THE JOURNAL
View of Pampelonne Beach from Villa Ama, Ramatuelle. Photograph by Mr Tom Claeren, courtesy of St Tropez House
Never far from front of mind when the mercury rises, the summer playground that is the French Riviera continues to cast a heady spell. The best way to lean into its many pleasures? Commandeering – if for only a short time – one of its most legendary houses. From sharp-sided architectural marvels, to extraordinary sprawls once occupied by French nobility, allow us to give you a run-down of the finest Cote d’Azur rentals in which to squander a sun-washed week.
01. Villa La Vigie, Monaco
The former residence of fashion royalty
Villa La Vigie, Monaco Photograph courtesy of Edge Retreats
Standing like an immaculately iced cake above crescent-shaped Baie de Roquebrune, this lofty pile commands one of the most sought-after views in the Mediterranean. Built at the turn of the 20th century at the request of Sir William Ingram – the British publisher behind The Illustrated London News – it went on to become Mr Karl Lagerfeld’s summer residence, with the late designer rhapsodising about the delicious sense of seclusion and the way the golden light pours in through the windows. Now it can be all yours for the season. If you can swing the cost, that is.
02. The Demountable House, Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The boundary-pushing house designed by Mr Jean Prouvé
Interior of the Demountable House by Jean Prouvé, Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Photograph by Mr Antoine Lippens, courtesy of Fondation CAB. © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2023
Hunkered down in Fondation CAB’s thickly-planted grounds, Demountable House is the opposite of next-level luxury, and that’s sort of the point. Dreamed up by self-taught architectural master Mr Jean Prouvé as an answer to the housing crisis wreaking havoc in post-war France, the wood-clad model became an icon of mid-century design, and this diminutive stay happens to be one of the few remaining examples. Yes, it’s positively minuscule and the road rumbling below may not be hugely conducive to the best night’s shut-eye, but what it lacks in size (and, well, convention) it more than balances with offbeat appeal. After admiring Saint-Paul de Vence’s age-old ramparts – a leisurely wander away – trudge the blessedly cool path along the River Cagnes, stopping to dunk in the deep pools and cascades that pock the stony canyons. Save for the occasional toad, you’ll nary see another soul.
03. Le Grand Jardin, Île Sainte-Marguerite
Louis XIV’s former abode
Le Grand Jardin, Île Sainte-Marguerite. Photograph courtesy of Edge Retreats
A mere pinprick on the map, Île Sainte-Marguerite sits just across the water from Cannes’ sceney razzmatazz. Spread across its pine-forested southern edge, you’ll find Le Grand Jardin, the island’s sole private residence and a world unto itself. Dating back to the 13th-century, this impressive sea-ringed sprawl – with ornate stone balustrades, a turreted watchtower and cypress-studded gardens extending out in all directions – once belonged to Louis XIV. Rumour has it that a certain Monsieur Napoleon Bonaparte also grazed his horses on the lawns in the thick of the Revolution. Inside, an unexpectedly minimalist aesthetic prevails, fresh from a recent overhaul, and the views over the bay are, quite frankly, stupendous. Rent the place for a fortnight and you’ll need never step beyond the perimeter, though the wild coves at Pointe du Dragon are well worth a look.
04. Villa Ama, St Tropez
The architectural gem with artworks galore
Villa Ama, Ramatuelle. Photograph by Mr Tom Claeren, courtesy of St Tropez House
We can think of no finer backdrop for raucous-as-you-like summer blowouts than this low-slung assemblage of glass and milk-coloured concrete, which juts out of dense gardens and is a mere saunter from legendary Plage de Pampelonne. Whopping great sculptures by Messrs Franz West and Jeff Koons litter the lawns, coming into their own as evening descends and lights start to flicker on the yacht-studded bay below, and when it’s time to turn in, seven turbo-smart bedrooms await. Those feeling peaky the following morning can plonk themselves beneath one of the disc-shaped sun shades lining the pool, stirring only for tartare de boeuf at Club 55 (washed down with a glass of something icy cold, naturellement). Put simply, it’s a total knock-out, and since there’s a helipad out back, it’d be rude not to chopper in from Nice…
05. Palais De L’Ocean, Toulon
The palais that’s played a starring role
Living room at the Palais De L’Ocean, Toulon. Photograph courtesy of Oliver’s Travels
Much has been done to preserve the past at Palais De L’Ocean, which is set back from the startlingly blue water, halfway between Toulon and Hyères. From the sweeping marble staircase to the painstakingly corniced ceilings, every inch of the place gleams, meaning it comes as no great surprise that it served as the backdrop for last year’s satisfyingly over-the-top Downton Abbey: A New Era. Yet with gilt-edged mirrors and fussy chinoiserie switched out in favour of sculptural iron lamps and armchairs clad in soft, earthy textiles, this herringbone-floored rental now stops short of full-blown time-warp territory, assuming a fresher aesthetic that’s most agreeable. Its rambling grounds, which slope down toward the Riviera’s craggy coastline, cry out for pastis-fuelled games of pétanque, and who are you to argue?
06. Villa Sainte-Anne, Antibes
The private villa of a grande-dame hotel
Villa Sainte-Anne at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes. Photograph courtesy of Oetker Collection
As far as noteworthy Côte d’Azur addresses go, it’s no stretch to say that Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc – frequented by Mr Pablo Picasso, Ms Marlene Dietrich and the entire Kennedy clan back in the day – is in a league of its own. And while the suites are exquisite, the pull of the wave-gazing villas can’t be overstated. Villa Sainte-Anne, with its colonnaded balconies and five spacious bedrooms hidden behind heavy bottle-green shutters, has to be the finest of the lot. When you’re not playing spot-the-yacht from the terrace, you can cross the road to whack tennis balls about on one of the hotel’s pine-shaded clay courts. Then, drape yourself, lizard-like, beside the saltwater pool, which was blasted out of the basalt rock with dynamite in 1914 and forever immortalised in Mr Slim Aarons’ remarkable (and oft-emulated) shots.