Who's Going
Patricia Kass, Tatinger family, Alain Ducasse
Reason to Stay
Architectural Design, Boutique Hotel, Residential Setting
Hotel Type
Boutique Resort
When the owners of Charm & More, a collection of stylish French boutique hotels, decided to renovate the Lou Pinet property they called on Parisian architect Patrick Jouin known for his work on Bar at the Athene, Murano Urban and nearby Spoon at the Byblos. The hotel is located a 10-minute walk from the main village in a residential enclave of summer homes and villas, interrupted by the hotel's zen-like stone wall with cobblestone driveway and glassy lobby.
Louis Vuitton-packing guests enter a sedate lobby with concrete floors and leather-covered sofa connecting to a bistro-style Thai restaurant with chrome-framed plastic chairs and teak tabletops. The small bar area is kept active with a steady stream of Rose bottles and exotic drinks making their way to the outdoor pool area through a patio of illuminated umbrellas atop PVC-poles in varying sizes and contrasting angles. An elaborate deck conjoins the lobby area and guest rooms made of an exotic Indonesian wood known as Benkirai, casting a reddish glow to the slatted-wood façade of the surrounding buildings and contrasting with the deep-blue glow of the swimming pool.
The Room
With beach bags and black suitcases in tote, Paris weekenders and St. Tropez virgins arrive to the hotels standard 250-square foot guest rooms with a collective sigh of disappointed, ultimately to discover what is truly a creative achievement in space planning and room design. Maximizing the space, free-flowing rooms feature concrete floors and walls free of art or clutter with bathrooms painted in contrasting lacquer blues and whites. A billowing white curtain dipped at the edges in cobalt blues blows in the wind, open to an outdoor wood patio with ceiling art and two chairs more practical for appearance than actually sitting. An oversize round double-faced mirror is suspended from the ceiling between the sleeping and bathing areas, which with a flick of a switch is covered in white curtains to afford shyer guests a bit of privacy. Larger junior and senior suites feature pitched-roof ceilings and spaciously appointed with small seating areas, white leather upholstered headboards, and a writing table. Whilst still unknown to most St. Tropez migrants, room rates remain comparatively affordable to the pricier Byblos alternative.
Preferred Room
Junior Suite
Special Features
Architectural Property, Trendy Clientele, Design Hotel
Amenities
Restaurant, Pool, Lounge, Fitness Center
