I misjudged Saint-Tropez. It’s not all big fur-lined super yachts and no rudder.
For all the obvious wealth of many of the visitors to the French port, by land or by sea, there is a certain rustic, village charm to it.
My preconceived idea of Saint-Tropez was totally at odds with what I found – it is possible to do this part of the south of France within the bounds of taste and decency.
William Hanson is deeply impressed with the swimming pool at the Hôtel De Paris Saint-Tropez – ‘there’s none of this Nikki Beach nonsense with blaring club music’
Hotel de Paris, pictured, opened in 1931 but closed in 1992 for years of extensive work. It reopened in 2005
Crucially, you need to get your accommodation right.
No point searching for months in advance to find a tastefully decorated super-yacht to charter: you won’t find one.
Instead, my advice is to bypass everything else and check in to Hôtel De Paris Saint-Tropez on the Traverse de la Gendarmerie.
The hotel itself is a work of art, which is fitting given its heavy associations with the art community. The early 20th century painter Paul Signac fell in love with the port when he anchored his boat here by chance.
And relax… This mesmerising image lays bare the serene nature of the pool area
He soon brought fellow artisans such as Matisse and Coco Chanel to the area.
The hotel opened in 1931 but closed in 1992 for years of extensive work.
It reopened in 2005 and now pays homage to the rich art history of both the French village and the hotel.
As you step inside the foyer, with its contemporary design and airy volume, it offers unexpected yet magnificent contrasts.
The minimalist architecture features vast openings, enhanced by a beautiful décor imagined by interior designer Sybille de Margerie.
White roses grace the walls to form a modern lace effect, set off by pebbled chairs.
During check-in my gaze was drawn upwards to the central well of light of the atrium, unveiling an awe-inspiring pool holding 85 tonnes of water, suspended 15 metres overhead – a daring – if somewhat alarming – nod to Saint-Tropez’s now infamous outlandish personality.
‘The rooms all have an individual feel,’ writes William. ‘There’s no corporate template here. Each room has its own personality’
The foyer of the Hotel de Paris has contemporary design and airy volume, with ‘unexpected yet magnificent contrasts’
The rooms all have an individual feel. There’s no corporate template here – each room has its own personality.
Our room’s colour of choice was sea blue – fitting for the view of the harbour.
There are minor seventies undertones to all the rooms’designs but there’s nothing retro when it comes to the ‘mod-cons’: free internet that works efficiently, blackout blinds on the windows and Bluetooth speakers. It’s like the 70s but with things that need a charger.
The kingsize beds are supremely comfortable – so much so you may just contemplate lolling in bed all day and missing out on exploring the area or lounging by that suspended pool.
What the Hotel de Paris swimming pool lacks in size (you’ll need to have your wits about you to snare a lounger), it makes up for in chicness
Relaxing by it is exactly that. It’s by no means the biggest pool in Saint-Tropez – in fact, it’s probably one of the smallest, and there is a limit to the seating and loungers around the discreetly served pool area (so get there early).
But there’s none of this Nikki Beach nonsense with blaring club music accompanied by blaring profanities of the NQOCD (Not Quite Our Class Darling) brigade that you get down the road.
You can repair after a hard morning sunning yourself by the pool, with your improving literature, to Les Toits rooftop lounge for a spot of lunch.
Large picture windows, all retracted to give an incredibly airy feel, look on to the calming pool. The seared steak tartare is well worth trying (yes, I know, purists – shock horror – SEARED tartare: but try it, it’s good).
The service is subtle and the same faces that serve you at breakfast will serve you by the pool and at lunch later breeding positive familiarity and rapport between guests and staff.
‘The service is subtle and the same faces that serve you at breakfast will serve you by the pool and at lunch later breeding positive familiarity and rapport between guests and staff,’ writes William
On first impressions the buffet breakfast selection is limited but it is all regularly replenished and refreshed so you needn’t feel bad about taking all three slices of the melon or too many herb roasted potatoes.
The huge vat-like mugs the morning coffee is poured into are overwhelming but perhaps that is just my own aversion to today’s trend of giving large quantities of liquid.
But ostentatious this hotel is not.
It’s cleverly decorated and the demographic of the guests during my stay was certainly not the one many may expect from the now overly brash Saint-Tropez.
You are within walking distance of all the shops (Chanel, fittingly given the history, is directly opposite) and the collection of restaurants along the harbour front are just as close (but pick wisely – there are the odd few with interiors that even that rabble from Love Island may blanch at).
If you pick your haunts wisely, Saint-Tropez doesn’t have to be the reserve of new money.