In 1909 Louis Lajarrige, a businessman and politician from Saint-Nazaire, bought the Hôtel Régina (also known as the Hôtel des voyageurs), the first balneotherapeutic centre in Bourg-en-Batz started in 1891. Renamed the Atlantic Hotel, it was the starting point for a development project which continued with the acquisition of the Bois d’Amour in 1921, an area of 230 hectares of undeveloped land, which was part of La Baule-Escoublac. A town planning project led to a vast housing estate gradually being built, which was connected to the rest of the town by a prolongation of the boulevard de la Mer and the construction of the train station in 1927.
But it was François André (1879-1962), owner of several casinos and private gambling clubs, who reinvented the very nature of holidays, anticipating the growing requirements of tourists, and providing the town with the verve required to turn La Baule into a major attraction. François André decided to invest in La Baule to create a holiday destination that provided both leisure and accommodation. He built the Hôtel Hermitage, a golf course and a tennis club in 1926, having bought the Hôtel Royal and the casino in 1923. His connections with international clientele were limited, but as a man of great financial means who spread his investments wisely, he had a long-lasting effect on how people holidayed. The location’s reputation for radiant sunshine, convenient for the new trend for sunbathing, also contributed to La Baule’s success, and helped it to maintain its clientele, even as the Côte d’Azur tourist industry began to develop.
Translation: Tilly O'Neill
