NEWS
Accor restores La Citadelle Vauban for Emblems Collection
Accor and Banque des Territoires have announced a strategic partnership for the revival of La Citadelle Vauban on Belle-Île-en-Mer. The 16th-century historical monument is being transformed into a 90-key Emblems Collection luxury hotel and museum. Scheduled to open in summer 2027, the project aims to combine heritage restoration, cultural transmission, regional development and luxury hospitality. With Banque des Territoires joining as a long-term investor, the transformation marks a major new phase for one of the most emblematic monuments on the French coast.
La Citadelle Vauban has dominated the entrance to the port of Le Palais for nearly five centuries. Fully classified as a historical monument and closed for several years, the site is now undergoing an ambitious restoration programme designed to preserve its historical identity while giving it a sustainable future. The project reflects a wider ambition to turn a major heritage site into an open and vibrant destination rooted in the life of Belle-Île-en-Mer.
Through the partnership, Accor and Banque des Territoires are bringing together their expertise in hospitality, investment, restoration and regional attractiveness. Banque des Territoires, through its Territoires d’Histoire(s) programme, is joining the project as an equity investor with a long-term commitment to heritage and cultural tourism. Accor is leading the development and will manage the future hotel destination under Emblems Collection, its latest luxury brand.
The project is also supported by Fondation du patrimoine as part of a partnership with Banque des Territoires and the Territoires d’Histoire(s) programme sponsored by Stéphane Bern. La Citadelle Vauban is the first project selected under this partnership. Fondation du patrimoine will provide exceptional support for the restoration of emblematic pieces from the La Citadelle of Belle-Île museum, including paintings, plans, engravings and ship models.
When the site reopens, the museum will offer a route focused on the defensive and military history of the island, as well as an outdoor trail. The museum is being completely redesigned by Studio Adrien Gardère and will create an immersive cultural journey linking built heritage, landscapes, biodiversity and local memory. This gives the project a dual role as both a luxury hotel and a cultural destination accessible to visitors and residents of Belle-Île.
The future Emblems Collection hotel will include 90 keys, made up of 57 rooms, 24 suites, six duplexes, two apartments and one house. The site will also feature two restaurants, a bar, seminar spaces and a wellness destination covering nearly 2,000 square metres. These facilities are intended to make La Citadelle Vauban a complete hospitality and cultural destination rather than a conventional hotel conversion.
The restoration is being carried out with close respect for the historical monument. The works are led by Valode & Pistre Architectes and Pierre-Antoine Gatier, Chief Architect of Historical Monuments. Their approach is based on a dialogue between heritage and contemporary use, reflecting the spirit of Emblems Collection and the wider aim of giving the monument a new life without erasing its past.
The revival of La Citadelle Vauban is also designed as a regional development project for Belle-Île-en-Mer. Once complete, the site is expected to become the largest private employer on the island, with more than 100 permanent employees and nearly 70 seasonal jobs. The project will also encourage partnerships with local businesses, producers, artisans and suppliers, helping to maximise economic benefits for the Breton island.
Environmental and social considerations form an important part of the development. Particular attention is being paid to ecosystem preservation, reducing the project’s environmental footprint, training future employees and ensuring cultural accessibility. Caisse d’Épargne Bretagne is also acting as a banking partner for the project’s financing.
For Accor, the project confirms the ambition of Emblems Collection as a portfolio of exceptional luxury hotels and resorts rooted in history, character and destination identity. By bringing La Citadelle Vauban into the collection, the group is creating a landmark French address where luxury hospitality, cultural preservation and regional development meet. For Belle-Île-en-Mer, the project gives one of its most important monuments a renewed purpose as both a hotel and a public-facing cultural destination.
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