6 Luxurious French Riviera Hotels in the South of France

There are some incredible Relais & Chateaux properties in the South of France. From the stunning Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel, to Villa Belrose in Saint Tropez, these are two luxurious French Riviera hotels that you shouldn’t miss.

Luxurious French Riviera Hotels

Are you looking for the perfect place to stay during your dream vacation on the stunning French Riviera? Look no further than these luxurious hotels.

Whether you’re interested in a romantic beachfront escape or a family-friendly adventure complete with activities geared specifically for children, you’ll find everything that could wish for along France’s sun-kissed coastline. Keep reading to explore our guide showcasing some of the best and most luxurious hotel choices on offer across the stunning French Riviera!

1. Cap D’Antibes Beach Hotel

The Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel is a short hop from Nice airport, 17 kilometres away. It has a striking modern design with lots of interesting artwork. We loved this quirky bookcase in the lobby.

All the 22 bedrooms are individually designed by Sybille de Margerie. They each have a private garden or roof terrace. The hotel is the only one in Cap d’Antibes to have a private sandy beach.

There is a lovely 1 Michelin star restaurant, Les Pêcheurs. Nicolas Navarro,  the executive chef trained with Alain Ducasse. A little tip, if you ask nicely he or one of his staff may sign the menu for you as a souvenir.

We kicked off in style with duck liver foie gras, served with raw figs, Barolo vinegar and blackcurrant. Our next course was a very moreish ceps cooked in fig leaves with caramelized chestnuts.

We’d highly recommend the main course, a fillet of John Dory with gnocchi potatoes in a spicy sauce. We finished with a light and fluffy almond and hazelnut praline souffle, with lemon sorbet. 

There is also a relaxed beach restaurant, Le Cap, open for lunch and dinner – see the artworks by local artists below.

2. Villa Belrose

Just ten minutes drive from Saint Tropez, Villa Belrose is a beautiful property set in 7000 square metres of landscaped grounds with an uninterrupted view over the bay.  The bedrooms are a perfect blend of old and new with a fashionable soft grey colourway and the cuisine is second to none.

3. La Bastide Saint Antoine, Grasse

We head first to Grasse, considered to be the world capital of perfume. La Bastide Saint Antoine is a beautiful five star Relais & Chateaux property in an 18th century manor house, set in 5 hectares of land. You can enjoy a delicious lunch on the veranda.

On the day that we visited, Chef Jacques Chibois had concocted a delicious menu of saffron lobster bolognese with winter squash and almond milk. It was followed by John Dory in fennel stew, with lemon coulis from the garden – such beautiful presentation!

The next course was quail breast with aubergine and orange compote, accompanied by zucchini and Romanesco cabbage. Finally we feasted on a chocolate and praline desert with mint ice cream and praline sauce.

The only way to describe this is like a very upmarket mint choc ice. The charming bedrooms are all individually designed. Some of the suites come with individual hot tubs.

Although we could have happily spent more time lounging by the pool, it was time for the next leg of our journey.

JACQUES CHIBOIS – La Bastide Saint Antoine, 48 avenue Henri-Dunant – 06130 Grasse

4. Le Mas Candille

Next up, let’s visit Le Mas Candille, a magnificent hotel in Mougins, with the first Shiseido Spa in Europe. It has a fantastic view over the hillside and there’s 9 acres to explore.

We really love the artworks dotted around the grounds of this luxurious hotel, all by local artists.

The dining room is also stunning, a great combination of old and new. The bedrooms are very cosy but with all mod cons like flat screen TVs.

You can relax on the veranda with a lemon verbena tea, before heading to the Shiseido spa for a rejuvenating facial.

What is different about this facial, is that they actually spend most of the time massaging your face. I’ve had so many facials where they pop a mask on you, go off and do something else for quite a long time.

My face was glowing afterwards and I invested in a facial brush which is apparently ideal for gentle cleansing.

HOTEL RESTAURANT SPA LE MAS CANDILLE Boulevard Clément Rebuffel 06250 MOUGINS

5. Le Mas de Pierre

Let’s now head to Saint Paul de Vence and Le Mas de Pierre, a stunning collection of 7 country houses, nestled at the foot of Saint Paul de Vence’s fortress. The gardens are a mixture of modern design and 100 year old olive trees.

You’ll love the “Fragrance Garden” where the chefs come to pick produce.

There are so many interesting artworks to see in the gardens – fitting as Saint Paul de Vence has a fantastic art gallery.

This is definitely our favorite, a suitcase sculpture by the Belgian artist, Jean-Michel Folon. You can see another of his suitcase sculptures in Florence.

There’s even a dovecote! The restaurant menus have been created by Michel Rostang, a 2 Michelin star chef and Emmanuel Lehrer who was cooking for us that evening.

First though, he took us on in a game of pétanque. It’s a type of bowling that is traditional in the South of France and usually accompanied with a drink of pastis, the liquorice flavoured drink.

I must have had beginner’s luck! After a tasty amuse-bouche, we started with stuffed vegetables “a la Nicoise”, a local speciality.

Our main course was a healthy sea bream fillet coated with hazelnuts, pearl barley risotto, butternut pumpkin and Castelmagno cheese. That’s the joy of Mediterranean cooking, it’s good for you!

Desert was a showstopping lemon and meringue pie – a perfect ending to the day.

HOTEL LE MAS DE PIERRE – 2320 route de Serres – 06570 SAINT-PAUL DE VENCE

6. Chateau Saint-Martin & Spa

If your’e looking for somewhere different to stay in the South of France, why not try a French fortress, Chateau Saint Martin & Spa in Vence. A five star property, it’s part of the Oetker Collection and a long standing member of the Relais & Chateaux collection.

This luxury South of France hotel has a unique location, in a former 12th century Knights Templar Commandery. It is set in a 32 acre park with views over the French Riviera.

The hotel has the most stunning grounds and six private villas on the hillside. The terrace is a delight – I enjoyed breakfast out here and the uninterrupted views over the valley.

The swimming pool nestles among the mountains. It leads on to the Oliveraie restaurant where you can dine in the middle of the vines. Both the renowned Le Saint Martin fine dining restaurant and 180 bistro have sweeping views over the valley.

The Rossini Bar has some amazing wall tapestries but it feels relaxing and the sort of place where you’d want to linger after dinner. There are some impressive floral displays throughout the hotel.

We love the relaxing lights in the spa by La Prairie – there are plans to extend the whole spa area. It was awarded best luxury spa in Europe at the World Luxury Spa Awards.

Chateau Saint Martin & Spa, 2490 Avenue des Templiers, BP 102 – 06142 – VENCE, FRANCE

Things to Do in Saint Tropez

Make sure to take the scenic coastal route from Cap d’Antibes to Saint Tropez, it takes about an hour and a half and the views are breathtaking.

Saint Tropez hasn’t changed much since we were last there many years ago. The harbour is very picturesque and you can stop for a coffee at the famous Sénéquier café on quai Jean Jaurès.

There are some interesting art galleries and sculptures to check out.

Saint Tropez has many pedestrianised streets that you can wander around.

The Tarte Tropezienne is a must-taste cream brioche delicacy, made to a secret recipe. Created in 1955 by Alexandre Micka, it was a favourite of Brigitte Bardot during the filming of “And God Created Woman”.

For a small village, there are quite a few designer stores. If you get time, climb up to the Citadel at the top of the hill for breathtaking views over the bay and the famous church tower.

Other Things to Do in the South of France

• Picasso Museum, Grimaldi Castle, Old Antibes
• The Maeght Foundation contemporary art museum in Saint Paul de Vence
• The perfumeries in Grasse: Fragonard, Galimard, Molinard, and the International Perfume Museum
• Shopping in the designer stores of nearby Juan les Pins
• Walk along the “Sentier du Littoral” for impressive coastal views

Looking for more travel hacks and tips? From hidden gems to unique experiences, we’ve got you covered.

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