… Before the start

1935 The Polar Bear

We could say that the history of Club Med began in the mid-1930s, at the dawn of the Popular Front in 1936. On June 7, 1936, the Matignon Agreements were signed between employers, unions, and the new government of Léon Blum. These agreements established many social benefits, such as the famous paid vacations introduced on June 20, 1936, and set at two weeks.

In 1935, a year before paid vacations were introduced, Dimitri Philippoff (a White Russian), a member of the Russian water polo team, opened a kind of sports club at Scudo (on the Route des Sanguinaires near Ajaccio). It resembled a campsite with a bar and restaurant more than a proper village. The club was called "White Bear," the nickname of the Russian water polo team. For a month's stay, it offered an all-inclusive package combining relaxation and sports activities in a pleasant setting. The price of admission: 500 francs at the time!

During its first year of operation, L'Ours Blanc welcomed 70 people. These men and women came to relax and enjoy sports activities in a laid-back, non-competitive atmosphere. The daily routine was simple. After breakfast, members warmed up with a few physical exercises (today we would call this fitness, abs and glutes, or muscle activation) before diving into the Mediterranean Sea for a few laps. After lunch, the routine repeated. Some members took up to three swims a day.

Until the declaration of war in 1939, other structures based on the White Bear concept emerged, notably on the French Riviera in La Napoule and Les Issambres. The outbreak of the Second World War brought this venture to an end.

1948 A joyful group of friends

In 1948, Paul Morihien, a close friend of Colette and Jean Marais, and Jean Cocteau's personal secretary, introduced Lionel Marcu to Dimitri Philippoff and Édith Filipacchi. Édith was the wife of Henri Filipacchi, founder of the "Le Livre de Poche" paperback division at Hachette. In Calvi, on land belonging to Édith, they created the Club des Jeux Olympiques (Olympic Games Club), a nod to the London Olympics. Their aim was simple: to revive and improve upon the concept of the Ours Blanc (White Bear).

The following year, the Olympic Games Club was renamed the Olympic Club. The concept remained the same. Mario Lewis, a close friend of Lionel Marcu, joined them to manage the bar and entertainment. Mario Lewis was married to Judith Blit, Gérard's sister. In August 1949, Gérard Blitz came to spend a two-week holiday there with his children. This stay gave rise to the concept of Club Med.

On February 11, 1950, the statutes of the non-profit association Club Méditerranée were filed with the Paris Police Prefecture. Its stated aim was to cultivate an appreciation for outdoor life and the practice of physical education and sports. Since Gérard Blitz was a Belgian national, Tony Hatot was listed on the statutes as the association's name-bearer. The location chosen for the first resort was a pine forest near Alcudia, a small fishing village nestled somewhere on the west coast of the island of Palma de Mallorca.

Barely a month later, on March 17, 1950, the statutes of the Magic Village Club (amended on April 7, 1950) were filed with the same police headquarters. This holiday club, created and launched by Paul Morihien, with the support of Hélène and Pierre Lazareff and Mario Lewis, was aimed particularly at the readers of Elle magazine. The Magic Village Club opened two villages. The first was in Tyrol at Plansee, near a lake, and the second in Sicily, in an exceptional location overlooking the town of Cefalù and its famous rock.

This group of friends (Dimitri Philippoff, Paul Morihien, Tony Hatot, Mario Lewis, and Lionel Marcu) met at the swimming pool. All were high-level swimmers and swimming champions. During World War II, they reunited at the renowned SCUF (Sporting Club Universitaire de France) in Paris. Friendships blossomed, their network grew, and as they transitioned to civilian life after the war, they continued to support each other.