After our delicious stop at Mirazur in Menton, we continued on to the last stop of our trip along the Côte d’Azur – the resort town of Saint-Raphaël! Set on the gorgeous Provence coast, with its sweeping views of the Mediterranean sea, it doesn’t get any more “South of France” than the breathtaking hotel we had decided to spend the final days of our vacation – Les Roches Rouges!

The fifties modernist design is a seamless addition to the stunning surrounding landscape and regional culture – a sanctuary of quintessential vintage barefoot luxury.

The Rooms

The distinctly clean and vintage vibe of the hotel sends you back in the days when high wasted bikini bottoms were super trendy (so, basically now!), and with its 50 rooms and suites, it creates the perfect amount of buzzy atmosphere without feeling crowded.

With its mid-century modern aesthetic, the beautifully furnished rooms feature vintage Provencal pieces, as well as art and photographs from a bygone era. The prevalent neutral tones are only enhanced by the blues and reds, inspired by the sea and rocks just outside the windows. One of my favourite things about the hotel is that all rooms have a panoramic view of the Mediterranean sea, the two swimming pools and Ile d’Or.

We stayed in one of their sea level suites which is located on the ground floor and through its sliding patio door allows immediate access to the pool and beach areas. I am not going to lie, for a lazy person like me the shortcut was irresistible 🙂

The Salt Water Pool

The indisputable show stopper is, of course, the 30-metre salt water pool, carved out of the rock directly around it. This stunning swimming pool sits right on the edge and spills over straight into the Mediterranean.

In all fairness, no photo can fully convey the hypnotising beauty of this serene setting.

Located immediately next to the salt water pool is the lap pool, which provides for a nice chill spot to enjoy watching the waves crash right beneath your feet while sipping on a delicious craft cocktail.

The Food & Drinks

As I have already mentioned, arguably one of the most important things when we choose a hotel for any of our holidays, is the food and beverage selection. And here we were definitely not disappointed.

The hotel offers a delightful selection of craft cocktails and healthy Provencal dishes suited to every taste. The menu at La Plage is simple and curated to reflect the season and the rich gastronomic legacy of the region. The setting was perfect for our poolside lunches and afternoon cocktails.

The star of our dining experience was without a doubt La Terrasse – the hotel’s one Michelin star restaurant, open five days a week for only two hours during dinner. We thoroughly enjoyed the locally-sourced, inventive dishes of José Bailly (among which octopus, purple artichokes, and chilled pea soup) while sipping on some signature cocktails and wines.

Ile d’Or

The hotel has sweeping views of the little private island Île d’Or. Located to the east of the town of Saint-Raphaël, the island with its red-hued rocks and ancient tower, makes for the perfect backdrop of this divine resort 🙂