Hotel Restaurant in Sanary

While the Hôtel de la Tour was established in 1898, it wasn't until 1936 that its history intersected with that of the Mercier family. On the eve of the Second World War, Lucien Mercier, a Lyon chef, left the kitchens of the Brasserie des Brotteaux (one of Lyon's few remaining historic café-restaurants) to acquire the Hôtel de la Tour. The establishment quickly became a must-visit destination both before and after the war.

Between 1933 and 1944, the town of Sanary was a haven for German writers and artists fleeing Hitler's regime.

For the hotel, this was the golden age of German exiles such as Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig. Then came the first paid vacations and the growing enthusiasm of the lower middle class for hotel stays in family-run guesthouses. Throughout its history, the hotel has welcomed famous figures, from Commander Cousteau to Pablo Picasso, as well as numerous visiting artists, film actors, comedians, government ministers, and more. In 1970, Suzanne and Jacques Mercier took over the reins of the establishment, joined a few years later by Simone and Jean-Claude Montant (respectively Jacques Mercier's sister-in-law and brother-in-law). Together, they have ensured the future of this beautiful establishment without compromising the spirit of this memorable landmark. Since then, It is Géraldine, the third generation of the Mercier family, daughter of Jacques and Suzanne, who has been running this place for over 20 years, and despite necessary modernization, the hotel has lost none of its old-world charm. Lucien and his wife Andrée must be proud of what the Hôtel de la Tour has become, especially since their two great-grandsons (Matisse and Gabin) joined the dining room team in 2024.