Château de Valmer

Around the far side of the Saint-Tropez peninsula is the sleepier seaside resort of La Croix-Valmer, a place where the spotlight shines a little less brightly than in some of the Côte d’Azur’s more famous towns. Here, in the verdant hills just outside the village, you’ll find Château de Valmer, a hotel that combines low-key Provençal charm with a touch of contemporary luxury and an almost impossibly perfect location: set within its own vineyards and gardens, but within walking distance of both the town and the beach (including its sister hotel, La Pinède Plage).

The style in the rooms is classic farmhouse rather than high-design, but it’s contemporary all the same, and the comforts are quite up to date — though the chateau has been in the family since 1949, it’s only recently that it was refashioned as a luxury hotel. La Palmeraie, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, is joined by a more casual bistro and a restaurant and bar by the outdoor pool. There’s also a spa, complete with an indoor pool of its own — and don’t forget that you’re welcome at La Pinède Plage’s beach club, half a kilometer away.