Saint-Tropez will always be romanticised for its glamorously decadent past and AREV St. Tropez is markedly Tropezian in spirit, promising a carefree summer of pleasure and insouciance on the Côte d’Azur.
Once a sleepy fishing village, its golden era harks back to the 1950s when Brigitte Bardot turned up with her then husband, Roger Vadim, to film And God Created Woman. From then onwards, it became the promised land of freedom and hedonistic pursuits, marked by an era of rebellious youth and a life of uncomplicated pleasures.
Tucked away on a countryside road behind the Place des Lices public square, this 35-room boutique hotel is akin to a Provençal countryside home surrounded by swathes of fragrant gardens. AREV St. Tropez, which is a play on the French word for dream (un rêve), is an example of playful luxury at its finest.
The Vibe
AREV boasts good looks and heaps of old-school charm. The lack of a designated reception desk or main lobby area sets the tone. Instead, check-in takes place on the sun-soaked terrace with a glass of something cold. The nautical interiors are as transportive as the iconic 1960s black-and-white photography adorning the walls – one of two bikini-clad swimmers beaming at each other while mid-air on a trampoline. The hotel is also a design-lover’s dream, branded here, there and just about everywhere with an invigorating tri-colour palette of navy, coral-red and white by Madrid-based designer Luis Bustamante.
The Rooms
All 35 guest rooms at AREV are packed with personality, dressed in eye-catching pops of red, navy and white with unexpected flashes of bronze. Bold sailor stripes are everywhere, appearing horizontally and vertically in the furniture and wallpaper. Beside the bed are nifty reading lights that slot in and out of the walls, as well as a retro Roberts radio. All bathrooms come with Dyson Airwrap hair dryers, fluffy towels, AREV-branded robes, and bespoke soap dispensers crafted by a local ceramicist. Eleven new suites have been added to prioritise families, including a new bi-level Double Signature Suite with a large private terrace.
The Food + Drink
Set amidst acres of beautiful woodland forests, vineyards, olive groves and organic vegetable and flower gardens, AREV St. Tropez is primely positioned for growing its own produce. The Strand, named after Saint-Tropez’s oldest eatery, features a Mediterranean-inspired menu made up of herbs and vegetables from the onsite garden.
On Sundays, there’s a weekly buffet-style brunch loved by locals and guests, serving light salads doused in olive oil and the most exquisite pistachio crème brulée. As for drinks, there’s a generous cocktail menu with an assortment of playful potions, including one that’s adorably named ‘Ceci n’est pas un negroni’ for an alcohol-free alternative. A favourite has to be the Smoky Margarita, a silky-smooth cocktail made up of 27 different spices. Sit at the nautical-themed bar or head to the hotel’s Place des Oliviers courtyard at golden hour, where The Strand will be moving to this summer. More quirky touches include the hotel’s vintage Citroën H Van, which will be serving cold drinks in the courtyard alongside weekly BBQs, wine tasting and live music on Saturdays.
The Little Extras
Beyond the spa, pool, high-tech gym and padel courts, there are pétanque lessons and electric bikes for exploring the surrounding countryside. And don’t miss the hotel’s collaboration with PAPER London for a chic souvenir you’ll want to wear long after check out.
The Spa
Pootle over from the swimming pool to the spa for a personalised treatment using Maison ST products. Unique to the hotel’s menu is a chakra massage, which includes the use of crystals to open the chakras and move stagnant energy. The treatment rooms alone, which feature heated beds and the hotel’s signature, fig-infused scent, are supremely soothing and feel detached from the outside world. The Kobido facial is like a workout – in the best possible way – though it’s best to steer clear for anyone with sensitive skin or rosacea.
The To-Do List
Get Your Body Moving
Never have I experienced a yoga class quite as bespoke or personalised as an Ashtanga class with Marine and Yacine. The pair work in harmony to create a choreographed class where they alternate positions to narrate and focus on breathwork, while the other demonstrates the yoga poses. Beginning with a guided meditation and ending with a dual head and arm massage, you’ll come away feeling fully stretched and more malleable than ever.
Olive Oil Tasting
Add olive oil tasting to the agenda for a look back at France’s longstanding history in olive oil production. During the tasting, AREV’s master gardener, Stéphan Rabany, likens the process to drinking wine, where you look, smell and swirl before sampling. We agreed that Le Pistou was a highlight, a Provençal olive oil made from basil and cloves of garlic, best paired with leafy salads and simple pasta recipes. For something deeper and more full-bodied, a dribble of the black garlic olive oil stands out against meaty dishes with bold flavours.
Wine Tasting At Fondugues Pradugues
Wine tasting in the South of France likely conjures images of rustic chateaux steeped in centuries of history – the kind with lofty towers and high, gilded ceilings. That’s why it came as a surprise when Fondugues Pradugues, hidden off-the-beaten track in a fairytale woodland of towering pines, appeared from behind the trees as a minimalist glass and wooden structure. The design, by Signum Architecture, is purposefully clean and modern, outfitted with an equestrian colour palette in a nod to the swish wineries of Napa Valley in California. And swish it is, with a fabulous tasting room framed by floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace that overlooks the rolling hills.
Guided wine tours include a thorough but laid-back tasting, paired with an elegantly curated cheeseboard to nibble on. Excluding Mondays, the winery’s restaurant takes centre stage at 7pm, headed by the Australian-born, jovial head chef, Valentine Costuna. Classically trained in French cuisine, Costuna aims to create a setting that’s unstuffy and relaxed, encouraging guests to eat with their hands if need be. His menus change depending on seasonality, featuring the finest and freshest ingredients grown and foraged nearby.
Place des Lices Provençal Market
On Tuesdays and Saturdays, a sprawling Provençal market takes over Places des Lices, where you’ll find a medley of stalls overflowing with fresh produce and regional specialities. On a guided tour with Sonia Ferchaud from Beyond the Wine, you’ll get to meet the local vendors who’ve been part of Saint-Tropez’s weekly market as far back as the 1970s. Sample herby olives and artichoke tapenade by L’Oliveraie Provençale, and learn all about the process of making goat’s cheese with Loic De Salneuve, poet and local legend. The tour also includes a pit-stop at the fish market in the old town, where restaurants like Le Café and Hôtel de la Ponche go to source their catch. While the port’s still dotted with shiny megayachts, the walking tour reveals another side to Saint-Tropez beyond its flashy reputation.
Party
In the heart of town on the Places des Lices, you’ll find Le Café – an institution like no other, loved and lauded by a loyal clientele of movie stars and locals. Inside, pineapple-shaped lamps juxtapose the oversized rattan lampshades and clashing velvet cushions. Come dinnertime, a live singer waltzes among the well-heeled diners, while dapper waiters pour red wine from elegant carafes. Stay on for a singalong or head straight to Mamé for a late-night boogie, an intimate bar that turns into a dancefloor. For something more clubby (and flashy), Les Caves du Roy is a notorious Saint-Tropez nightclub and celebrity playground, once frequented by the likes of Mick Jagger and Grace Jones.
All image credit: AREV St. Tropez
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