Castel Bay began as a private estate at the turn of the twentieth century. Built for an Austrian baron who chose the shores of Hyères for its light, its sea, and its distance from the world. It was not yet a venue. It was a retreat, constructed with the slow care that Belle Époque wealth allowed.
The estate passed to the Paquin fashion house, one of the most influential couture houses of early twentieth century Paris. Paquin left a permanent mark: the extraordinary Art Déco staircase that still anchors the interior, designed with the same rigour Paquin brought to the geometry of cut cloth. The staircase is not an addition. It is a statement, and it remains one of the most photographed architectural details in the Var.
Castel Bay became the Hôtel Castel-Pomponiana in 1925, then spent decades as a medical centre before closing its doors. It reopened in 2021 after a complete renovation that restored both the Belle Époque grandeur and the Art Déco precision: the outdoor amphitheatre, the glazed gallery beneath the Art Déco verrière, and the three-hectare park that runs to the edge of the sea.
Today, Castel Bay accommodates up to 300 guests for outdoor ceremonies and between 190 and 290 inside. There are no rooms on-site. Couples and guests stay at hotels and villas in Hyères, Toulon, and along the road to Saint-Tropez. The estate exists for the celebration, nothing else.
