Roches Hotel

Roches Hotel

Hôtel Les Roches sits low on the rocks of Aiguebelle bay in Le Lavandou, close enough to the Mediterranean that the sea reaches for the balcony rail before the coffee arrives, much as Thomas Mann described it when he took refuge here with his family in 1933. Jean Cocteau, Christian Dior, Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were guests too, back when the hotel was known as Roches Fleuries, and Françoise Sagan adopted the address while filming Bonjour Tristesse in 1957. Architect Jean-Baptiste Pietri has since rebuilt the place in terrazzo and pale wood, hanging contemporary art through the public rooms and letting murals by Maki Ohkojima cover the walls of the bar and restaurant. That restaurant, L'Oursin, holds a Michelin star under chef Antoine Gras, who runs lunch as a relaxed bistro and turns serious after dark, with wine chosen by sommelier Magali Delalex, the Guide Michelin's 2024 Best Sommelier. Most nights, a rooftop table called Langouste sur le toit serves spiny lobster while the Îles du Levant fade at dusk. Of the 40 rooms, the Superior and Luxury King categories face the sea with private balconies, fitted with air conditioning, minibar and blackout blinds against the morning light. There is a spa, L'Oiseau Bleu, a stretch of beach at the door, and Plage de la Fossette and Jean Blanc Beach within walking distance. Breakfast, free wifi, concierge and 24-hour reception cover the basics; wheelchair access extends to the restaurant. Guests chasing nightlife or a town-centre base should look three kilometres up the coast; this is a hotel for people happy to eat well, swim and let the rocks do the talking. Pets stay home. Hôtel Les Roches sits on the rocks of Aiguebelle bay in Le Lavandou, home to Michelin-starred L'Oursin and a guest list running from Thomas Mann to Françoise Sagan. Forty sea-view rooms, a rooftop lobster table, pets not allowed.