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 where luxury and exclusivity is all around.
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 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…
(Lily of the Valley/November Studio)
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 (of course), Clint Eastwood and a honeymooning Mick and Bianca Jagger.
It’s relaunching this summer with a new and improved Sisley spa, offering a holistic wellness programme should you be in search of a different side to St Tropez (that doesn’t include free-flowing rosé and tarte Tropézienne). The stately stay is officially one of France’s prestigious Palace Hotels.
Part of the Airelles collection of spectacular stays across France, Château de la Messardière is on a hilltop just outside St Tropez, giving it a perfect position for exploring the rest of Provence and the French Riviera as well. 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.
The Parientes come from a fashion background (the patriarch was the founder of Naf Naf) and they’ve turned their stylish hands to hotels. In addition to Le Coucou in Méribel, Crillon Le Brave in Provence and an incoming Paris edition (Le Grand Mazarin in the Marais, which opens this 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 sunloungers and parasols. Lou Pinet is the proud owner of a Tata Harper spa; and a Beefbar outpost, famous for its mashed potatoes (which employ an equal ratio of butter to potato) and excellent cuts of meat.
This charming 18th-century farmhouse is just outside of St Tropez in the picturesque village of Gassin. To the centre of St Tropez, the drive east along the coast takes under 10 minutes.
Mas de Chastelas has a fabled history – since it opened in the late Sixties, it has been the backdrop for a film starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu, and has also hosted Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin (if it’s romantic enough for them…). The peaceful grounds feature a tennis court, a putting green and a heated pool.
(Loic Salan)
With outposts in two of the world’s most glamorous locations (St Barth and St Tropez), Villa Marie is perfectly at home in the 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 terrace of the aptly named Dolce Vita terrace, where you’ll be able to spy the Med in the distance.
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).
It’s not all clean-living, though – if you prefer, days can just as easily be spent sipping chilled rosé on the terrace. The retreat is on the shores of Plage de Gigaro.
This design hotel in St Tropez has a Cinq Mondes spa, rooms that open out onto a sunny patio and a central swimming pool with palms arching above it. Hôtel Sezz was designed by Starck disciple Christophe Pillet.
There’s a Michelin-starred restaurant serving Mediterranean dishes, with tables out beneath the olive trees. It’s surrounded by gardens and on the edge of town, with a free shuttle taking you back and forth between the centre and Plage de Pampelonne.
Sister property to Château de la Messardière, Pan deï Palais is equally charming. It’s in the centre of the village, in a custard-coloured building that dates back to 1835, with 10 rooms and two suites. It’s a stroll away from the harbour and Place des Lices.
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 the spa or beach club.
Muse Saint-Tropez in Ramatuelle 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, stocked with sunglasses and towels.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
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 (luxury) 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. Dining options include a fine-dining restaurant and Le Petit Belrose for a light alfresco lunch.
The best hotels in St Tropez for luxury, five-star breaks. From hotels on the beach to boutique hotels, these St Tropez hotels offer style and elegance.