Arev Saint-Tropez, France

In short… Chic, bright, and spacious–this relative newcomer is a welcome addition in town.

The surroundings…The hotel sits in a residential area just outside of the pedestrian-only city center–it’s a 10 minute walk into town, or a couple of minutes in their courtesy shuttle. Because it isn’t in the thick of things, there’s no traffic, which means it’s so much easier to get an Uber to take you to Ramatuelle, whatever beach club you’re visiting, or to/from the airport.

The vibe… The hotel’s name literally means “a dream.” And if you’ve spent any time in hotels in this town, most of which are tight quarters, this place is truly a dream. There is so much space that it actually feels resort-like. Madrid-based interior designer Luis Bustamente did a great job—the design is fun and fresh but also feels like it will age well. The color palette is quite bold with its use of red, blue and white. Staff is young, fun, and spirited—clearly not directed to follow a formal script. When my friends and I started dancing after dinner to the fantastic one-man band, the staff were swaying along too.

The rooms… I’m a sucker for toile, piping, and stripes, so I was taking a lot of notes/pictures for future room inspiration. There’s also a great private outdoor space with loungers and umbrellas.

The food & drink… Dinner at The Strand was excellent! Very ingredient-led, elegant but unfussy, and there was the best guitar player/singer, Al Ber, who we couldn’t get enough of. We declined dessert, but they brought us the most incredible assortment of house-made seasonal sorbets.

My friend Angel stayed there as well, and he, being a big breakfast eater (whereas I am not), reports “My psychotic brekky that I’m neurotic about was cooked to perfection: 4 poached eggs, salmon, a side of fresh yogurt and a triple espresso in a scotch glass.”

The gym/spa…The gym is very impressive—it’s so spacious and filled with light from its floor-to-ceiling windows; it has all the weights and machines you need, plus a giant red boxing bag, and recovery compression boots. Stylistically it’s also well done—I love how they wrapped the columns in natural jute rope. Their spa area has two hammams, and uses the local beauty brand Maison ST in their treatments.

Kids’ pool

Is it family-friendly? The hotel has a whole wing just for families, along with a small kids’ pool in its center courtyard. If you aren’t traveling with kids, do make sure you stipulate that you don’t want to be in that area, because the kids and the parents are having a blast just outside your room and you can hear everything. The restaurant is excellent for parents as well, because there is so much space for them to run around.