Hôtel Les Roches Rouges

A seaside getaway in the French Riviera

by Patrick Janelle

In the late 2000’s, while cruising up and down the coast of the French Riviera on a scooter with my then boyfriend, I would occasionally pass a little roadside motel that had long been neglected and forgotten. Perched atop the low cliffs that stretch along the coastline just outside Saint-Raphäel, Les Roches Rouges is a boutique hotel built on that previously vacant piece of prime Riviera real estate. One of the newest properties from the group Hotels d’en Haut (HEH), which owns similarly charming getaways in Paris and the Alps, Les Roches Rouges boasts simple yet stunning architectural and details, designed by the Parisian studio Festen, that blend in seamlessly amid the honey-hued town and the rustic red coastline. The hotel features a spectacular saltwater pool built into the seaside rocks with a rustic pier that provides a picture perfect dive right into the warm, welcoming Mediterranean waters. The modern, minimalist interiors exude an effortless cool, but the real reason to book a few nights here is the feeling that you just landed upon a secret: miles away from any hotspot like Cannes or Saint-Tropez, this little hideaway offers the pleasures of the Riviera without the crowded scene.

show up like you're a regular

Pro Tips

Pro Tips

• When to Stay

  The region is warm from June through October. The rest of Europe vacations in the area from Mid July through mid September, when prices are likely to be higher.

• Where to Eat

  The casual, waterside restaurant that overlooks the sea is open all day and is a great place for an afternoon cocktail. Be sure to reserve a table at La Terrasse, the property’s Michelin starred restaurant, where the menu changes daily based on the chef’s morning trip to the market.

• How to Drink

  Pastis is the traditional cocktail of Provence, typically drunk in the afternoon, and often during a game of pétanque. The bar also stocks nouveau-chic liqueurs, like the peach-flavored RinQuinQuin, made by a regional micro-stiller—and an Aperol Spritz is still very much a thing.

• What To Do

  The coastline is packed with calanques, tiny, pebble-beach coves, where you can spend an afternoon swimming and jumping from rocks. The locals favorite, La Calanque de Saint-Barthélemy, is the prettiest of the bunch and is a 20 minute drive from the hotel.