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"Villa Belrose**** Luxe", Gassin, St. Tropez, France
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Dreamlike view over the bay of St. Tropez.
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Peter and Linda D'Aprix 2004
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Perched high on the hillside overlooking the bay of Saint Tropez (or more correctly termed the Golfe de St. Tropez), Hotel Villa Belrose four star deluxe and member of Relais & Châteaux and “Palaces de la Côte d’Azur” is one of those dream hotels for the amazing view, the comfort and the marvelous food.
Inspired by a Florence villa with its mimosa yellow facades and white trim, the building is quite new, built in the 1990’s, and couples traditional styling with modern touches that makes it a comfortable blend of formal and informal. Guests can be seen padding around in terry cloth slippers and bathing suits or black lace ups and business suits that co-exist without problem. Some come to baste and roast themselves pool side often with a cell phone plugged into an ear or to snooze and get an all over tan with their modesty ensured by a piece of colored twine.
Many come for the extremely fine cuisine of one Michelin starred chef Thierry Theircelin at the hotel’s indoor/outdoor restaurant with its emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine and marvelous vegetable and fish dishes. If the view and the quiet are not enough, there is the night life of St. Tropez just a few minutes away except during the height of the summer or on market day (Tuesdays), in which case forget it unless you like to bake in your car bogged down in traffic. No heli pad, sorry. However, there is one in St. Tropez where there is a heli shuttle between St. Tropez and Nice 18 mns. Without traffic, it is about 10 mns from the hotel. The hotel offers shuttle service between the two.
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The main entrance of the hotel.
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One of two curving staircases leading from the upper terrace to the dining terrace and pool.
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Pool with chaise and umbrella filled sunning deck on the seaward side and snack bar tables in the foreground
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The rear (sea side) entrance from the first floor sun and tea terrace.
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Photos Peter D'Aprix © 2004
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The 35 rooms (really junior suites) and 3 full suites are attractive and comfortably decorated with Provençale fabrics, all with a private terrace and look eastward. In keeping with the Florentine inspiration, the spacious bathrooms are tiled in Italian marble. If you are spending a family holiday, some of the rooms can accommodate up to 4 people and others have communicating doors not to mention access to babysitting and a hair dresser, so mothers can have a holiday too! There is also massage and various beauty treatments (facial, body treatments and aromatic oil massages) also available at the beauty center right alongside the fitness gym down by the 200 sq. meter swimming pool, one of the largest on the peninsula.
This is a place to either never leave or use as a center for the many and varied activities of the region. Golf is available at the 18 hole St. Maxime Golf Club on the other side of the bay; Tennis at St. Tropez Tennis Club just 2 km from the hotel; Go-Karting is just 3 kms away in Grimaud; sandy beaches are all around from just down the hill, around the bay and across the peninsula at famous Tahiti and many more. For those with a culinary itinerary, the areas is filled with restaurants of all denominations, wineries, olive oil producers and much more. If you get an early start, the Tuesday market is superb with a stand selling goat cheese and some of the most amazing cherries. Every morning there is a small specialty market just within the walls of the old town whose access through the fortified walls hosts the fresh fish market.
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A typical private balcony/terrace that comes with each room all with a view out over the bay.
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View out over the bay from the sun/tea terrace at mid-day with St. Tropez to the extreme right and St. Maxime in the center.
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A cozy corner of the first floor sun terrace.
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Main salon on the first floor from the bar end.
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The hotel opens April 2 and closes October 25. The accommodations range from a single room with the least interesting view at 180 Euros in low season to the top of the line at 2,420 Euros at the top of the season. The furry family member pays 35 Euros for the night and can be with you on the garden terrace for outside dining but not in the interior dining room.
Getting to St. Tropez is not so easy. There are no direct major routes or train connections. The road from Toulon is small but very beautiful as it winds through the national forest. The main road from the Auto Route is very busy and lands in St. Maxime. From there it is necessary to drive around the bay, often a frustrating experience even in May when we were there. Other times, when there are no road works, deviations, markets or other blockages, driving times are short. But there is a boat shuttle that runs from St. Tropez – St. Maxime – Grimaud at regular intervals.
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The gym and massage/theropy center down by the pool.
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One of the typical junior suites.
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