La Réserve Ramatuelle

Mid-century Riviera glamour, two Michelin stars and private villas among the olive trees, on the quiet southern tip of the Saint-Tropez peninsula.

The place

La Réserve Ramatuelle sits on the southern tip of the Saint-Tropez peninsula, on an estate that runs down from a promontory towards the sea. Two-hundred-year-old olive trees, cypresses, orange groves and Provençal scrub fill the gardens, and from almost every terrace the view is of open water rather than of other houses. The village of Saint-Tropez is a few minutes away by car, but the hotel belongs to the quieter, wilder side of the peninsula, above the coves of L'Escalet.

The building is a piece of mid-century modernism, renovated by the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who kept its clean lines while opening every room to the light and the sea. Its owner, the French entrepreneur Michel Reybier, then asked Jacques Garcia to give it a new spirit, drawing on the artists who made the Riviera their home in the 1950s and 1960s, Jean Cocteau and the ceramicist Roger Capron among them. Capron's grandson, Julien Capron, created ceramics and lighting for the hotel.

There are just eight rooms and nineteen suites, each with its own terrace or garden facing the sea, so the hotel never feels busy, even in August. The fourteen villas, decorated by Rémi Tessier, are scattered across the estate below and around it.

Dining

Dinner at La Voile is the high point of a stay. Chef Eric Canino's cooking is light, precise and rooted in Provence, built around fish from the local boats and produce from the hotel's own kitchen garden, where a dozen varieties of tomato grow alongside the herbs and fruit. The restaurant gained its second Michelin star in 2020, and its terrace looks straight out over the bay.

The rest of the hotel is more relaxed. La Muna, the Japanese restaurant, and the Mediterranean brasserie offer an easier evening, while lunch is taken by the pool in the sun, with a glass of rosé from Château La Mascaronne, Michel Reybier's organic estate in Provence. As the evening cools, the patio bar, with its outdoor fireplace and seats beneath the olive trees, is where the night begins.

For lunch on the beach, the hotel's own La Réserve à la Plage, designed by Philippe Starck, sits on Pampelonne, and the shuttle takes guests there and back.

Wellness

The Spa Nescens is one of the most accomplished on the Riviera. It covers 1,000 square metres, with eleven treatment rooms, a heated indoor pool and a 30-metre outdoor pool that looks out to sea. Treatments draw on the medical expertise of Nescens, the Swiss better-ageing specialist, and La Mer.

For those who want more than a massage, Nescens runs three- and six-day retreats that combine Nordic walking, hikes, yoga, Pilates, nutrition and treatments. There is a private Pilates studio, and coaches lead yoga and stretching sessions as well as guided walks through the hills of the peninsula.

Families

The villas make La Réserve a natural choice for families. Each has its own pool and garden, and a dedicated concierge plans activities for children staying in them, from a guided tour of Saint-Tropez and private cooking lessons to paddleboarding, treasure hunts, horse riding and mountain biking. Breakfast is served in the villa, room service runs from late morning into the night, and the hotel's restaurants and spa are a short walk or buggy ride away.

Sport and the outdoors

The Saint-Tropez peninsula is wonderful walking and riding country. The coastal path runs from L'Escalet to Cap Taillat and Cap Lardier, some of the least developed coastline on the Mediterranean, and the hills behind are crossed by trails for Nordic walking, mountain biking and horse riding. Boat trips along the coast and days on the water can be arranged through the concierge.

The villas

For space and privacy, the villas are the finest way to stay at La Réserve. There are fourteen in all, each with between three and seven bedrooms, its own heated pool and a garden of several thousand square metres, and some with a pool house and outdoor kitchen. Some stand on the hilltops with views across the bay, one looks over the perched village of Ramatuelle itself, and others sit close to the shoreline, near enough to hear the waves.

Every villa comes with the hotel's service. A housemaid serves breakfast in the villa each morning, room service runs from late morning until night, and a Clefs d'Or concierge and 24-hour reception are always on hand. Villa guests have priority at the restaurants, including La Voile, and full use of the spa. For those who want a house run entirely for them, a butler, private chef and driver can be added.

Why we love it

La Réserve Ramatuelle is Saint-Tropez at its most peaceful. Pampelonne, the old port and the evening crowd at Sénéquier are minutes away when you want them, but the estate itself is calm, green and quiet, with the sea on every side. The villas combine the privacy of a family house with the service of one of the Riviera's finest hotels, and La Voile alone is worth the journey. It suits those who love Saint-Tropez but would rather not stay in the middle of it.