies gougeres; and pampanella or Pata Negra, a type of ham made from an Iberian breed of pig.

Throughout the hotel, shades of beige, cream and off-white complement the brown curtains, poplar burl furniture and consoles that add warmth and character. The hotel has made a conscious decision not to have televisions. Adorned with mirrors, guest bathrooms offer 1930s-style ceramic basins and are tiled beautifully from floor to ceiling in geometric patterns.

Inspired by Hyeres’ grand 19th-century mansions, the hotel features a dream-sized, 2,000-square-foot terrace with traditional, high-quality cabochon stone tiles found in private mansions. Here, hotel guests enjoy lunch or dinner in a holiday atmosphere infused with la dolce vita.

The hotel library is tucked under arched crossbeams. This open space has groups of shelves stocked with books on travel, architecture, southern French cuisine, and Hyères and its islands. Guests like to pop into the hotel’s library for breakfast and lunch, or for an event, reading or tasting of Mediterranean products.

Looking ahead, Hôtel Lilou opens up its kitchens to a Guest Chefs series. This concept was initiated by David Pirone, who will invite a new chef to share his or her culinary world with hotel guests. Chef Emmanuel Perrodin, associated with the culinary scenes in Le Mans and Marseille, is inaugurating the first Guest Chefs series. Chef Perrodin sources fruit, vegetables and other ingredients from local farmers, with citrus fruit grown by Provençal specialists while meat and fish come from local sources.

The historic and artistic town of Hyères (aka Hyères-les-Palmiers, The City of Palm Trees) offers beaches and off-shore islands to explore, all framed by the turquoise Mediterranean. Palm trees are an integral part of the Hyères landscape and, in the early-mid 1900s, the palms were farmed and shipped to European cities, a good source of income at the time, and still ever-present throughout this Mediterranean region.