Though the French Riviera is often associated with glamour and celebrity, the reality can be crowded and expensive.
But theres another side to the region one thats charming, low-key, a little rugged.
The words Cote d’Azur, for most travelers, conjure up a distinctive set of mental images.
Credit: Benoit Linero/Courtesy of Hôtel Les Roches Rouges
Rose on a beach.
Nightclubs filled with sun-kissed Brigitte Bardot types.
Languid afternoons spent lounging on a yacht off the Cap d’Antibes.
Christopher Larson/Travel + Leisure
Until very recently, this hotel was precisely where youdidn’twant to stay in Provence.
But even at its polyester-everything nadir, the property still had a few things going for it.
To start with: location.
Nevertheless, until a couple of years ago, its fortunes were looking rocky.
“Then I opened the front door, andbam.
You walk in and you feel like you’re actuallyinthe water.”
A view of the Mediterranean from a guest room at Hotel Les Roches Rouges.
His inspiration was a 1963 recipe book calledTraditional Provencal Home Cookingby the poet Rene Jouveau.
“I wanted every recipe in the hotel to come out of that book,” Grego explained.
The French Riviera wasn’t always an exclusive destination.
Today it is the most visited region ofFranceafter Paris.
It’s not that there aren’t exceptional places to stay more that the standouts have been around awhile.
In Nice, Kiosque TinTin is the go-to place for apan bagnat, that nicoise-salad-on-a-bun deserving of global renown.
Market stalls here also sell panisse and socca, addictive regional snacks made from fried chickpea flour batter.
Food isn’t the only way in which Les Roches Rouges evokes this grandeur of simplicity.
(Perhaps unsurprisingly, notes of garrigue accentuate the region’s wines.)
From left: Shopping in Sanary-sur-Mer; escaping the crowds at Villefranche-sur-Mer, just east of Nice.
The French are masters in the art of whiling away time.
Occasionally they rouse themselves to search out the best beaches along the coast.
Spending time here, you realize that the French tradition of a monthlong summer vacation makes complete sense.
Not cheap, but totally worth it.doubles from $1,480.
The superb Provencal food is another powerful selling point.doubles from $250.
Cours Saleya Market:For the most beautiful produce in the region, visit thismarchein Nice.
Content for this article was produced with assistance from Hotel Les Roches Rouges.
