The most glamorous St Tropez hotels for summer on the French Riviera
Is there a more perfect holiday destination than St Tropez? If there is, we haven’t found it – and if you’re joining the jet-set this summer, these are the best hotels in St Tropez.
One of our favourite places in the Mediterranean, along with the capital of cinema Cannes and southern Italy's glorious Amalfi Coast, St Tropez is among Europe's most exclusive enclaves.
The sleepy fishing village turned summer’s most glamorous location has long been beloved by artists, Brigitte Bardot and everyone with a yacht. Each summer, the jet-set descends, whether they’re in search of a table at iconic restaurant on the beach Club 55 à la Joan Collins, who reportedly has one booked out every year, or hoping to drop anchor and emerge from the sea en route to Nikki Beach while emulating an early Noughties Paris Hilton.
The town, with its old port and the cobblestones of the La Ponche quarter, is charming enough all by itself, but it’s even more scenic up in the hill-top villages such as Grimaud that surround it.
Fittingly for such a fabulous destination, St Tropez has lots of historic hotels, including the legendary Palace Hotel Hôtel Byblos, a long-time favourite of holidaying Hollywood stars. More Gallic glamour awaits at Mas de Chastelas, a 10-minute drive from the centre of town in the pretty village of Gassin.
Here’s the ultimate Bazaar edit of the best hotels in St Tropez…
Hôtel Byblos
The legendary Hôtel Byblos needs no introduction, since it’s been one of the most luxurious hotels in St Tropez for more than half a century. Among the famous faces checking in over the years have been Brigitte Bardot, Clint Eastwood and a honeymooning Mick and Bianca Jagger.
The hotel is home to a Sisley spa, which offers a holistic wellness programme should you be in search of a different side to St Tropez (that doesn’t include free-flowing rosé and countless tartes Tropézienne). The stately stay is officially one of France’s prestigious Palace Hotels, an accolade only bestowed upon truly opulent retreats. Over at Plage de Pampelonne, the hotel runs its own beach club, to give its guests the quintessential St Tropez experience, all in inimitable Byblos style. It's located a 10-minute drive away.
Château de la Messardière
Part of the Airelles collection of spectacular stays across France (which includes the beautiful La Bastide de Gordes in Provence), Château de la Messardière is on a hilltop just outside St Tropez. It has an incredible vantage point in common with its sister stay, with a backdrop spanning coast and countryside. The château's perfect position makes it ideal for visitors hoping to exploring the rest of Provence and as well as the French Riviera. The 25-acre estate includes two tennis courts, a lap pool and a yoga platform. At the Valmont spa, there’s a Japanese infrared sauna, nine treatment rooms and another pool.
In addition to a beach club and the elegant La Table de la Messardière, the hotel is home to a Matsuhisa outpost for sublime Japanese fusion food overlooking the bay.
Lou Pinet
The Pariente famille comes from a fashion background (the patriarch was the founder of beloved French brand Naf Naf) and the scions have since turned their stylish hands to hotels. In addition to Le Coucou in Méribel, Crillon Le Brave in Provence, and a recently unveiled Paris edition (Le Grand Mazarin in the Marais, which opened last summer), the chic portfolio of maisons contains Lou Pinet in St Tropez.
Even by St Tropez standards, the pool is supremely chic, with white and red sun loungers and parasols, and the interiors are equally on trend. Lou Pinet is the proud owner of a Tata Harper spa; and a Beefbar outpost, famous for its excellent (and vast) cuts of meat and its unashamedly heavy-on-the-butter mashed potatoes (the ratio of butter to potato is 50:50). More summer-friendly salads and ceviches are on the menu, too.
Villa Marie
With outposts in two of the world’s most glamorous locations (St Barth and here in St Tropez), Villa Marie is perfectly at home in the star-frequented French Riviera. The house is graced by 18th-century antiques, pastel walls and patios overlooking the pine forest.
There are lots of peaceful corners on this leafy estate, but the prime spot has to be lunch on the romantic terrace of the aptly named Dolce Vita restaurant, where you’ll be able to spy the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. St Tropez village and Plage de Pampelonne are both under five kilometres away, but there's plenty to keep you entertained within the estate first. Strolling through the citrus groves and rose gardens, listening out for the cicada soundtrack, is a perfect place to start.
Lily of the Valley
This hotel is the ideal St Tropez stay for anyone in search of a wellness-focused holiday. Any visit to the South of France is bound to make you feel better, but if you need a little more help on the wellbeing front, Lily of the Valley is the Philippe Starck-designed St Tropez hotel to seek out. The estate is home to a super spa, with a hair salon and resident experts (including a nutritionist and personal trainers).
But this is France, where they know how to live, and so it’s not all clean-living – if you prefer, days can just as easily be spent sipping chilled rosé and enjoying long, lazy lunches on the terrace. The retreat is on the shores of Plage de Gigaro.
Hôtel Sezz
For a box-ticking St Tropez hotel (sunlounger-lined pool, an abundance of palm trees, a champagne bar – all check), book a stay at Hôtel Sezz. Other facilities of note include a Cinq Mondes spa, with a heated pool that's framed by bay, mimosa and more palm trees. There are rooms that open out onto a sunny patio and a central swimming pool with palm fronds arching above it. The design hotel was created by the Philippe Starck disciple Christophe Pillet.
There’s also a Michelin-starred restaurant with tables set out beneath the olive trees and Mediterranean dishes on the menu. The hotel is surrounded by gardens and conveniently located on the edge of town, with a free shuttle taking you back and forth between both the centre of the village and Plage de Pampelonne.
Pan deï Palais
Sister property to Château de la Messardière, Pan deï Palais is equally high on the charm. The hotel is located in the heart of the village, in an unmissable custard-coloured building that dates back to 1835, with 10 rooms and two suites. Both the harbour and Place des Lices (which is where Francophiles in search of pétanque courts, cafés and markets should head) are within swift strolling distance.
Guests can travel between the two St Tropez properties in style, since complimentary Rolls-Royce transfers are put on, especially handy for when you want to head over to use Messardière's spa or beach club.
Muse Saint-Tropez
Muse Saint-Tropez in Ramatuelle is the kind of hotel the super-yacht crew would gladly drop anchor and set foot on dry land for. It is precisely where you’d hope to find yourself on a hot South of France summer’s day, more specifically: its cabana-lined pool or beneath the shade of a tree in its peaceful gardens, which also feature a spa-treatment tent to further add to the serenity.
Guests can borrow a bicycle to explore the scenic surroundings, and summon the hotel shuttle for trips to the beach. Rooms helpfully have beach bags, pre-stocked with sunglasses and towels.
Althoff Hotel Villa Belrose
Althoff Hotel Villa Belrose is above the bay, set in landscaped gardens a short drive from the centre of St Tropez. The five-star service begins before you’ve even checked in, with your choice of yacht, helicopter or plain old (luxurious) car ensuring a stylish arrival.
You’ll also be able to enlist the help of the hotel’s concierge app to tailor your stay, whether you’d like a certain type of bloom in your room on arrival or a particular trip to be arranged. Places to eat and drink at the hotel include a fine-dining restaurant and Le Petit Belrose for a light alfresco lunch.
Hôtel La Ponche
For a stay in the centre of St Tropez, look no further than Hôtel La Ponche, which is in the heart of the village and right by the water. The charming five-star hotel has an old-school air, which is a perfect match for its glamorous setting.
Guests will meet staff at the car park, ready to transfer into a two-wheel Piaggio and be whisked up to the hotel. Keeping the glamour stakes high are the piano bar, once frequented by Boris Vian and Brigitte Bardot, and the Provençal restaurant, whose terrace overlooks the sea. Down at the hotel’s cove, there’s a pontoon for guests to swim off.
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