The finest palaces on the Côte d’Azur

1. Airelles Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière | Saint-Tropez's majestic palace

Guests at La Messardière are offered a more secret, unspoiled side of Saint-Tropez. Just a few minutes from the Place des Lices and its lively (albeit exhausting in summer) bustle, this chateau has been enthroned for over a century on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. The entrance to the estate can be discovered around a bend in a road winding between two dry stone walls, amid the sweet scent of mimosa and olive trees. All the charm of the Mediterranean... also expressed in the architecture: ochre-pink walls, domed tile roofs, Italian arches, Moorish columns, Andalusian terraces. Ideally situated at the top of a 12-hectare park, the imposing building multiplies its ambiances, offering, depending on where you stay (suite, pools, gardens), a view of one of the most fabulous panoramas on the Côte d'Azur.

Under the elegant Airelles Collection banner, Château de la Messardière has benefited from a renovation program and new facilities: a 25 m swimming pool, two tennis courts, yoga platforms... Gastronomy is showcased in no less than six restaurants: Italian flavors at Palladio, Japanese at Matsuhisa Saint-Tropez, regional at Auberge des Maures and Jardin Tropezina and international at Table de la Messardière. As for the brand-new Le Voltaire table, you can rediscover the great classics of French cuisine, while enjoying a view of the gardens. And if relaxation is a matter of course in such an oasis of serenity, the ultimate in zenitude is offered at the Spa Valmont, with its 1,000^m2 of nine treatment rooms, an Iyashi Dome (infrared treatment device), indoor pool and fitness area with steam room and sauna.

We particularly like? The possibility of leaving the estate to sunbathe on the private beach and have lunch at Jardin Tropezina. A shuttle is available to take guests there free of charge in just a few minutes.

Good to know? Children have their own special area, Airelles Summer Camp. A large Kid's Club with swimming pool, arcade, private cinema and a full program of activities for young and old alike.

Airelles Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière
103 keys and the prestigious Villa, a 3-bedroom apartment with private pool. From €690 per night.
2 Route de Tahiti 83990 Saint-Tropez
Official website

2. Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel | The jewel of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

First, there's the location. A protected seven-hectare pine forest at the tip of the Cap-Ferrat peninsula, a stone's throw from Nice. This incredible Mediterranean garden, planted with rare species, has been the setting, for over a century, for a magnificent Belle Époque building adorned with a rotunda designed by Gustave Eiffel. Like a true palace, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat has evolved with discreet touches, adapting to the comfort demands of its time and calling on the services of the greatest decorators (Pierre-Yves Rochon for the latest renovation). A constant in the upscale segment that was respected when the hotel came under the Four Seasons banner in 2015. The new wing, opened a dozen years ago, offers 8 superb suites, each with its own private pool. The pinnacle of luxury is, of course, the Villa Rose Pierre, tucked away under the trees in the heart of a 4,000 m² garden with a huge swimming pool and tennis court.

What do we particularly like? Tasting the Provencal and Mediterranean specialties prepared by Michelin-starred chef Yoric Tièche, served on the terrace beneath the pine trees. Or take a dip in the Club Dauphin's legendary swimming pool. Built in 1939, this 33-metre-long infinity pool boasts an incredible panoramic view and a counter-current swimming system.

Good to know? Jean Mus, the star landscaper, designed the Mediterranean garden at the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat.

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel
74 keys, from €1,250 per night.
71 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Official website

3. Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc | The secret address of Hollywood stars at Cap d'Antibes

During the Cannes Film Festival, don't look for movie superstars exiting the palaces of the Croisette. It's here, away from the excitement of photographers and fans, that they find refuge every year in May... and at other times of the year. Sharon Stone always reserves suite 644-645. In its nearly 140 years of existence, the Cap d'Antibes luxury hotel has carved out a reputation to match its ambitions. More than a reputation, in fact, it's a veritable legend, making it at least as important a figure as all those it has welcomed. Starting with Francis Scott Fitzgerald, who renamed it the "Hotel des Étrangers" in his novel Tendre est la nuit.

The incredible beauty of the panorama that awaits guests beyond the long driveway leading to the sea is one of the memories we all retain from a stay in this exceptional place. Whether in the main building (the historic Villa Soleil), the Pavillon Eden-Roc or one of the three exclusive villas, the hotel, a member of the prestigious Oetker Collection (Le Bristol Paris, Eden-Rock St-Barths, L'Apogée in Courchevel...) offers the same consistent quality of service that borders on excellence. The magnificent rock pool remains one of the most sought-after spots on the Côte d'Azur, as does access to one of the 33 cabanas for private use for a moment out of time. The ultimate in luxury.

We particularly like? The palace's seaside and wellness environment. Its swimming pool, which seems to plunge into the blue of the Mediterranean, its restaurants with views (the Eden-Roc, the Grill or the Michelin-starred Louroc, whose menu is designed by Éric Frechon)... not forgetting the Spa Dior.

Good to know? The hotel is probably the only establishment with a cemetery for guests' pets. This tradition has now been abandoned, but the dogs and cats of some of the celebrities of yesteryear rest here under the pine trees.

Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
118 rooms and suites, from €700 per night
Boulevard J.F. Kennedy 06605 Antibes
Official website

4. La Réserve Ramatuelle | Ramatuelle's designer luxury jewel case

Near Cap Camarat, in an exceptional setting not far from the hustle and bustle of Saint-Tropez, nestles La Réserve Ramatuelle, the Mediterranean cousin of La Réserve Genève and La Réserve Paris. Imagine a vast park gently sloping down to the sea, which glistens beyond the pines and cypresses. All the beauty of a Mediterranean landscape preserved from the anarchic construction of the Côte d'Azur. Once through the gates of Réserve Ramatuelle, you enter a world entirely dedicated to well-being and the art of living. La Réserve Ramatuelle consists of some 15 villas and a 1970s hotel transformed into a little jewel of design, first by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, then by Jacques Garcia (common areas) since last season. The rooms and suites with terraces are distinguished by their spaciousness and the whiteness designed to create a permanent contrast between the interior and the colors of the landscape: the changing blues of the sea and sky, the dark green of the park's tall trees.

We particularly like? The superb Nescens Spa with its mirror pool and wellness retreats, including the famous Nescens Boot Camp for a 3 or 6-day fitness session. And let's not forget chef Éric Canino's two-Michelin-star La Voile restaurant, one of the best in Saint-Tropez and the surrounding area.

Good to know? La Réserve Ramatuelle offers a wide range of experiences in the region: mountain biking, horseback riding in the vineyards, SEABOB-jet initiation, diving, sea kayaking, jet skiing..

La Réserve Ramatuelle
27 rooms and suites and 14 villas of 3, 4, 5 and 6 rooms with private pools. From €1,000 per night.
Chemin de la Quessine, 83350 Ramatuelle
Official website

5. Cheval Blanc Saint-Tropez | A symphony in blue

Four years ago, the LVMH Group revived a venerable Tropez institution. Famous for its location close to the village and its direct access to the Bouillabaisse beach, the Résidence de la Pinède had been welcoming its regulars for almost eight decades. Now under the Cheval Blanc brand, the hotel has benefited from a quality upgrade orchestrated by two talented architects, Provençal architect François Vieillecroze, who has long followed the establishment's evolution, and Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who has redesigned the interiors in his signature Mediterranean style. An ode to the sea and sand, the decor features warm tones, light woods and enamels by ceramist Roger Capron, which can be seen on the shuttle tables and whose fresco adorns the property. Rooms with sea views, a restaurant run by Arnaud Donckele (who also cooks at Cheval Blanc Paris) and a magnificent Guerlain Spa... What more could you ask for?

We particularly like? This bubble of calm under the pines and on the beach, yet so close to the village. And of course La Vague d'Or, one of the finest restaurants on the Côte d'Azur, with three Michelin stars and five Gault & Millau toques (19/20).

Good to know? Riviera Chic, the fig leaf and citrus fragrance that perfumes the hotel, was created by Thierry Wasser, the nose of Guerlain.

Cheval Blanc Saint-Tropez
30 keys, from €1,250 per night.
Plage de la Bouillabaisse, 83990 Saint-Tropez
Official website

6. Château Saint-Martin & Spa | Chic refuge in the hinterland of Nice

The location alone justifies a stay in the light of Nice's hinterland. Resting on the baous, the hills overlooking the village of Vence, Château Saint-Martin & Spa is built on the ruins of a former Templar commandery. The site has obviously always had a strategic vocation, as the remains of a fortified structure dating back to Roman times have been found. This heritage, listed as a Monument Historique, fits in perfectly with the elegant setting of this luxury establishment managed by the Oetker Collection, just like the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc.The chic Provencal ambience of the public areas, the elegant decor in soft shades by Bergit Gräfin Douglas in the guest rooms, the superb gardens planted with Mediterranean species designed by landscape architect Jean Mus, the La Prairie spa... everything here invites you to enjoy the tranquillity of this village chosen by Henri Matisse to spend his last years. Need we remind you that the view from the terraces is simply fascinating? At any time of day.

What do we particularly like? Lunch at L'Oliveraie, with your feet in the grass, in the shade of century-old olive trees, after a morning spent by the huge infinity pool.

Good to know? For families and groups of friends, Château Saint-Martin also offers six villas perched on the hillside a little way from the estate. Breathtaking views and hotel service guaranteed.

Château Saint-Martin & Spa
54 keys and 6 independent villas, from €710 per night.
2490 Avenue des Templiers 06140 Vence
Official website