France has officially reopened to (vaccinated) international travelers – and not a moment too soon, say travel agencies who immediately tried to meet the demand. “We’re already seeing availability problems in July and August,” explains Philip Haslet, co-founder of the French travel specialist Cairo, speaks of his house in Provence. “This is the busiest thing I think – ever.”
This is good news for the travel industry, which has to make up for a year and a half of deficits. But for travelers it leaves a lot to unravel; some put together short stays at multiple resorts to bypass booked dates and other restrictions. Combine this with the fact that many of France’s most exciting hotel openings are yet to come and there may be good reasons to (briefly) postpone a visit.
Also, says Haslet, August should still be relatively calm amid the typical summer closings in Paris and beyond. “This is France,” he calls out. Fewer stores may close this month, “but I’m afraid the underlying Gallic DNA is coming into play”.
Not that there is ever a bad time to visit France. So whether that’s in the near future or there’s even more dust settling, here are the hotels you should prioritize … assuming you can hop on.
One of the 14 rooms at the Airelles Chateau de Versailles, Le Grand Controle
Source: cranberries
To the cities
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Airelles Chateau de Versailles, Le Grand Controle
On the gated grounds of Louis XIV’s iconic estate and across from the famous Orangery is Le Grand Controle, a complex of three buildings that once housed dignitaries and has recently been reborn as a 14-room luxury hotel. It is the first time common citizens – not courtiers – can sleep within the palace’s history-steeped walls, a privilege that allows for private early morning access to the gardens and a guided tour of the Hall of Mirrors outside of business hours. The magnificent, time-inspired rooms seem like a journey back in time to the 18th century. But then the Alain Ducasse restaurant, Valmont Spa and the ingenious geothermal heating installed during the years of renovation all remind us that 2021 will be a golden era all of its own. Rooms start at $ 2,000.
Saint James Paris looks like it belongs in the country, but is just a short walk from the Trocadero or Arc de Triomphe
Source: Saint James Paris
Saint James Paris
Imagine the typical French country estate – then drop it off in the 16th arrondissement, just a few minutes’ walk from the Trocadero or Arc de Triomphe which is being wrapped up based on the design of the (deceased) artist Christo in September. That’s what you get at the Saint James, which opens July 1st with 50 rooms and a members’ club. The graceful property was once an elite school, and its gardens are a former hot-air balloon launch pad; now it will have an ambitious restaurant under the direction of Ducasse’s protégé Julien Dumas and enough space for guests to ride or cycle. For the ultimate urban oasis, book the Pavillon d’Amour, a stand-alone triplex cottage with its own steam bath and an ornate fountain in front of the door. Rooms from $ 535.
A rare, calm recording from Tuba Club; The hotel is usually brimming with a fashionable set.
Source: Tuba Club
Tuba Club, Marseille
You’d think this chic five-bedroom inn, run by the owners of a popular restaurant that shares its name, is on its own private island in the middle of the ocean. The opposite is true. Sure, it’s on a ledge with daybeds under the Mediterranean sun. And yes, the house dish “Linguini Tuba” is coated with a mussel sauce that smells of the Italian Riviera. In fact, however, Tuba sits on the edge of a fishing enclave on the outskirts of Marseille, a vibrant cultural capital poised to surpass its reputation as the second largest French city. Despite the traffic, you are only 30 minutes from the Vieux Port where you can find the Museum of Art and Architecture Mucem, with his Jeff Koons summer blockbuster show. Rooms from $ 200.
Every room at La Maison d’Estournel outside of Bordeaux is slightly different in its colors and accents
Source: La Maison d’Estournel
New countryside classics
La Maison d’Estournel, Bordeaux
The original tenant of this magnificent Haut-Médoc estate, Louis Gaspard, was one of Bordeaux’s early wine exporters who sent boxes for distribution to India in the early 19th century. Now under the careful guidance of Michel Reybier Hospitality – a group that too La Reserve in Paris– Gaspard’s legacy will be kept intact. You’ll notice its influence in the property’s 14 rooms and many common spaces, from a secret cellar (now available for wine tasting) to the sprawling vineyards and subcontinent-inspired decor. Make friends with the concierge, tours to world-class grand cru vineyards, cooking classes in local homes or lunch with oyster farmers along the enchanting coast of the. can arrange Arcachon Bay. And expect to be pampered. Bordeaux is perhaps best known for its grapes, but this is the region that provides us with foie gras, truffles and some of the best products in France. La Maison shows it all at every opportunity. Rooms from $ 300.
The exterior of Les Sources De Cheverny, in the Loire Valley
Source: Les Sources De Cheverny
Les Sources de Cheverny, Loire Valley
Nobody does bucolic luxury like the French, and nowhere is that more evident than at Les Sources de Cheverny, a 49-room castle that takes its ethereal design from the ancient forest around it. The location is convenient to Cheverny and Chambord, but the hotel is a destination in itself, with yoga classes in the forest, a spa that offers “shredded Cabernet peelings”, en plein air thermal baths, and a wine bar in the old town of the cellar which focuses on lesser known local grape varieties. Rooms from $ 240.
A terrace at Le Domaine du Mas de Pierre in Provence
Source: Le Mas de Pierre
The Domaine du Mas de Pierre, Provence
The house car at this completely refurbished 75-room resort is a Rolls-Royce, but most guests choose to explore the property – and the quaint surrounding town – on a fleet of house e-bikes. That is Le Domaine du Mas de Pierre Resort & Spa in a nutshell, with different levels of luxury for many types of guests. For families there is a free children’s club for children aged three and over with a bouncy castle and garden workshops. For nature lovers there is an equestrian center and the possibility of canyoning or paragliding. And for sybarites there is a scented garden, an aviary and four restaurants that source ingredients from the on-site garden mentioned above. There is no better place to choose your own adventure. Rooms from $ 275.
The distinctive pool deck in the Hotel Lou Pinet
Source: Hotel Lou Pinet
Hotel Lou Pinet, Saint-Tropez
Travel specialist Haslet says this hotel single-handedly made Saint-Tropez relevant again, contrary to the impression that the destination is resting on its laurels – or that it is best suited for a day or two-day escapade to simply bathe in abundance . Because the Hotel Lou Pinet has something that many of its neighbors lack: three generations of soul. The family-run hotel has just 34 eclectically designed rooms inspired by artists such as Picasso and Cézanne. The soundtrack is more cicadas than electronica, the property is planted with fragrant trees (Lou Pinet means “pine” in the local dialect) and the pool is tiled in a romantic egg blue that matches the hotel’s shutters. It all feels a bit like a 1960s daydream, with the Brigitte Bardot glamor that goes with it. Rooms from $ 625.
A rendering of the Maybourne Riviera in progress.
Source: Maybourne Hotel Group
Well worth the wait
Those willing to plan an entire trip around a really special hotel will be looking for two vacancies in the coming months: the Maybourne Riviera on the Cote d’Azur and LVMH’s own Cheval Blanc Paris. Neither have started taking bookings, but there’s a good chance both of them will open before the end of summer.
The Cheval Blanc project is located in a multi-storey building in the 1st arrondissement, directly on the Quai du Louvre. A former department store completely redesigned by Peter Marino as an urban oasis with 72 rooms, all sprayed with a custom fragrance designed by the top of the line at Maison Dior. This is LVMH, so Dior will also take over the spa, where flower baths are on the menu; It is expected that there will be ample opportunity to showcase the company’s various brands of champagne. In typical LVMH style, the company builds secrets around the finer details – but this is one company that can always beat the hype.
There’s more to chew on the Maybourne Riviera – literally. It’s a modernist glass and steel jewelry box located near the medieval village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. It offers 69 rooms with ocean views and access to a variety of restaurants designed by the best chefs in the world. Mauro Colagreco, whose three Michelin star Mirazur currently holds the title The best restaurant in the world awarded by William Reed Business Media, is responsible for a venue; Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Japanese sushi legend Hiro Sato oversee others. It only fits a hotel group whose crown jewels belong to the Connaught and Claridges.
Before it’s here, it’s at the Bloomberg Terminal.
