Best hotels on the French Riviera - Le Beauvallon

The French Riviera – Best Hotels Le Beauvallon

Le Beauvallon, situated across the bay from St Tropez, between Grimaud and Ste Maxime, touts itself as “The best kept secret of the Cote D’Azur.” This is not entirely true, and they have a strong looking website that disproves it, but compared to many hotels in the south of France, Le Beauvallon is relatively quiet and for a change, welcomes small children. One of the great things about Le Beauvallon is the fact that they have their own private beach and gardens. I will reiterate the fact that they welcome children, because this is not the case in many up-market hotels on the Riviera.

There is a perfect little beach, beautiful, well-kept gardens and a great view. The hotel was built in 1914 and stepping though the entranceway, you could almost believe you had stepped back in time.

Be prepared to spend some money though, in the high season, room rates vary from between $480 for a basic room and $3400 for a Terrace suite. Per night. Better deals are available during the low season and you can check availability and prices from their website here. Le Beauvallon is also one of the few hotels that does not participate in any reduced rate programs such as Tripadvisor, and, as hard as I looked, I was unable to find any discounted offers.

The views across the bay to St Tropez and back inland towards the mountain are superb and the terrace is, for my money, one of the best places on the Riviera to relax. If you can afford it, the best views are from the higher floors facing the bay. The food and drinks are very expensive, but the setting makes up for that. The Riviera in general is best visited out of season, for several reasons.

It can get awfully hot here during the months of July and August and the prices go through the roof. The best time to visit is mid to late September or the end of April/beginning of May. Most of the crowds are away and the influx of summer tourist rip-off artists have not yet arrived from north Africa and Italy. In fact all over Europe, the crooks are attracted by the smell of money. That’s another attraction of Le Beauvallon, they have a private space with their own security. If you feel the need for a little hustle and bustle, just take a short ferry ride across the bay from the hotel’s private pontoon to Saint Tropez and you can find all you want.

During the busy season, and unfortunately, Le Beauvallon is no exception, quality of service on the Riviera goes downhill like an Olympic slalom skier on his way to a gold medal. Come out of season if you want good service. This applies to the entire coast, not just this hotel. I have heard mixed reports from some of my friends about this hotel, but I have only ever been during the off season and found the service and staff impeccable.