Hôtel Villa Marie

Villa Marie presents itself as a boutique hotel above Pampelonne Bay and as a Mediterranean sanctuary of lush gardens, sea views and effortless elegance. The MICHELIN Guide sees the family resemblance: like its sister hotels, it says, Villa Marie pairs a stellar location with a peaceful, classic atmosphere and the elegant, photo-friendly interiors that are the Sibuet trademark.

Colour does much of the work. The Pampelonne Prestige Room, which the hotel calls the height of couture style, is dressed in powder pink and fuchsia pink, with rosewood furniture and Missoni fabrics that blend 1950s and 1960s trends with modern comforts. The Suite Junior Canoubiers turns to white and azure, with carved silver-wood lamps and black and white earthenware tiles. The Cap Taillat Suite leans towards turquoise blue, fresh fabrics and a bohemian mood, while the Cap Camarat Suite is calmer, its soft, soothing atmosphere built around beige tones. The hotel says its Suites are all unique.

The hotel stands high above the bay of Pampelonne, perched in the hills of Saint-Tropez in the shade of umbrella pines, a setting it calls rare and peaceful. The address is 1100 Chemin Val de Rian in Ramatuelle, 3 km from Saint-Tropez.

Getting down to the coast is straightforward: Villa Marie is a ten-minute drive from Saint-Tropez proper and from the famous beaches of Pampelonne Bay, close enough, in the MICHELIN Guide's view, for a taste of the action and far enough for some honest rest and relaxation. A concierge service, available seven days a week, is on hand before and during the stay.

Back at the hotel, the Dolce Vita restaurant serves what the hotel calls refined Mediterranean cuisine, bringing the flavours of Provence and southern Italy to dishes built on fresh local fish and artisan pasta; the hotel names pissaladière, Provençal vegetable tian and lobster linguine among the dishes not to miss. Dinner is served every evening from May to October, between 19:30 and 22:00, either in the glass-roofed dining room, softly lit with touches of coral, or on the terrace among the pines, which looks out over the Bay of Pampelonne. In the evening the chef and his brigade put the product first, from the day's catch to citrus fruit, seasonal vegetables and herbs, and the hotel calls the lemon soufflé inevitable.

At lunchtime, lighter dishes such as salads, club sandwiches and the pasta of the day are served by the pool or in the gardens. The restaurant has a children's menu and vegetarian dishes, and although nothing on the menu is strictly vegan, the chef will prepare vegan options on request.

The Classic Room is 26 m² for up to two people, with an open-plan bathroom and a free-standing bathtub. It comes with air-conditioning, video on demand and free wifi, a mini-bar at extra cost, a kettle with tea and coffee, a safe, Pure Altitude welcome products and a hairdryer. The Colombier Room is set in the turret: an attic room with a separate lounge, a closed bathroom with a bath and a balcony with an unobstructed view over the hotel's pine forest. It sleeps up to two adults and has similar equipment, from air conditioning and a kettle to Pure Altitude bath products.

The Villa Room, which the hotel calls sober and refined, measures 30 m² and has a balcony or terrace overlooking the pine forest or the hotel patio, and an open-plan bathroom with shower, free-standing bath and double washbasin. The Prestige Room adds space at 34 m² and sleeps two adults and a child; its outdoor space may be a balcony, terrace or Italian-style loggia facing the patio or pine grove, and it has a Nespresso machine. The two categories can be connected, which suits families or friends travelling together. Both have air conditioning, video on demand and free wifi, a mini-bar at extra cost, a safe and Pure Altitude products; the Villa Room has a kettle.

The Junior Suite measures 40 m². Spacious and elegant in the hotel's words, and slightly attic in shape, it has a custom-made headboard and opens onto a private balcony over the pine forest, with a separate bathroom holding shower and bath, a double washbasin and separate toilet. The Junior Family Suite is arranged for four: a bedroom for two and a small adjoining room for two children, looking over the pine forest, plus a bathroom with shower, free-standing bathtub, double washbasin and separate toilet. Both come with air conditioning, video on demand, free wifi, a mini-bar at extra cost, a safe, a hairdryer, Pure Altitude products and a Nespresso machine.

For views of the bay, the choice widens. The Pampelonne Prestige Room has a balcony facing the Bay of Pampelonne and a separate bathroom with double sinks, shower and freestanding bathtub. The 47 m² Suite Junior Canoubiers has a loggia-style balcony with unobstructed views of the bay and a separate bathroom with double washbasin, shower and free-standing bathtub, and it can connect to another room. The Suite, 50–60 m², pairs a bedroom and lounge with a balcony over the bay and the Mediterranean, plus a bathroom with double washbasin, bath and shower. The 50 m² Cap Camarat Suite separates living room from bedroom and has a bay-view balcony; the 60 m² Cap Taillat Suite adds a sitting area, dressing room and terrace facing the bay. Both Cap suites can be connected to another suite.

The Pure Altitude Spa sits within the gardens and, in the hotel's words, draws its essence from the mountains and nature. Its face and body treatments combine alpine botanicals with expert techniques such as cryotherapy, drainage, gua sha and kobido, and the same Pure Altitude brand supplies the welcome products in the rooms.

The hotel describes its fitness room as design-forward and open to the outdoors, with a natural approach to movement. It has WaterRower machines in natural wood, a non-motorised Sprintbok treadmill, a Nohrd bike, a water-resistance rower and a punching bag, alongside a gentle gym space.