And artists have been staying at the hotel since the very beginning. As of 1946, when Jean Doering bought and transformed this hotel, he already welcomed artists on a regular basis. The painter Louis Bonamici, nicknamed ‘The Provençal Van Gogh’ often stayed, as did the water-colourist Isidore Rosenstock, ‘the flower painter’.
In 1958, Lino Ventura was a young star of French cinema. He came to spend a week at the Auberge de la Calanque. Martine was 16 years old, and as befits the owner’s daughter, her parents entrusted her with getting the actor to sign the hotel’s visitor book. Lino Ventura said he would do it later. Every day, Martine repeated her request, afraid that he might forget. The anecdote would end in a particular dedication from Lino Ventura in the Auberge de la Calanque’s visitor book:
« A very pleasant stay, despite Martine ! ».
A great friendship was born of his stay as well as constant support for Lino Ventura’s charity work When Martine took over the running of the hotel, she maintained the tradition of making it a special place for artists.
Room 11
This room is located under the rotunda, which, in the fifties, housed the restaurant area of the hotel. If the room has a nice view over the garden, it was nevertheless a little noisier than the others. Room 11 has a story that has come down over time… Jean Doering used to lend this room out to his artist friends. Many of them would give a painting in exchange.
In 1986, Martine decided to open the hotel from February because she had received the request to host a film crew. The merry band settled in for three months in La Calanque. Anne Parillaud was one of them and, at the time, was the only one known to the general public. The other members of the crew were none other than Luc Besson, Jean-Marc Barr and Jean Reno who were filming the first scenes of ‘The Big Blue’.
Hervé Lewis was their fitness trainer. So that he could organise regular sports training, Room 11 was transformed into a gym.
Now closed, Room 11 is to become a library and thereby continue to develop its particular story…
La Calanque, a place for shooting films and series
In the eighties, Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier came regularly to have lunch in the restaurant hotel together with their many musical friends. Johnny Hallyday, Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour or indeed Manitas de Plata were also clients of the hotel.
Guy Béart had his place here, while Henri Salvador was to write the song ‘Rendez-vous au Lavandou’ ‘A date in Le lavandou’.
Whenever Georges Moustaki or Claude Nougaro came to give a concert in the region, they took a room at La Calanque. After the shows, they may well have sat down at the piano in the hotel bar to end the evening with a few notes of music.
If the village of Saint-Tropez has, over time, become the holiday spot for the stars, Le Lavandou remains a more confidential address preferred by a certain number of them.
