Let’s go back a hundred years, the Gambelli family, originally from a small village called Montemassi, in the Tuscany region of Italy, fled Fascism to settle in eastern France. Mining is then very present in this region. Unfortunately in this profession, many miners suffer from pneumoconiosis. A medical opinion will then advise to settle on the French Riviera because the sea air improves the state of health of people with this pathology. This is how the Gambelli family settled in Saint-Raphaël.
In 1930, following the death of Father Gambelli, the family decided to move into the hotel business by acquiring the hotel la villa – les Palmiers sur Fréjus Plage. During the landing of August 15, 1944, the seaside of Fréjus was almost completely destroyed. The Villa remains standing. Even today, some shrapnel or bullet holes are still visible on the facade of the hotel.
In 1950, the Gambelli family believed in the potential of Fréjus – Saint Raphaël and decided to settle in the Beau Séjour hotel in Saint-Raphaël. Saint Raphaël, a city steeped in history, which in 1878, at the instigation of Félix Martin, was transformed into a modern seaside resort with its casino, its hotels and its villas with architectural charm of Palladian or Moorish influence, its seafront and its baths.
In 2002, Linda and Pascal, settled in the Lyon region, decided to move closer to their family on the Côte d’Azur. This is how they took over the management of the Raphaëlois hotel. For nearly 20 years, the current generation has been perpetuating the family values of this hotel. Through this text, we have a thought for all the generations that have allowed this hotel to be what it is today. These values, this work and this know-how still have great years ahead of them with the new generation of children…
