La Tartane, Saint-Tropez – a hamlet between village and Pampelonne

On the Chemin des Salins, the lane linking Saint-Tropez's harbour to the long curve of Pampelonne beach, La Tartane occupies a garden shaded by a century-old umbrella pine so imposing it lent its silhouette to the hotel's own logo. Reconceived in 2022 by Jordane Arrivetz, the Parisian designer behind the Hôtel Nuage and formerly artistic director at the Costes group, the property was rebuilt as a hameau of six small houses rather than a single block. Twenty-seven rooms and suites carry the names of the Riviera's 1920s café-society figures, Ernest for Hemingway and Peggy for Guggenheim among them. In 2023 Travel + Leisure ranked it the 17th-best new hotel in the world and the first on the French Riviera in its It List. The MICHELIN Guide lists La Tartane among its selected addresses in Saint-Tropez, a quieter counterpoint to the village's grander names.

01The house

Before it became a hotel, La Tartane was a single Tropézienne house on the road to Les Salins. The 2022 remake, led by Jordane Arrivetz of the Paris studio Notoire — previously artistic director for the Costes group and designer of the Hôtel Nuage — split the property into six small pavilions arranged like a Provençal hamlet. Whitewashed walls, rattan headboards and travertine pedestal tables recall the era the hotel most wants to summon.

Brazilian artist João Incerti painted the murals that run through the restaurant and pool bar, extending the Riviera reverie into every corner of the garden. That garden — two hectares of pine, cypress and lavender — is shaded by the single umbrella pine that inspired the hotel's logo, with citrus trees supplying the fruit for the bar's cocktails. Olive and tamarisk trees line the stone paths, and a single majestic pine greets arriving guests at the gate.

02Rooms and suites

Twenty-seven rooms and suites are scattered across the six pavilions, each named for a figure of Riviera café society — Ernest for Hemingway, Peggy for Guggenheim, Pablo for Picasso and Scott for Fitzgerald among them. Entry-level Chambre Patio rooms measure 21 to 24 square metres and share a communal patio; Chambre Terrasse rooms add a private, planted terrace and run up to 27 square metres, with one adapted for guests with reduced mobility. The Chambre Jardin is a junior suite of 32 to 35 square metres with its own sitting area and a broad terrace overlooking the garden.

Insider tip

Best reached by car, hotel shuttle or electric bike from the village centre.

At the top sits the two-storey Suite Duplex, 55 square metres with a separate bedroom, a private terrace screened from view and direct access to the pool. Every category comes with a king-size bed, personalised bath products, a Chromecast loaded with French and international channels, a minibar and an in-room safe, with breakfast included.

03Where to eat

Gaia, the restaurant that now anchors the hotel's social life, trades any previous kitchen for a homage to the Aegean: chefs Izu Ani and Orestis Kotefas compose a seasonal menu built around Greek and wider Mediterranean ingredients, served under pergolas and on rattan benches as the true heart of the hotel. Dessert runs to the inescapable tarte tropézienne, or ice creams and sorbets from the Barbarac maison.

Breakfast is a poolside buffet of pastries, granola with fresh fruit and smoothies, served from eight until eleven each morning, with avocado toast and eggs cooked to order for anyone wanting something more substantial.

04The bar

The Pool Bar carries João Incerti's hand-painted scenes around its counter, designed in a 1920s Saint-Tropez seaside spirit as a continuation of the tribute that the Notoire agency wove through the whole property, honouring a Riviera that has drawn artists since that decade. Cocktails take their names from Greek mythology and island landscapes, poured alongside mezze to share through the hot hours of the afternoon.

05The neighbourhood

La Tartane sits on the Chemin des Salins, the road that links Saint-Tropez's village centre to the long sandy sweep of Pampelonne beach, close enough to reach either on foot, by hotel shuttle or by the electric bicycles kept for guests' use. The quieter Salins beach lies within easy reach too, a contrast to the club-lined stretches further along Pampelonne. The hotel's concierge arranges wine-estate visits, boat charters and entry to Saint-Tropez's private beach clubs, making it as useful a base for sailing days as for lounging poolside.

06Making the most of a stay

General manager Flavien Bricaud runs the house with an unhurried attentiveness that extends to a 24-hour concierge, valet parking and two electric-car charging points on site. A fitness studio equipped with a Pilates reformer stays open from seven in the morning until nine at night, with personal coaching available on request, and the concierge can also arrange massages and vineyard visits.

La Tartane belongs to the Fine Hotels + Resorts programme of American Express and to the ArtTravel network of luxury-travel specialists, and in 2023 Travel + Leisure named it the 17th-best new hotel in the world and the top address on the French Riviera in its annual It List. The hotel is part of the 369° Hôtels & Maisons collection and welcomes private events and weddings in its gardens.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.