Saint-Tropez: Loved the Vibe
Checking into Lou Pinet (The Pines) felt more like arriving at a friend’s country house than a hotel. We were greeted with champagne and walked through our itinerary on the comfy lobby sofa.
The property is part of Maisons Pariente, a family-owned collection of quietly luxurious hotels across France: only 34 keys, rooms tucked along garden paths, hammocks in the shade, and a pool that felt serene instead of scene-y. The lobby had backgammon, spa water, and a relaxing energy. Beefbar, the hotel restaurant, was excellent, (had the coolest plates!) and the bar was a chill spot for a pre-dinner drink before heading into town.
My only notes: the pool was a few degrees too warm to feel refreshing, and the bees made their presence known at breakfast.
The town of Saint-Tropez definitely delivered. We spent time exploring the streets, which were so picturesque, walking around the waterfront, and of course popping into all the shops like Hermès, Bottega Veneta, and Loewe, amongst the other more local boutiques. *Remember your passport or a photo of it if you plan to get the VAT refund paperwork from the shops.
Dinners we loved: Le Girelier was fresh and fabulous, with excellent yacht people-watching and an epic lobster pasta. The standout though was the Louis Vuitton pop-up. Michelin-starred chefs Arnaud Donckele and Maxime Frédéric created a meal that was like a dance and each dish was more stunning than the last. Everything was delicious. NO NOTES.
Our two beach days were a personal highlight of mine, and IYKYK because I do not enjoy sand. Lou Lou Ramatuelle looked like a postcard with pretty umbrellas, striped linens, and a fashion-y European crowd. The beach offers food and drink service but we had lunch reservations at the restaurant. Delicious pizza and veal Milanese.
Club 55 was more relaxed and laid back, despite its long standing reputation, with rustic tables in the sand and the iconic crudités basket. We lucked out with front-row beach sunbeds, and a very polite Pomeranian next to us, which only added to the charm.
Unpopular opinion: the much-hyped Saturday market in *Place de Lices was overrated, but produced some cute photos of produce for social media.
Next stop, Aix en Provence! Stay tuned…