Our Curated Guide to the South of France and Monaco

Ask anyone where you should go when you visit the South of France and Monaco in the summer and they are bound to give you a ‘hit list’ of bold-faced names that “you absolutely have to visit.” Yes, there are some time-honored treasures in this part of the world, but it is also easy for them to feel tired, or worse yet…expected? So what is an intrepid traveler — intent on experiencing the best and nothing less — to do? After a recent early-summer season trip to Ramatuelle (perfect for those seeking tranquility), St. Tropez (for those who want to be in the mix), and Monte-Carlo (where luxury is legendary), we have returned and cut through the noise (and hype). Following is our highly curated and definitive early-season guide on where to stay, sip, sup, and (of course) sun.

Ramatuelle: For Those Seeking Tranquility 

This ancient village nestled on the sun-kissed coast of the French Riviera, with its inspiring views, gentle light, and pristine beaches holds many secrets. If you didn’t know any better you would swear you were cruising between the vineyards of Napa Valley or the backroads of the Hamptons. Without traffic, anywhere you desire is at most 10-15 minutes away and most hotels offer complimentary transport service to the beach clubs of Pampellonne beach, the glamor of St. Tropez, or the middle-aged village center carved into the nearby hills. The refined elegance of Provençal life is alive and well; the stage set for magic.

Where to Stay (Off the Beach): La Réserve

Just minutes from the fabled village that is St. Tropez, La Réserve sits perched on her hill a few hundred feet above the shimmering Mediterranean. Boasting 27 rooms and 14 villas, every single one of them features a private terrace with endless sea views. Originally opened in 2009, a recent renovation by Jacques Garcia has imbued the atmosphere with a complex simplicity: aesthetic codes inherited from the golden age of the Riviera.

Perfect For: Couples and families who want the benefits of the region without the crowds.

Don’t Miss:

• The Spa: 11 treatment rooms (most with sea views) spread across more than 10,000 square feet of bliss-inducing options. We suggest a steam in the hammam followed by a Nescens Swiss anti-aging facial and customized massage.
• The Pool: Exclusive to guests, this 100-foot, heated, fully staffed pool comes with views for days.
• The Restaurant: La Voile – Chef Eric Canino’s 2-Michelin star, seven-course tribute to the lightness of the Mediterranean and simplicity of Provence. This is one of the hottest tables in the region — not to be missed.
• The Beach Club: La Reserve a La Plage — The epitome of refinement in Pampelonne Beach, located 10 minutes away (by complimentary house car). Featuring 80 sunbeds on a private stretch of beach, the Club’s restaurant serves up Mediterranean classics including seafood, crudo, and a wood-burning grill; everything designed for sharing. There’s also a brand new Loro Piana outpost to fulfill your sartorial desires.

Where to Stay (On the Beach): Épi 1959 Baie de Pampelonne

Mythical is a word many luxury hotels attempt to throw around, but few are able to achieve. Épi 1959 Baie de Pampelonne lives up to its ‘mythical’ reputation, while managing to surprise and delight all at the same time — no easy task. Essentially a members-only beach, tennis, and social club for the international jet set, mere (well-heeled) mortals are (thankfully) able to stay at one of the property’s ten bungalows, dine on the delectable cuisine from Italian chef Paolo Amadori, and swim in the picturesque freshwater swimming pool. If that’s not enough, there’s the exclusive Thom Browne boutique, spa featuring global staples by both Frederic Fekkai and Biologique Recherche, and the cherry on top — a John McEnroe tennis club with two clay courts.  (Johnny Mack has been known to turn up on occasion for lessons or even a serenade in the bar). All only 10 minutes from downtown St. Tropez.

Perfect For: Couples and families seeking privacy, proximity to the beach, and who want to work on their backhand. All mixed in with a slice of 1970s members-only glamor.

Don’t Miss:

• The Spa + Salon + Fitness: Biologique Recherche + Frederic Fekkai, a cryo chamber, and yoga deck.
• The Shop: The Thom Browne Pro Shop — stock up on TB’s versions of workout wear you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else (having opened in 2022, this was Thom’s first-ever standalone store in France).  
• The Restaurant: Helmed by internationally acclaimed chef Paolo Amadori and his wife Francesca Alessi, the couple has created a version of their vaunted restaurant, La Forge (located in the town of Ramatuelle), in the confines of Épi. This summer, the restaurant is open to outside guests for the first time. 
• The Rooms: The ten bungalow-style bedrooms  are within ten meters of a pool.

ST. TROPEZ: For Those Who Want To Be In The Mix

When writers describe St. Tropez, the word “hedonistic” gets thrown around just about as often as strawberries in a Tarte Tropezienne. Sure, there is a bold-faced-name reputation to uphold and myths to monetize, but to reduce this exceptional slice of the Cote d’azur into a singular overused adjective damns it with faint praise.  Is there caviar? Oui. World-class nightlife? Oui. Local rosé overflowing and yachts as far as the eye can see? Oui, bien sur. St. Tropez in 2024 is nuanced elegance perfected. Your desires at your fingertips. Global boutiques and independent shops clamor for your attention, the air perfumed with jasmine. And while the joie de vivre that enticed the likes of Bardot, Beyonce, Jagger, Picasso, Nicholson, and Drake is plentiful, there is so much more than excess to behold.

Where to Stay (When You Want to Feel at Home): Hotel La Ponche

With 21 rooms and suites and 4 apartments, the Hotel La Ponche is your pied a terre in the heart of St. Tropez. Family owned for approaching 70 years, La Ponche’s story began as a bar in 1938 —a bar so magnificent that 20 years later, a proper place to stay overnight was needed to extend the hospitality. Myth is reality here. Picasso is said to have been so enamored by the light and the sea that he would stare at it for hours seeking inspiration. Brigitte Bardot lived in one of the suites with the painter and sculptor, Bernard Buffet, and starred in her iconic role And God Created Woman filmed a stone’s throw away. Flash forward to the 21st century. In April 2022, after two stages of renovations, interior designer Fabrizio Casiraghi revealed his artistic revival — honoring and maintaining the property’s heritage while updating the Provencal-chic decor and color palette. 

Perfect For: Those seeking all the amenities of home right in the heart of Saint Tropez

Don’t Miss:

• The Restaurant: Nameless, but overseen by one of France’s culinary masterminds, Chef Thomas Danigo of Paris’ Michelin-starred, Monsieur George. Step out to the terrace overlooking the sea where Danigo’s concept of Mediterranean fare centers on local and regional produce. Don’t miss the traditional rockfish soup, red tuna crudo with tomato ponzu vinaigrette, saffron risotto with mussels, or the filet of beef topped with mushrooms and gorgonzola pastis sauce.  Absolutely save room for dessert; don’t say you weren’t warned.
• The Bar: There is no better place to get to know the soul of a hotel than its bar. At the “Saint Germain des Prés,” time has no influence, decades have no meaning; all that matters is the content of one’s glass and the company you keep. Black-and-white checkerboard tiles, plush couches, American walnut wood, chrome and marble coffee tables, and walls festooned with works by Jacques Cordier surround every sense creating a timeless and inviting backdrop by which to ponder (or solve) life’s great mysteries.
• The Ride: Why walk when you can be whisked away in the hotel’s iconic vintage-inspired Ape Calessino, an Italian three-wheeled vehicle that swerves and curves its way through the village’s narrow streets where no modern automobile would dare traverse. 

Where to Stay (When You Want to Feel Like a Guest): Hotel Byblos

The Riviera’s golden age is alive and well at the legendary Hotel Byblos perched on a hill overlooking the center of St. Tropez. A village within the village featuring 87 luxurious rooms and suites, Hotel Byblos is simultaneously a stately Provencal chateau, Greek amphitheater, and ancient Lebanese port. Built in 1967 by Lebanese businessman Jean-Prosper Gay-Para as a tribute to local goddess Brigitte Bardot, the property still exudes the quiet cool and sophistication of its founding ideology. History informs every square inch of the sprawling grounds from the iconic Roger Capron Ceramics to the property being host to Mick and Bianca Jagger’s nuptials to an even more recent residency in the Missoni Suite by Drake.

Perfect For: Bohemian libertines seeking history, wellness, and being at the center of it all. 

Don’t Miss:

• The Spa: At the hotel’s heart lies the Byblos Spa by Sisley. Completely renovated in 2023, the spa’s “Epic Journeys” focus on complete wellness and relaxation based on the elements of earth, fire, air, water and the constellations. Don’t miss the Reiki or new HydraFacial treatments.
• La Caves du Roy: Known as “the temple of Tropezian Nights,” this nightclub is one of the most well known on the planet, revered by the jet set and international men and women of mystery for over 50 years. Open until 5 a.m., the dance party gets going around midnight, but arrive too late and risk getting stuck in a line that seems to have no end. 
• Lounge Bar ‘B:’ Located in the center of the property and overlooking the pool, the lounge is equal parts intimate jazz club, sun-soaked terrace, and mixological laboratory. Pure perfection any time of day.
• The Beach Club: It goes without saying that a hotel this ingrained in the local culture would extend its reach to the sea. Byblos Beach Ramatuelle, only 10 minutes by car on Pampelonne Beach, is one of the finest on the coast. Designed by Francois Frossard, the decor reflects the maritime world and the yachts anchored just offshore. The restaurant specializes in light local fare featuring fresh ingredients. 

MONTE-CARLO: Where Luxury is Legendary

This jewel of the French Riviera is simultaneously the world’s second smallest country (actually a principality, just behind Vatican City), and boasts the highest gross-average income on the planet. Monaco has earned its reputation as a playground for the global elite. For centuries the rich and famous have flocked here for its iconic casino, mega-yachts, grand prix, and advantageous tax status. While this rarefied status is warranted, there is much to uncover in this shimmering microstate alongside the Mediterranean — in particular, the depth of history and culture, epic dining, vistas and views that boggle the mind and stir the senses. Monte-Carlo is a destination of dualities: past and present, glitz and grit, foreign and local, excess and secrets all rolled into one. 

Where to Stay (The Only Place You’ll Want to Stay): Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo

This Belle Époque Italinite masterpiece built in 1889 sits perfectly located on the famed Carre d’Or. Walking distance from the Casino and situated on the gorgeous Jardins de la Petite Afrique, Hotel Métropole is exactly where you want to stay in Monte-Carlo. It was completely renovated in 2004 by renowned French designer Jacques Garcia who brought this palace and its 125-rooms and suites into modern life. New for this season is the addition of a truly one-of-a-kind “Just for You’ experience, “Drive Through Time,” which focuses on the remarkable collection of more than 100 vehicles curated by Prince Albert II and Prince Rainier III. 

Perfect For: Those craving glamor and history.

Don’t Miss:

• The Spa: One of three Givenchy spas in the world, Spa Métropole was designed by architect Didier Gomez. This spa embodies the philosophies of superior proximity, luxurious spaces, and treatments of unparalleled sophistication, with  inherent focus on wellness.
• The Restaurant, Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac: In only nine months since opening, this gastronomic delight was awarded with two Michelin stars, one of the fastest ever escalations to this achievement. Chef Cussac shines in his sun-kissed local Mediterranean ingredients and refreshingly refined yet approachable preparations. Course by course, one by one, the meal unfolds and the expert staff moves about the Jacques Garcia-designed space in theatrical choreography.  Les Ambassadeurs pays homage to the Metropole’s 1920s restaurant of the same name which put Monegasque cuisine on the map. 
• The Pool: A setting imagined and designed by none other than Karl Lagerfeld. The “Odyssey,” as it is known, is an oasis of wellbeing several meters above the bustle of the city. Here, the heated saltwater pool is the center of the action. Snag a lounge chair or cabana and luxuriate in what is regarded as one of the most exclusive spaces in the principality. 

Featured image courtesy of Épi 1959 Baie de Pampelonne