Where to Stay in the Côte d'Azur's Flourishing Hotel Scene
Time-tested châteaus, cloistered getaways, and Michelin-grade culinary programs are just a few of the draws on this glamorous stretch of the coastal Mediterranean.
A South of France standard-bearer from LVMH, there’s a reason that crowds keep coming back to Cheval Blanc: it’s the embodiment of unabashed yet elegant luxury. The marquee restaurant, chef Arnaud Donckele’s La Vague d’Or, holds three Michelin stars. The house art collection features works by celebrated ceramicist Roger Capron, on view since 1936. And its idyllic perch above the Bay of Saint-Tropez gives almost every room a view of the super yachts plying the glistening bay.
Ensconced among parasol pines and fragrant jasmine, the 86-room Airelles looks down on the fray of Saint-Tropez, making it the ideal haven if you want to soak up the South of France sans the crowds. Why leave when there’s the Jardin Tropezina Beach Club, padel courts, and an ethereal spa with an hammam on the premises? The 19th-century château was restored in 1989 by Jean-Claude Rochette, the chief architect of France’s Monuments Historiques, and its interiors received a makeover in 2021. Don’t miss celebrated pâtissier Cedric Grolet’s sculptural c0nfections, which populate the dessert menus at La Table and Palladio, two of the property’s five restaurants, thanks to a summer residency.
Tucked into a lushly landscaped compound in the gulf of Saint-Tropez, Muse feels like the sort of place the hotly sought-after might seek for total discretion. The 15 earth-toned suites are stocked with Hermès amenities and outfitted in custom furnishings by Henryot; the pool is sequestered in a gorgeous three-acre Mediterranean garden designed by decorated landscape artist Sophie Agata Ambroise (who also conceived the Bulgari Hotel garden in Milan).
The indulgent accommodations at family-run Hôtel Lou Pinet are rooted in a vintage 1960s aesthetic. Plushly appointed with Jacadi products and awash in a kaleidoscope of color, including private gardens by landscape architect Jean Mus, it’s the ideal home base for stylish seclusion. Marked by artist Alexandre Benjamin-Navet’s vibrant fresco, an outpost of Riccardo Giraudi’s Beefbar is provides some culinary buzz. Or hit the spa, designed to be a secret wellness cave with a menu of Tata Harper botanical treatments.
The bucolic dreamscape of La Réserve Ramatuelle, which describes itself as “suspended between heaven and earth” offers soothing Mediterranean vistas, ample greenery, and peace in spades. Seize the day with Pilates classes from Parisian cult phenomenon Burning Bar, then experience Michelin-caliber chef Eric Canino’s virtuosic interpretation of Provençal produce at any of the property’s five restaurants.
Seeking an idyllic French chateau straight out of a Nancy Meyers film? Check into White 1921 Saint Tropez. It’s home to Mory Sacko at Louis Vuttion, the maison’s first standalone restaurant helmed by the eponymous chef behind the Michelin-starred MoSuke in Paris. Monogram flowers and custom Objets Nomades pieces set the tone for chef Sacko’s creative takes on French cuisine infused with African and Japanese influences.
Like the timeless Chateau Marmont or Hotel Chelsea, Hôtel La Ponche feels like the sort of place where one could take up residence for decades on end. With a clubby bar and a landmark restaurant, it’s no a wonder that it’s been a South of France fixture since 1938.
Like the summer home of an eccentric French aunt, the Hôtel des Lices feels warm and inviting, and is splashed with maximalist prints and quirky curiosities thanks to a tip-to-toe makeover by interior architect David Granata that pays tribute to the spirit of 1950s Côte d’Azur. Rattan chairs by the heritage French maison Louis Drucker, works by local artists such as Caroline Gauguery, and a dreamy pool lined with quintessential candy-striped loungers are just a few of the highlights. Rooted in Provençal culture, staying here is like copping a Saint-Tropez address, if only for a few nights.
A summer staple where the social media elite gather to flaunt their enviable escapes. Everyone wants to be here—even those who pretend that they don’t, because the Belle Epoque gem situated on a private peninsula between Nice and Monaco is a throwback to Old Hollywood glamour. Sip cocktails in a space designed by Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame, hit the spa where treatments by Swiss sensation Dr. Burgener are on offer, or tuck into chef Yoric Tièche’s farm-to-table menu buoyed by a wine list comprising 1,200 varietals from France, Italy, and Spain. The best room key is the one that opens a door to one of two new villas that are veritable châteaus.
Into Scandi design but in search of a Riviera glow? The Five Seas Hotel Cannes is the spot. Architect Pascal Allaman calls his design for the property a “motionless journey.” Guests will understand the vision as they shuffle between from one of the 45 rooms and suites outfitted in travel trunks and four-poster beds to sleek rooftop infinity pool to the spa helmed by the beloved French wellness brand Phytomer. With its location in the center of Cannes, there isn’t a better home base to be in the mix while also feeling a world away.
From its perch in Eze, a medieval hilltop village Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d’Or offers some of the best views in the region and seclusion from the bustle of the French Riviera. Ample gardens and manicured greenscapes make for a sublime place to hang your wide-brimmed hat. After a day spent working up an appetite on the grounds, indulge at the two-Michelin star restaurant, or seek comfort food from the on-site wood-fired pizza oven.
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