LVMH is becoming an ever more important hotelier. Having started with just a single Cheval Blanc hotel in Courchevel, the group expanded its Aman-esque brand with properties in Saint Barts and the Maldives, before establishing a second brand, White 1921, of glamorous but diminutive boutique hotels smack bang in the centres of Saint-Tropez and Courchevel. And although the company had previously revealed plans to grow its Cheval Blanc portfolio with developments in Oman and at Paris's La Samaritaine, we were caught off-guard when it acquired La Résidence de la Pinède in Saint-Tropez two years ago.
This once discreet 36-key spot, which dates back to 1936, never boasted the romantic charms of the Château de la Messardière or the feet-up buzziness of the Byblos or the Sezz. It did, however, boast a triple-Michelin-starred restaurant and a location to die for. That owes something to its position on the main road, 750 metres before the port, but more to the fact that it remains the only hotel in Saint-Tropez with its feet in the water, thanks to a private beach that runs the length of the property.
After extensive renovation work over the winter, the hotel reopened on 17 May with a thoroughly new and contemporary visual identity developed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, of Hôtel Lutetia fame. Changes include a new lobby, a 350-square-metre Guerlain spa and eight redesigned guest rooms.
This multi-phase transformation will continue over the coming winter, with an eye to an eventual rebrand as Cheval Blanc. As a result, you would do well to enjoy its 500-euro rates while you still can.
