But that glamorous facade is now giving way to something more relaxed.
Depaysementthe French term for a disorienting but refreshing change of scenery.
But sometimes it can describe something closer to home.
The swimming pool and private beach at France’s Cheval Blanc St.-Tropez.Anaïs Boileau
St.-Tropez, it turns out, today gives new meaning todepaysement.
Change was long overdue.
Businesses closest to the water now have to be entirely dismantled at the end of each season.
A view of café-lined Rue Henri Seillon, near the harbor.Anaïs Boileau
In a way, these efforts are a return to the area’s roots.
My latest trip was a wholly different experience.
Aside from seeing a new respect for the environment, I noticed more things about the guests while hotel-hopping.
Window shutters and palm trees are St.-Tropez motifs.Anaïs Boileau
Everyone was ogling the bubblegum sunset.
Now there’s new energy."
There is also an increased emphasis among restaurant owners and hoteliers to highlight local products and flavors.
From left: Ceramics and vintage art and photographs at Club House, Lily of the Valley’s café; Le Vista, another restaurant at the hotel.Anaïs Boileau
These places are drawing in a younger, more local, and noticeably more discreet clientele.
That distinctive setting is why Alain Weill knew La Croix-Valmer was the right place for his restorative-hospitality concept.
But the new build needed to fold into the landscape, not stand out from it.
A boat docked in the harbor.Anaïs Boileau
The other feature that makes this a game-changing spot: it is open year-round.
Well into the off-season, the hotel’s energy is kept alive by those in search of self-care.
Blurring the limits of outdoors and indoors are guest rooms with private terraces that resemble wild gardens.
From left: A greenery-fringed guest room at Lily of the Valley; a suite at Hôtel Lou Pinet.Anaïs Boileau
Each comes outfitted with a plush double daybed, a full-length mirror, and sparkling bay views.
Well into the off-season, the hotel’s energy is kept alive by those in search of self-care.
Showstopping sunsets bathe the adjoining pool in powdery-pink light.
The pool at Hôtel Lou Pinet.Anaïs Boileau
Sports coaches and dietitians tailor the programs to individual goals, from weight loss to better-quality sleep.
It helps that the 34-room property looks straight out of a Slim Aarons photograph.
The brief: re-create the golden age of Riviera chic.
From left: Beefbar, one of Hôtel Lou Pinet’s restaurants; an Ugo Rondinone sculpture welcomes guests at the hotel’s entrance.Anaïs Boileau
Sculptures by Tony Cragg and Ugo Rondinone are set throughout the outdoor spaces.
Inside, rooms are spacious and bright.
It spans the entire length of the bar.
The main building at Cheval Blanc, which dates from 1936.Anaïs Boileau
The wellness aspect deserves a mention, too.
But, really, all I wanted to do was enjoy the hotel.
A version of this story first appeared in the August 2021 issue ofTravel + Leisureunder the headlineA New Wave.
From left: A piece by ceramist Roger Capron at Cheval Blanc; vintage fragrance bottles at the Guerlain spa.Anaïs Boileau