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Château de Théoule
Théoule-sur-Mer, France · Independent · High Luxury
Marseille merchants started a soap works on this cliff above the port of Théoule-sur-Mer in 1630, fed by the olive groves. A Lyon proprietor, Ferrouillat, made a house of the ruin late in the nineteenth century, and in 1913 Harry Crowford Leland de Langley added the turrets and crenellated ramparts. The Citroën designer Henri Varnet owned it from 1964. The energy workers' fund held it from 1972. On 8 March 2024 Alexandra and Philippe Monnin opened 44 rooms and suites, with the private beach La Plage Blanche under the walls.
- 44 rooms
- Opened 2024
- Rooms from 323 sq ft (30 m²)
- Architect: ML Morand Legrix
- Interiors: Marie-Christine Mecoen
About Château de Théoule
- Marie-Christine Mecoen kept the old woodwork and named the rooms for scent: Iris, Fleur de Valériane, Fleur de Sauge. Thirty-four are rooms and ten are suites, from 31 to 110 square metres, every one toward the Bay of Cannes.
- The sale from the energy fund closed on 8 December 2021 for 13.6 million euros. ML Morand Legrix restored the castle with the Bâtiments de France. Chef Francesco Fezza cooks at Mareluna, and La Plage Blanche had already opened on the rocks in 2022.
- The house is a Leading Hotels of the World member. The address is 55 avenue Lerins, above the port. The name on the door is the château. Millésime is the operator.
- Entry-level rooms start at 323 sq ft (30 m²).
History
In 1630 Marseille merchants set a soap works on the cliff above the port of Théoule-sur-Mer, fed by olive groves and by soda brought in by sea. The works later turned out roof tiles and bricks as well, while the lords of Villeneuve held the fishery of Théoule. Industry on the cliff faded in the second half of the nineteenth century.
A Lyon proprietor named Ferrouillat then made a residence of the old factory. In 1913 the British aristocrat Harry Crowford Leland de Langley bought the house and gave it turrets and crenellated ramparts, and for a while it was a meeting place in the Riviera season.
Henri Varnet, head of design at Citroën, bought it in 1964. In 1972 it passed to the Caisse centrale d'activités sociales of the gas and electricity industries and became a holiday house for the staff. The fund sold it on 8 December 2021. Alexandra and Philippe Monnin, with the Bertini family's BMF group, restored the castle with the architects ML Morand Legrix and the decorator Marie-Christine Mecoen. The hotel opened on 8 March 2024 with 44 rooms and suites. La Plage Blanche, the private beach below the walls, had already opened in 2022.
The setting
55 avenue Lerins, 06590 Théoule-sur-Mer, on the cliff above the port, with the red Esterel behind it and the Bay of Cannes in front. The town is Théoule-sur-Mer. Tiara Miramar is a different hotel, down on avenue de Miramar at its own creek.
Restaurants and bars
- Mareluna — Restaurant · Mediterranean · Chef Francesco Fezza · One MICHELIN Star
Experiences
- Motoring events — Car launches, club meetings and group trips built around a passion for cars, at the gateway to the Corniche d'Or.
Amenities
- Panoramic terraces overlooking the sea
- Gardens
- Private beach overlooking the Bay of Cannes
- Tailor-made wedding proposal settings in sea-view suites and rooms
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
Open Château de Théoule in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in Théoule-sur-Mer
- Tiara Théoule, Vignette Collection — Vignette Collection · Core Luxury
- Tiara Miramar Beach Resort — Tiara · Accessible Luxury