COMO Le Beauvallon: A Riviera Icon Reborn

Some hotels are new discoveries. Others feel as though they have simply been waiting for the right moment to return.

COMO Le Beauvallon is very much the second kind.

Set above the Gulf of Saint-Tropez in Grimaud, the hotel has this beautiful sense of distance from the energy of Saint-Tropez while still being incredibly connected to it. From the property, you look across the water towards the town, surrounded by Mediterranean gardens, umbrella pines and palms.

And then, when you actually want to go into Saint-Tropez, the hotel has its own private boat transfer that takes around eight minutes to reach the port.

That combination is probably what makes Beauvallon so special.

You have the Riviera, the water, the history and the glamour, but without feeling as though you are directly inside the chaos of Saint-Tropez.

A Riviera Story That Began in 1914

The history of Beauvallon is one of the most interesting parts of the hotel.

It first opened in 1914 as Le Golf Hôtel, a Belle Époque palace with 100 rooms designed by Swiss architect Julien Flegenheimer and commissioned by the Bernheim brothers.

During both World Wars, the property was requisitioned by the French government and used as a military hospital. Each time, it later returned to its original life as a luxury hotel.

Over the decades, it became one of those classic Riviera addresses where people came not only to stay, but to be part of the scene.

Guests included Colette, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Winston Churchill and Paul Géraldy, while in the 1960s the hotel became a filming location for Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn, as well as Les Gendarmes de Saint-Tropez.

That history gives the place a very particular atmosphere.

It is glamorous, but not newly invented glamour.

It has been part of the Riviera story for more than a century.

The COMO Chapter

After spending nearly two decades largely as an exclusive events venue, the hotel entered a new chapter under COMO Hotels and Resorts, reopening to hotel guests in 2025 and continuing its relaunch into 2026.

I think COMO is actually a very interesting fit for Beauvallon.

The group is known for a quieter approach to luxury, with a strong focus on wellness, privacy, design and a sense of place rather than making every hotel feel identical.

Here, that means the history of the original Belle Époque palace is still very much part of the experience, but the overall feeling is lighter and more contemporary.

It is not trying to recreate the Riviera of the 1960s exactly.

It is taking that spirit and making it relevant again.

Four Hectares Above the Mediterranean

The hotel sits within approximately four hectares of Mediterranean gardens and terraces, shaded by palms and umbrella pines.

There is a 25-metre swimming pool, a private jetty and direct access to the water. Yachts can anchor in front of the property, and the hotel’s waterfront position makes arriving by boat feel completely natural rather than theatrical.

The atmosphere is much calmer than staying directly in Saint-Tropez.

You wake up with the sea in front of you, spend the morning around the gardens or pool, and then take the boat across when you want lunch, shopping or an evening in town.

Eight minutes later, you are in Saint-Tropez.

Then you can come straight back across the water when you have had enough.

Honestly, ideal.

Art and Architecture

One thing that makes Beauvallon slightly unexpected is its relationship with contemporary art.

The property holds a collection of more than 300 artworks and installations, including the 2002 Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Toyo Ito.

That gives the hotel another layer beyond the Belle Époque architecture.

You have this historic Riviera palace, but then contemporary art and architecture appear throughout the estate.

It should theoretically feel contradictory, but it works.

And the wider Beauvallon estate itself has a strong architectural history. During the 1920s, the area attracted major modernist architects, including Pierre Chareau and Bernard Bijvoet, whose work helped shape the Beauvallon domain.

So the connection between architecture, art and the landscape has actually been part of Beauvallon for a very long time.

The Saint-Tropez Experience, Without Staying in Saint-Tropez

For me, this is the strongest argument for staying here.

Saint-Tropez is beautiful, but in summer it can also be intense.

Beauvallon gives you access to all of it without requiring you to live directly inside it.

The complimentary private boat takes approximately eight minutes from the hotel to the port of Saint-Tropez, making it genuinely practical rather than just a nice hotel extra.

You can have dinner in town, walk around the port, visit the boutiques and then return across the bay to somewhere much quieter.

And the journey itself becomes part of the experience.

There are definitely worse commutes.

How to Get to COMO Le Beauvallon From Paris

For Paris, there are two routes that make the most sense.

Paris to Toulon

The nearest convenient airport is Toulon-Hyères Airport, followed by a car transfer to Beauvallon.

The drive is approximately 45 minutes from Toulon-Hyères Airport.

Flights from Paris vary significantly depending on season, but for planning purposes I would allow approximately €120 to €300 return per person when direct services are available.

A private car from the airport will generally be the easiest option with luggage.

Paris to Nice

You can also fly from Paris to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.

The flight is around 1 hour 30 minutes, with return tickets commonly falling somewhere around €120 to €300 per person, depending on dates and baggage.

From Nice Airport, the drive to the Beauvallon area is around 1 hour 15 minutes in ideal conditions, although summer traffic around the Gulf of Saint-Tropez can increase this significantly.

Personally, I would not plan a Riviera transfer too tightly in July or August.

The traffic has its own personality.

By Train From Paris

The train can actually be a very good option.

Take the TGV from Paris towards the south of France and continue to Saint-Raphaël-Valescure, which is approximately 30 minutes by car from the Beauvallon area.

For me, this can be more relaxing than flying, particularly if you are travelling during peak summer weekends.

No airport queues, more luggage flexibility, and once you arrive in Saint-Raphaël you only have a relatively short transfer remaining.

Approximate Travel Budget From Paris

For two people, I would roughly budget:

Expense	Approximate Cost
Return flights Paris to Nice/Toulon for 2	€240 to €600
Return private transfers	Approx. €250 to €500+
Hotel, 3 nights	Luxury seasonal pricing, often several thousand euros
Estimated trip total	From roughly €3,000+, depending heavily on room and season

The hotel rate is the part that can change most dramatically.

Saint-Tropez in high summer is a completely different pricing environment from May, June, September or October, so I would always check the exact dates before setting a final budget.

Why COMO Le Beauvallon Feels Special

What I like about Beauvallon is that it gives you two versions of the Riviera at the same time.

There is the glamorous side.

Saint-Tropez, boats, history, Hollywood stories, beautiful people, long lunches and the whole mythology of the Côte d’Azur.

And then there is the quieter side.

Gardens, pine trees, morning swims, the sound of the water and that feeling of looking across the bay rather than being directly in the middle of everything.

COMO has managed to bring the hotel back without erasing what made it interesting in the first place.

The architecture is still there.

The history is still there.

The Riviera glamour is still there.

It simply feels fresher now.

And perhaps that is the nicest thing about COMO Le Beauvallon.

It does not feel like a hotel trying to recreate the golden age of Saint-Tropez.

It feels like that story has simply started again.