The road to La Réserve Ramatuelle Hotel, Spa & Villas is not easy to find. It winds up a steepish hill in the pine-covered countryside just behind Saint-Tropez and tells you where to turn practically at the last minute. Once inside the discreet property entrance, a simple, low-lying building, almost Japanese in style, beckons you at the end of the driveway. You enter the main salon, pause a moment to appreciate the breathtaking view of the sea from a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, and realize that there is no reception desk. Instead, you are invited to sink into a custom-designed easy chair and order a cool beverage; your check-in details will arrive with your drink. Take your time. You have arrived.
What do you get for the guest who has everything? If you are La Réserve Ramatuelle, you offer the one thing that, by definition, is not available to everyone: rarity. With just 28 supersized rooms and suites and 14 multi-bedroom villas occupying a private hilltop estate in one of the most beautiful and in-demand areas of the Cote d’Azur, La Réserve Ramatuelle operates on the philosophy that true luxury lies in simple things done extremely well—and shared generously with a fortunate few. Its exceptional location and service have earned La Réserve Ramatuelle the distinction of “Palace” from the French government.
True luxury lies in simple things done extremely well—and shared generously with a fortunate few.
La Réserve Ramatuelle is the vision of Michel Reybier, a French entrepreneur and hotelier who has spent holidays here since he was a child and decided to develop the site judiciously in order to share the dream with a handful of discerning guests. Another visionary, the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, transformed an existing hotel into a sleek boutique establishment of impeccable taste. Wrap-around terraces and glass walls flood the interior with natural light, yet help it remain cool and airy during Saint-Tropez summers. The simple, harmonious design belies the pains taken to ensure that all the rooms at La Réserve Ramatuelle—even the bathrooms in the guest quarters—enjoy a spectacular view of the sea.
La Réserve Ramatuelle offers amenities on the scale of a much larger establishment. The hotel spa, featuring products by La Mer and the Swiss wellness brand Nescens, takes up an entire floor of the main building. Guests who wish to focus on eating healthily and extremely well can choose from three onsite restaurants: the Michelin-starred La Voile, an Italian-themed poolside grill for residents only, and most recently added, a Japanese restaurant on the rooftop terrace. Also new to the hotel: La Réserve à la Plage, a private club on Pampelonne Beach designed by Philippe Starck, with 75 sun beds and a restaurant helmed by the hotel’s chef, Eric Canino. The beach is just a few minutes away by hotel car, as are the attractions of Saint-Tropez—so that La Réserve Ramatuelle guests can enjoy the best of all possible worlds.