Riviera: the most beautiful hotel pools on the Côte d’Azur

Lou Pinet | The vintage chic address in Saint-Tropez

Inaugurated in spring 2019, the Lou Pinet hotel belongs to the Maisons Pariente collection, which specializes in luxury hotels and owns Le Crillon le Brave in Vaucluse and Le Coucou in Méribel. It's no coincidence that the Parientes have taken over this hotel: the family's love affair with Saint-Tropez began in the 1960s. Lou Pinet is irresistibly reminiscent of the Saint-Tropez of legend: in other words, the fishing village of a time when it was known only to insiders, from Françoise Sagan to Boris Vian, via Picasso, Chagall, Juliette Gréco, Brigitte Bardot...

Just a five-minute drive from Place des Lices, the four ochre buildings with green shutters of this luxury boutique hotel are built around the swimming pool, one of the largest in Saint-Tropez, bordered by a huge terrace. Architect François Vieillecroze, known for his many achievements on the Côte d'Azur and his commitment to preserving the peninsula's heritage, has preserved the spirit of the place throughout the common areas and the 34 rooms and suites. The latter feature generous volumes, some with private gardens, reinforcing the feeling of being received in a friendly home. Charles Zana's decor features natural stone, wrought iron, rattan hanging baskets, antique plates on the wall... a clever mix of textures, colors and antique pieces. A special mention goes to the gardens, created by the talented Jean Mus. We love the miniature lavender field and vegetable garden dominated by the two immense umbrella pines, emblems of the hotel.

Far from the glitz and glamour of Saint-Tropez, the restaurant, extended by pretty terraces nestling in the greenery and overlooking the vast swimming pool, is the ideal place to savour the Beefbar's superb meats. But Mediterranean flavors also take pride of place here: grilled fish, ceviches, carpaccios, risottos, salads... Finally, after a lazy day by the pool, it's time to head off to one of the most advanced spas on the Côte d'Azur. In one of its two treatment rooms (one of which is double), you can indulge in a treatment by Tata Harper. Created in 2010 in the United States, this brand of organic cosmetics, ultra-concentrated in natural active ingredients, is Ecocert-certified and does not test on animals-perfectly in tune with the times!

What do we particularly like about Lou Pinet?

• The blue-green mosaic swimming pool, the heart of the hotel
• The delicious scents of pine resin, lavender, myrtle and rosemary wafting through the gardens
• Alexandre Benjamin Navet's colorful fresco in the restaurant and a selection of contemporary artworks
• All the amenities of a 5-star hotel, sprinkled with warm simplicity
• A game of pétanque in the garden before the aperitif!

Hôtel Lou Pinet
34 rooms and suites. From 430€ per night.
70 Chemin du Pinet, 83990 Saint-Tropez

Lily of the Valley | A new-generation hotel on the Côte d'Azur

Set in the heart of La Croix Valmer, this Côte d'Azur hotel with swimming pool is a haven of serenity between Gigaro beach and the pine forest of the Cap Lardier estate. Inaugurated in June 2019 and a member of Leading Hotels of the World, this brand-new 5-star hotel reinvents the art of hospitality at its own level. Alain Weill and his daughter Lucie have transformed the former Souleias hotel, swapping its outdated past for a modern, eco-friendly vision with the help of Philippe Starck. The result? A hotel village harmoniously integrated into Provencal nature, with every room offering a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean and surrounding hills. The main restaurant, Le Vista, sublimates local produce in a sumptuous setting, while the Shape Club, run by Dr. Jacques Fricker, offers tailor-made wellness and fitness programs. For a getaway from the hustle and bustle, the Pool Suites are the perfect choice, offering luxury and privacy with their private garden and individual pool below the hotel.

What makes the difference? With its exquisite decor, idyllic location and commitment to slimming care, sport and gastronomy, Lily of the Valley offers an unmissable hotel experience on the Côte d'Azur.

Lily of the Valley
38 rooms and 6 suites. From 650€ per night (900€ per night in high season).
Colline Saint-Michel / Quartier de Gigaro, 83420 La Croix-Valmer

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat | The famous Club Dauphin swimming pool

Located at the tip of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, in the heart of a 7-hectare park overlooking the sea, this palace, inaugurated in 1908, has witnessed many events. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, now branded Four Seasons, has been given a makeover! A new wing, the Résidence, has sprung up alongside the historic buildings. Designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, its 16 rooms and 8 suites look out over the Mediterranean and are extended by a terrace with a huge infinity pool inlaid in the rock... In the historic building, packed with works of art, the rooms and suites have been renovated, again under the guidance of Pierre-Yves Rochon.

In 2020, the famous Club Dauphin swimming pool, 33 meters long and overlooking the Mediterranean, has been lined with Verrazzo stone. 19 "cabanas", designed by architect Martin Brudnizki, dot the gardens.In addition to all this, there are 3 restaurants, including the gourmet Le Cap (1* Michelin), the Provencal La Véranda and the poolside Club Dauphin, not to mention a 750^m2 spa with an indoor pool and counter-current swimming system.

What makes the difference? The pool, voted "3rd best pool in the world" by National Geographic in 2008, is undoubtedly what sets the hotel apart.

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel
74 rooms and villas. From €650 per night.
71 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Les Roches Rouges | A 5-star new wave in Saint-Raphaël

After a gigantic renovation by the Festen duo Charlotte de Raunac and Hugo Sauzay, under the aegis of the Hôtel d'en Haut company, this 1950s building has become one of the most stylish hotels on the Côte d'Azur. As soon as you step into the lobby of Les Roches Rouges, you're stunned by the view of the infinite Mediterranean beyond the huge bay window. The décor is deliberately uncluttered to highlight the stars of the place: the two pools and, of course, the extraordinary view. As for the 44 rooms and suites, they all have balconies and sea views - a real plus! Tones of grey, white, saffron, stone, raw wood, furniture by Charlotte Perriand... everything is designed to let you savour the horizon. When it comes to dining, two restaurants vie for guests' favor, and the terrace remains the ideal spot to indulge in Provencal cuisine.

What makes the difference? A spa, an open-air cinema, diving, yoga, cooking, kayaking and paddle courses complete the range of activities offered by this hotel, which does nothing like the others!

Hôtel Les Roches Rouges
44 rooms and suites. From €290 per night.
90 Boulevard de la 36ème division du Texas, 83530 Saint-Raphaël

Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc | The most mythical swimming pool on the Côte d'Azur

Built in 1870 by the founder of Le Figaro, Auguste de Villemessant, to welcome writers in search of inspiration on Cap d'Antibes, the building was soon transformed into a beautiful hotel. In 1914, a seawater pool was dug into the rock... Then the Eden-Roc pavilion was built, followed by the famous cabins on the Mediterranean shore. In May 2021, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc will inaugurate its latest jewel, the 4-storey Villa Sainte-Anne, featuring 5 suites, a spa with sauna, hammam and gym, and an outdoor pool in the heart of a 2,000^m2 Italian garden. Eric Frechon, the three-Michelin-starred chef from Le Bristol Paris, now oversees the palace's table as consulting chef, and has been awarded a star, along with executive chef Arnaud Poette, for the Louroc restaurant. A La Prairie spa opens onto the gardens, and many of the cabins benefit from natural light. Good point: the duo cabin has a salt wall.

What makes the difference? What sets the hotel apart is its world-famous infinity pool, which has been welcoming the world's peoples for decades.

Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc - Oetker Collection
118 rooms and villas. From €800 per night.
167-165 Boulevard J.-F. Kennedy, 06160 Antibes

Tiara Miramar Beach Hotel & Spa | A 5-star hotel with its feet in the water

Set on a rocky outcrop in Théoule-sur-Mer, overlooking a cove of ochre rocks just 20 minutes from Cannes, this 5-star hotel was completely overhauled a handful of years ago and boasts a design combining contemporary Mediterranean and Oriental styles. 80% of the 60 rooms behind the pink powder-coated facade have balconies overlooking the sea, and are adorned with airy veils, gold and fuchsia colors, moucharabiehs dispensing beautifully openwork light, sculpted furniture..

The terraces of Tiara Miramar lead to the magnificent infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean, the height of refinement: it's bordered by a glass barrier, so you don't miss a moment of the show! From the private cove, you can embark on a variety of water sports: paddle, canoe and fishing, before enjoying tartares, grills and salads at Moya, the beach restaurant. And at Bistrot M, with its panoramic view, the emphasis is on southern cuisine.

What makes the difference? Enjoy a treatment in one of the outdoor rooms of the Sothys-branded spa. There are 4 cabins, including one for two, a sauna and a steam bath.

Tiara Miramar Beach Hotel & Spa
60 rooms and suites. From €215 per night.
47, avenue de Miramar 06590 Théoule-sur-Mer