THE MOST AMBITIOUS RUIN
La Belle Créole, Saint Martin
Claude Philippe’s Visionary Ambitions
The quality of visionaries is not always that their dream image becomes reality, but rather that they inspire others in the pursuit of a goal. Just like John F Kennedy with his goal of putting a man on the moon, Claude Philippe of the Waldorf Astoria envisioned his dream hotel, that almost became a reality. Although it was just opened briefly between 1989 and 1995, the ambition inspired many.
Of French-British descent, Claudius Charles Philippe (1920 – 1978), grew to become banquet manager of the New York Waldorf-Astoria. At that time, Philippe turned out to be what we would now call a talented “rainmaker”; a marketeer who was able to put the hotel on the map with new, unexpected marketing concepts.
His most notable creation was the “April in Paris Ball”, a grand gala for charities. It became an indispensable phenomenon on the agenda of the New York jet set. He also organized gentlemen’s dinners for the culinary “Lucullus Circle”, which became a success. These dinners, featuring a minimum of six courses, sometimes eight, were provided with two top wines each.
From Dictator to Host
The circle consisted of distinguished gentlemen from New York’s elite. Both the ‘April in Paris Ball’ and the ‘Lucullus Circle’ would continue well after the death of Philippe, and his name remained well known. At a certain point, Philippe became known in New York simply by the semi-aristocratic title “Philippe Of The Waldorf”. His personality as an active networker was described as eccentric and charming. During the Lucullus dinners, he played a role that varied from “dictator to host”, effortlessly balancing authority with charm. His charisma even captivated journalist Barbara Walters, just like Grace Kelly, shortly before she became Princess of Monaco. Women played a key role in sales for him, and he ensured that the ladies of the beau-monde took pride in being personally served by him. He was married three times.
According to former manager George Lang, Philippe displayed a “counterproductive arrogance”. Nevertheless, George Lang later praised Philippe as one of the greatest the hotel industry has ever produced. Philippe continued his career as a manager for various hotel chains and a consultant, while also independently organizing the ‘April in Paris Balls’ and ‘Lucullus circle’ events, separate from the Waldorf-Astoria. He also became owner of several inns in New York and Guadeloupe.
The Dream of La Belle Créole
Building on these ventures, the successes at the Waldorf Astoria and his well-established network, Philippe decided he was ready for a bigger and more ambitious project. In 1964, together with wine expert Alexis Lichine, he purchased 1,230 hectares of land in the “Lowlands” on the French part of St. Martin. At the time, there were hardly any hotels on the island, or even in the Caribbean, as tourism had yet to be fully developed. The French government welcomed the area’s development and financed the paving of the road to the peninsula.
The ambition was both simple and bold: “La Belle Créole” (The Beautiful Creole) was to become the most prestigious hotel in the Caribbean, with a level of luxury equal to that of the Waldorf-Astoria and Astor hotels where Philippe had worked.
A key part of his vision was rethinking the concept of space. In his eyes, space was a success factor for a modern hotel, requiring careful consideration of how it could be repurposed. For example, tea was out of fashion, so tea rooms could be eliminated. Also reading rooms and writing rooms, common at that time, were, in his eyes, redundant and could now be used for more relevant purposes. Central to the concept was that La Belle Créole was designed to capture the charm of Mediterranean France while harmonizing with the Caribbean setting.
A New Concept of Hotel Space
For 5.5 million dollars, prominent architects from New York were hired. They designed a complex resembling a Provencal village by the sea. A striking, Tuscan-style pink tower in the middle created the illusion of a natural center, with a ‘town hall’ standing beside it, just as in traditional Mediterranean villages. The village square would have boutiques of the best Parisian designers. Around that, the rooms would cascade down the hillside toward the sea, each offering a unique view. Just as his dinners, the hotel’s décor and service were meant to represent the highest standard of luxury.
The furniture reflected the styles of Louis the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, and was imported from Europe. Every bathroom had to be made of Italian marble, doors of walnut wood, terracotta floors and cast iron balconies. Wandering musicians would providing background music for the guests. “Luxury,” he is said to have said, “Is a matter of surplus and choice”. These choices and excess had to be presented every day, “from breakfast in bed until two in the morning on the way back from the casino”. A large casino was also part of the plan, guaranteeing that guests, especially those from New York’s elite, would never be bored.
Financial Struggles and Early Closure
Visionaries are not always business people, however, by 1969, the budget was already gone, while the hotel was still in its scaffolding stage. With the help of American, French and Lebanese financiers, a second round of funding was secured, with the goal of opening the hotel in 1970. The original design of 300 rooms had to be scaled down to 150. It finally opened in 1989. The completed phase of Claude Philippe’s dream proved to be short-lived, lasting only six years. A sharp contrast to the development time of 25 years.
In 1995, Hurricane Luis devastated most of the hotels in the Northeast Caribbean. The roofs torn apart by Luis were later damaged further by the less powerful, but equally rainy, Hurricane Marilyn, which then flooded the property. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the hurricane itself that destroyed the visionary hotel, but rather the conflict surrounding it. Just like in the 1960s, after the hurricane, unions began to pressure the owners. While the owners wanted to reopen the hotel as soon as possible, the union demanded compensation for workers’ lost income.
The Legacy and Uncertain Future
The idea of a Mediterranean village continues to captivate many and remains a sought-after subject on websites dedicated to abandoned sites of faded glory, even though officially access to the property is prohibited. Several forums on the internet bring together island residents, former employees and investors to discuss the past and future of the hotel. Uncertainty remains about whether the hotel will ever reopen, although the people of Saint Martin remain hopeful. The peninsula features a rugged, reef-like beach – something that today’s spoiled tourist may be less willing to accept, in contrast to Philippe’s vision.
Rumors of new owners and the division of the property into villas have been circulating since the renewed standstill in 1995. As a result, La Belle Creole has remained in line with its master plan from 1964, and in line with Philippe’s style, a dream that has never been fully realized.
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