Staying Somewhere More Serene

Options abound of luxury and relaxation in St. Tropez

By Jenny Adams

Maybe it’s your first time in St. Tropez. Maybe it’s your 50th. If you’re headed to the most beautiful coastline in all of the French Riviera, one thing is for sure––relaxation is paramount.

Old Town and Pampelonne Beach are both famous with good reason. From the historic, architecturally stunning center to the azure waters where they filmed “And God Created Woman,” themost popular places in St. Tropez can get crowded, even in shoulder seasons.

Check out these options for staying outside the fray, finding that old-world, French charm and sleeping in with peaceful dreams.

Hotel Sezz

You’re a mile from the center and a lifetime from the hordes, at Hotel Sezz, where 5-star amenities meet luxury design, from a palm-fringed pool to the chic lines of the villa-styled suites.

The hotel offers 35 of these villa-styled accommodations, each with a private plunge pool, walls that open to a private garden terrace, and curved living room sofas, piled high with pillows.The Cocoon Plunge Pool room features a heated pool, an outdoor shower and a 215-square-foot outdoor entertaining space. Spa Sezz awaits, with a design by noted architect Christophe Pillet, and a menu of ancient rituals for beauty and restoration, by Cinq Mondes––a French pioneer in the spa industry. Each evening, Michelin-starred Restaurant Colette is mere steps away, plating an ever-changing, seven-course experience, featuring fresh seafood, rare oysters, garden produce and entertaining molecular fusion.

Hotel Lily of the Valley

Looking to leave St. Tropez in better shape than you arrived? Look no further than one of the world’s leading wellness and sport hotels. Surrounded by pristine, natural island foliage, this hotel overlooks the Plage de Gigaro, a protected, three-mile sandy beach. The hotel features 21,000 square feet of dedicated wellness space, from a gym and outdoor space for personal training to a spa for 90-minute treatments to personal nutrition coaching. Multiple restaurants focus on the impact of flavor and nutrition.

Villa W is their star room, where a linear, 17-meter infinity pool overlooks the stunning waters of St. Tropez. The windows give a 180-degree, panoramic view, and both a private parking space and a private butler come included.

Bastide de St. Tropez

Want that French countryside feel? This is the finest option, where four provencal farmhouses and an elegant mansion welcome you, with bespoke, French interiors, suites filled with antiques, art, taper candles, deep sofas and curated garden terraces. The Spa’s menu is by L’Occitane, with treatments spanning facials to reflexology. The stunning design of L’isoletta, the hotel’s glass-wrapped restaurant, feels akin to eating in the home of an eccentric creative. Caviar, scallops, rare filets, and house made gnocchi dot a menu that skews Mediterranean and always memorable. When it’s time to enjoy the sun of St. Tropez, Bastide also offers an incredible, rock-lined, showstopper of a swimming pool.

Chateau de la Messardiere

There may be no more exquisite perch than breakfast on the terrace overlooking the sea and Pampelonne beach from your Junior suite. Truly a Chateau feel, the hotel features walk-in closets, grand living areas and spa tubs. The three-bedroom villa option is a full apartment, with its own private pool and 1,800 square feet of opulent living space. Modern French wallpapers, crisp white linens and double, marble sinks are backdropped by the surroundings of St. Tropez gardens and large doorways that pull you ever outside.

The activities available are second-to-none, as well, including charming Pointu boats, a Polo riding experience, a sidecar adventure and cocktail courses. Even leaving this Chateau for exploration of the town a few miles away seems like a fool’s errand, to be honest.