It's hard to make your mark on one of the world's most famous beach towns, but with the helping of the LVMH luxury conglomerate, Cheval Blanc St Tropez might just have done it, says Country Life's James Fisher.
For what is quite a small place, St Tropez has quite the reputation. This commune in the south of France began life as a simple fishing village, and then Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli and Brigitte Bardot came to visit. And then came the yachts and the money.
You can’t blame them really — the yachts and the money.
Wandering the streets of this village, it’s hard not to be enchanted. Bright coloured shutters, elegant bricks and cobbles; contrast that with the azure waves of the Mediterranean and it’s everything the south of France is supposed to be.
You’ve been to villages like this, but the difference is the villages you went to didn’t have three Louis Vuitton shops in them.
Considering that one of the south of France’s main jobs is to ‘be on or near the beach’ it’s quite surprising that of the hotels in St Tropez, only one has direct access. It is, of course, the Cheval Blanc — if Bernard Arnault is going to be spending money on a hotel, it’s going to be on the beach.
Formerly known as La Résidence de la Pinède, this cream coloured residence placed between the pines does its absolute best to redefine what luxury means. After all, in St Tropez, where visitors are expecting and are used to perfection, then you simply have to be better than perfect.
Cheval Blanc, lead by standout general manager Olivier Raveyre, passes the test.
The rooms
Every Cheval Blanc maison (as they are known) has its own colour scheme. Here, naturally, it’s cobalt blue with splashes of white.
In my sea suite, well, I had an unparalleled view of the Mediterranean. A tremendous start.
The bed is vast, the terrace exceptional, the mini-bar well stocked. The highlight is surely the bathroom: pause in a rose-filled bath and watch the elegant (and not-so-elegant) yachts pull in and out of St Tropez harbour.
There are about 30 rooms in total, ranging from the courtyard double up to the four-bedroom, private pool, Villa Riviera.
The interiors of the hotel were masterminded by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who took advantage of the sea view and original Roger Capron frescoes to create a fine balance of contemporary modern elegance and Provençal tradition.
Everywhere, from the shady pine-filled courtyard, to the restaurant, bar and reading room, whispers ‘slow down, don’t worry, enjoy yourselves and let us worry about everything else’.
Eating and drinking
If the rooms were good, then the magic really starts at the on-site restaurant. Breakfast is an ecstasy of choice; I am not sure if a ‘bread sommelier’ is a real thing, but Cheval has one.
Lunches on La Terrasse are everything you would want in the south of France: elegant views, laid-back menu, a cool breeze. Heaven.
Dinner is where the curtain rises and the show gets underway. Head chef Arnaud Donckele gets to work at the three Michelin star La Vague d’Or, ‘a magical journey between land and sea’.
It is indeed quite magical, so much so in fact that I won’t say anything else. Just go.
How they’ll keep you busy
If it’s not obvious by now, the answer is ‘relax’. One way to do that would be to visit the Guerlain spa, where you will be transported to a part of your mind that you forgot existed.
It’s the bit before the emails, the taxes, the children, the stress of, well, everything. Muscles I didn’t even know existed were soothed and I came out of all of my treatments wondering what on earth I was ever worried about.
If you want to not relax, then go and see the on-site fitness guru Benjamin. Not only is he extremely nice to look at, he will put you through your paces, whether on a paddle-board, bicycle, hike or just a really good stretch. We all need one of those every now and then.
What else to do while you’re there
The town of St Tropez is, as previously mentioned, rather beautiful. I was there during something called Les Bravades de Saint-Tropez, where the townsfolk all celebrate their patron saint, Torpes of Pisa, and form a militia which lets off lots of loud bangs from their muskets (earplugs provided at reception) and then has a jolly good party afterwards.
When they are not celebrating, the town is peaceful and relaxing. Is there anything better than a relaxing demi sitting outside a café looking over a French harbour? There is not. Is St Tropez a good place to do that? Yes it is.
Go and have lunch at the Dior Café des Lices. The only thing better than the food is watching floods of Instagrammers get their photos taken, buy a coffee and leave. Don’t be like them. Stay and enjoy it.
Who is it for
Technically, anyone. But here’s the thing: St Tropez is not the cheapest place to go and visit. It might, in fact, be one of the more expensive places to go and visit. You likely already know this.
But sometimes it is important to go and try and understand why places like Saint Tropez exist and to dip your toe in.
Cheval is a great place to do that. Leave the kids at home, turn off the emails, pack your most elegant swimwear and your largest sunglasses and become the inner Coco Chanel that you’ve always wanted.
You won’t regret it.
What gives it the ‘wow’ factor
You’re in St Tropez. You are drinking the finest rosés looking at the largest yachts you’ll ever see. You might often wonder how the other half live. This is how they live.
The one thing you’d change
I suppose there’s not much you can do about seagulls, but it can be a little anxiety-inducing when they watch you eat your breakfast from atop the nearest parasol. It’s funny when they steal someone else’s chips. It’s less funny when they steal yours.
Rooms from €1,800 during the high season. Visit www.chevalblanc.com/en/maison/st-tropez for more information and to book. Click here to read our full guide to the town of St Tropez.
