Incredible Women. Incredible Fashion. Every Day.

Porter
Travel

Spectacular Hotels In And Around Saint-Tropez

Airelles Château de la Messardière

The Côte d’Azur is already a jet-set honeytrap, but Saint-Tropez holds a particular mythic pull. From storied palace hotels to discreet boutique retreats, this glittering stretch of the French Riviera offers escapism at its most refined. Here, NATASHA BIRD selects five of the finest

Lifestyle
Sunlit terraces and Riviera glamour at Airelles Château de la Messardière, where hilltop views meet effortless Côte d’Azur elegance

Airelles Château de la Messardière

Set high above the swirl of Saint-Tropez, Airelles Château de la Messardière is something of a hilltop kingdom. Built in 1904 as a wedding gift from a wealthy merchant to his daughter, and now reimagined under the Airelles banner, the poised palace presides over 25 acres of fragrant gardens with typical Riviera insouciance. Its 86 rooms and suites, including a private duplex villa with its own pool, balance Belle Époque romance with contemporary sheen. Your days can unfold between the 25-meter lap pool, the expansive Valmont spa and leisurely lunches that move from Matsuhisa’s Japanese delights to sundowners at the Tables du Jardin. A Michelin two-key distinction in 2024 confirms what regulars already know: this is Saint-Tropez at its most elevated. Rolls Royce Cullinan or Mini Moke transfers whisk guests to the beach or village before retreating to a château that feels blissfully removed, yet entirely at the center of it all.

Perched high above the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, Althoff Villa Belrose offers refined seclusion, pastel sunsets and an unmistakably Mediterranean sense of escape

Althoff Villa Belrose

Perched up in the stunning natural surrounds of Gassin, Althoff Villa Belrose offers Saint-Tropez at a flattering distance. Just five minutes from the harbor’s hum, this 39-room retreat trades scene for serenity, with uninterrupted Mediterranean views from its terraces. Newly refreshed in a soft contemporary palette, rooms and suites feel fresh and elegant, complete with marble bathrooms and sweeping balconies that look out either onto the manicured gardens or the famous bay. Gastronomy is central to the experience. At Le Belrose, chef Jimmy Coutel channels the flavors of the local terroir into elegant plates that celebrate exceptional fish, prime meats and sun-ripened vegetables, all served against the cinematic Riviera backdrop. The result is a stay that feels intimate and elevated, where authentic hospitality and landscape do most of the talking.

Seaside sophistication defines Cheval Blanc St-Tropez, where crisp design pairs with the effortless rhythm of the Côte d’Azur

Cheval Blanc St-Tropez

With direct access to the immaculate Bouillabaisse beach and pine-forest vistas, and just a short stroll to the famed village, Cheval Blanc is perfectly placed to take in the full spectrum of Saint-Tropez’s dazzle. The few dozen rooms and suites have a light and airy aesthetic and spectacular, postcard-worthy views – many from a spacious terrace or balcony. The hotel’s two restaurants are overseen by chef Arnaud Donckele: the pine-shaded, seafront La Terrasse, where lunches are made to be long and laid-back, and the three-Michelin-starred La Vague d’Or. Looking over the bay of Saint-Tropez, Cheval Blanc provides a majestic setting from which to appreciate the endless azure of the Riviera utopia – the beach is silk-sand splendor, while the infinity pool tantalizes guests to dive straight into the dreamy spectrum of blues.

A seafront view of Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera
Minimalist architecture and coastal calm define La Réserve Ramatuelle, a discreet hideaway overlooking the shimmering Mediterranean

La Réserve Ramatuelle

A little further afield – but still only a 15-minute drive from Saint-Tropez – Ramatuelle is a beguiling hillside village with awe-inspiring Mediterranean views from its staggering position. La Réserve is a sprawling estate in the Provençal garrigue, where guests are transported to the golden-age elegance and artistic spirit of the Côte d’Azur. Interior designer Jacques Garcia has infused a quintessentially pared-back palette of whites and neutrals, raw materials and Scandinavian-style furnishings with a captivating flourish of artworks and sculptures by bringing in a group of independent artists to adorn the walls with their own interpretations of a Provençal scene. All the accommodation is idyllic, but the villas are particularly stand-out, their terracotta roofs dotted among this alluring landscape and giving guests their own piece of paradise.

Legendary nightlife and timeless Riviera style meet at Hôtel Byblos, an icon of Saint-Tropez glamour since the 1960s
The new suites at Hotel Byblos showcase designer Laura Gonzalez’s vivid hues and prints

Hotel Byblos

In the heart of Saint-Tropez, Hotel Byblos brings maximalist magic to the easy elegance of the South of France. This is particularly epitomized by the hotel’s suites – a few new ones have been designed by color aficionado Laura Gonzalez, to which she incorporated vivid hues and prints, matching the vibrancy of the scenery through the windows. Meanwhile, the Presidential Missoni Home Suite features the signature motifs of the Italian fashion house in effervescent Mediterranean tones. The Sisley spa is a blissful spot to relax and indulge after a day at Byblos Beach Ramatuelle. A 10-minute drive away, on the sublime Pampelonne Beach, the club mirrors the hotel’s refined seascape style across its restaurant, bar and shore-lapping sun loungers. A sublime spot for a sun-drenched lunch that seeps into the evening, the restaurant serves a fresh Mediterranean menu centered on seasonal ingredients sourced from local market gardens, farms and fisheries.

DISCOVER MORE