Calling all jet-setters! There’s a new hotel to add to your list …
Reports just in suggest that season four of hit show, The White Lotus, will be set at the Château de La Messardière, a 19th-century hotel just outside the hotspot of St Tropez. Filming is due to begin in April and will run until October, capturing the charm of the changing seasons on the Riviera that inspired Neo-Impressionist and Fauvist artists including Paul Signac, Henri Matisse, Georges Seurat and latterly David Hockney. In fact, the hotel dates back to 1904 when the palace was built as a wedding gift for famous horseman Henry Brisson de la Messardière and young artist Louise Dupuy d’Anjeac.
There are plenty of posh, spendy hotels in the region, from La Reserve in Ramatuelle to the Philippe Starck-designed Lily of the Valley, not to mention the iconic Hotel Byblos where Mick Jagger honeymooned in 1970. What sets apart La Messardière, as it’s known to locals, is its fairytale domed cupolas and turrets on 25 acres of manicured grounds. Officially, it’s the largest hotel in the region.
So far, so good. La Messardière’s credentials match previous locations of The White Lotus – filmed in exotic locations such as the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii in season one, the San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, in season two and the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas in the latest third season.
As part of the prestigious Airelles’ hotel collection, which has five-star properties in the jet-set haunts of Courcheval and Val d’Isere, La Messardière underwent an extensive renovation and redesign by French architect and interior designer Christopher Tollemer a few years ago. The result is rather fabulous. Rooms are notable for their bright and breezy décor, with private terraces or balconies overlooking the gardens, surrounding vineyards and Pampelonne Bay.
Facilities include an outdoor lap pool, Valmont spa, tennis courts and a private beach club, Jardin Tropézina, in addition to a summer camp for children with cinema, tree houses and pool, where water polo and aquatic basketball tournaments are favourite activities. In short, it offers a fully inclusive resort experience (if that’s what you want) with plenty of Instagrammable moments – Cédric Grolet pastries at breakfast, platters of lobster and rosé, and jazz sessions at sunset.
It’s lively without the excess and theatrics for which St Tropez is famous – table dancing and champagne spraying. Top notch dining caters for every whim and palate. Matsuhisa Saint-Tropez blends Japanese cuisine with Peruvian influences, Marco Garfagnini’s offers authentic Italian specialities, La Table d’Estoublon is for a private Chef’s Table experience and The Trois Saisons serves Mediterranean cuisine with a sea view.
In peak season when St Tropez can see up to 80,000 visitors per day, La Messardière is a welcome refuge of peace. My advice: make escape plans early in the day – hop on one of Mini Mokes or bikes to explore the other beaches or avail of shuttle service into St Tropez. Not to be missed is market day on the Place des Lines (held every Tuesday and Saturday) or one of the vineyard tours. My favourites are Chateau Minuty and Chateau Barbeyrolles. The iconic Club 55 close-by promises an incredible people-watching experience (expect to see Elton John and other A-listers) and a menu that has remained unchanged for decades. Order the artichoke, cold fish and tarte tropezienne.
Verdict: This hotel delivers on the wow factor, as does its sister property in St Tropez, the ornate Airelles Pan Dei Palais. Both cater for those who equate St Tropez with glitz and glamour, rather than the bohemian charm that originally attracted former resident Brigitte Bardot and many others. Fortunately, it still exists if you know where to look.
SEE MORE: An Insider’s Guide To St Tropez
