Lilou

Lilou

Behind a Haussmannian façade in central Hyeres, Lilou unfolds along ochre and earth-toned corridors that lead to 37 rooms across four floors, styled more like a private house than a conventional hotel. There are no televisions in the bedrooms, a deliberate choice meant to push guests toward conversation instead of screens, and towels are only replaced if you drop them on the floor, not if you leave them hanging. The Casino, the university and Parc National de Port-Cros all sit within walking distance, so mornings can begin with coffee at the window before afternoons spent exploring the neighborhood on foot. What separates Lilou from its neighbors is the cellar: chef Paul-Émile Merlin cooks Mediterranean and Southeast Asian-inflected plates paired with a 550-bottle wine list drawn from Italy, Spain, Greece and Lebanon, work that earned Lilou the Wine List of the Year 2025 award from La Revue du Vin de France. Evenings gather around the walnut-burl bar or the fireplace, with cocktails that roam the Mediterranean and a sommelier team ready to talk through the shelves. Outside there's a garden, a terrace and a seasonal outdoor pool, plus a massage room and a bowling alley for a slower pace. Guests arriving by car will find parking, and pets are welcome throughout. This suits people who plan a trip around a meal and a bottle rather than a poolside afternoon, and who won't miss an in-room television for a few nights. The wine list alone is reason enough to book the table before the room. Behind a Haussmannian front in Hyeres, Lilou runs like a private house: 37 rooms, no in-room televisions, and a 550-bottle cellar that won La Revue du Vin de France's Wine List of the Year 2025. It suits guests who plan trips around dinner and a bottle, not a lounge-by-the-pool holiday.