Private Island Glamour at Zannier Ile de Bendor on the French Riviera
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
Zannier Ile de Bendor turns a storied French Riviera island into a glamorous new hideaway, where fine dining, wellness and sunlit terraces make private-island luxury the move for 2026
Zannier Île de Bendor feels like the return of a long-held Riviera fantasy, polished for a new generation of traveller. Set on a seven-hectare private island just off Bandol, the hotel opened in May 2026 after a five-year transformation, bringing one of the Côte d’Azur’s most storied retreats back into the conversation. It is not a St Tropez spectacle, nor Cannes gloss. Its appeal is gentler yet clear in purpose, the kind of place that understands glamour in a particular way.
The island was first shaped in the 1950s by Paul Ricard, the Marseille-born entrepreneur whose vision for Bendor was never simply a hotel escape, but a miniature Mediterranean world of art, pleasure, sport and conviviality. That legacy still matters. Arriving by boat from Bandol, with the mainland only minutes behind you, there's the pleasing sense of crossing into somewhere self-contained. The harbour, pale stone paths, small-scale village feel and blue sweep of sea give it a cinematic quality without tipping into pastiche.
Zannier’s version of Bendor is built around 93 rooms, arranged across three distinct atmospheres. Delos channels a loose 1960s Riviera spirit, Soukana brings a quieter, nature-led mood, while the Madrague houses offer a more intimate two-storey hideaway feel with gardens and king-size bedrooms. The design reads as considered rather than decorative, with warm textures, Mediterranean light, crafted details and a restraint that suits the island’s scale. It does not shout for attention, which, in the age of hotels designed mostly to be photographed by strangers, feels practically heroic.
Food and drink are central to the resort's rhythm. Across the island are three restaurants, four bars, a café and a crêperie, ranging from relaxed all-day Mediterranean cooking to beachside cocktails and more polished sea-facing dining. Nonna Bazaar gives the place a village brasserie heartbeat, while Nonna Beach keeps things easy by the water. Le Grand Large adds a more elevated Provençal note, and Soukana leans into lighter Asian-inflected flavours with a rooftop bar for evening drinks. It is sociable, but not frantic, which is a rare and valuable Riviera distinction.
Wellness is treated with similar ambition. The 1,200-square-metre centre introduces Zannier’s Rēsonance concept, with indoor and outdoor pools, treatment spaces, hammam, fitness, yoga, tennis and pickleball all folded into the island setting. It feels less like a corrective boot camp and more like a graceful invitation to slow down, move, swim, eat properly and remember that scrolling is not, despite modern evidence, a personality.
The cleverness of Zannier Île de Bendor lies in how it balances privacy with life. Guests get the romance of an island retreat, yet the project also keeps a public-facing spirit through restaurants, culture, artists, watersports and village-like movement around the harbour. From here, Provence is close enough for vineyards, hilltop villages and long lunches inland, while the sea remains the main character. It has glamour, certainly, but not the brittle sort. This is Riviera luxury with old bones, new polish and a persuasive sense of place.
Private Island Glamour at Zannier Ile de Bendor on the French Riviera, Article 2026
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