Artful Stay: Hôtel Les Roches Rouges

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"Traveling along the Côte d'Azur from Nice by train gives flirtatious glimpses of the Mediterranean at every tilting bend. (We) tumble out at a deserted station and walk across the tracks to the entrance of Les Roches Rouges. The hotel’s structure is partially built into a cliff face so we’re ushered through its airy lobby and onto its upper terrace to be met by a stunning seascape. The staff, perhaps reading our hungover expressions, immediately present us with deliciously sticky orange Campari cocktails while our bags are taken to our room..." [read more].

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Situated midway between St. Tropez and Cannes, Hôtel Les Roches Rouges re-opened in the past year, transformed from a former 2-star hotel into a 5-star cliffside oasis.

"A savior came in the somewhat unlikely guise of 42-year-old Valérie Grégo, founder of the French boutique-hotel chain Les Hôtels d'en Haut. 'When I first came to check the place out I saw this two-star hotel, and thought it was a day wasted,' Grégo confessed. 'Then I opened the front door, and bam. You walk in and you feel like you're actually in the water.'..." [read more].

Hôtel Les Roches Rouges' biggest asset, at least in my opinion, is the pools, as they are absolutely stunning. One pool is filled with ocean water, the other with fresh.  I confess this is what drew me to the property when I saw the story, and has me plotting some way to possible visit one day. If only in my dreams...

For others, the most compelling feature of the hotel is it's food, the inspiration for which truly is one-of-a-kind:

"The way Grégo most sought to connect with the hotel's history and surroundings was by emphasizing classic local food. His inspiration was a 1963 recipe book called Traditional Provençal Home Cooking by the poet René Jouveau. It isn't so much a cookbook as an art book about how people used to live and eat in Provence — and still, occasionally, do today. "I wanted every recipe in the hotel to come out of that book..." [read more].

If nature is what draws you to the area, you'll find lookout points and even wooden huts from which you can catch the vistas and sunsets. Green thumbs will admire the gardens, and how they flourish in the terrain.

The dress code?
"Channel the leisurely style of the hotel staff in Bensimon tennis shoes and soft raglan sweatshirts, when you’re not lounging beside the pools in your French-film-star-inspired swimwear"...[read more].

Artful facts
Intimate hoel with just 50 rooms
Included: breakfast, WiFi, in-room tablets
Eat and drink: 2 restaurants and 3 bars
Cook: classes with chef Jose Bailly
Swim: 2 pools and a public beach
Borrow: sea shoes, goggles, floation vests
Do: paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling
Play: ping pong, petanque (boules)
Evenings: cinema under the stars, live music
Mountains: Esterel Park Ranger visits and hikes
Spa: treatments, yoga
Chill: books, magazines, board games


To visit
Hôtel Les Roches Rouges - official website
Hôtel Les Roches Rouges - Design Hotels (parent company)
Contact me - I'm a travel agent, so can make your booking
Trip Advisor reviews - a solid 4.0 or above
Note: the hotel closes in the winter season (mid-October to mid-May)

To learn more
The Secret, Unspoiled Cote D’azur French People Don’t Want You to Find - Travel+Leisure
Valéry Grégo: The power of purpose, the personality of place - Design Hotels

Sponsored content (mine!)
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