Les Roches Rouges

Character and identity

A 1950s motel reborn as a white modernist cube on the Saint-Raphaël coast, Les Roches Rouges sits between the rust-red rocks of the Esterel and the Mediterranean's turquoise. The 50-room property channels Eileen Gray's E-1027: polished concrete floors, white walls, considered furniture, abstract art. Days revolve around two pools (a lap pool and a 30-metre saltwater pool carved into the rocks) and a stone terrace where waiters ferry pale rosé and lavender-thyme cocktails. Dining splits between Récif, the Michelin tasting room built around just-landed seafood, and La Plage's all-day Provençal plates. Service is preppy and warm.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The draw here is atmosphere: a quiet, architecturally confident hideaway on an underrated stretch of coast, with two of the best swimming setups on the Riviera and cooking to match. Book a sea-view suite with a balcony, reserve Récif well before you arrive (a room doesn't hold a table), and aim for the shoulder edges of summer when the terrace stays languid.