FRIDAY
4pm An hour’s drive from Nice airport, I arrive at my hotel Arev (from £495 per night, arevcollection.com) in St Tropez. The name is a play on the French word for dream, rêve – and what a dream it is. My room has a garden view, Japanese Toto toilet and Dyson hairdryer.
7pm At Fondugues Pradugues, a natural wine domain in the neighbouring village of Ramatuelle, we try organic red and rosé wines at Le Chai, its restaurant overlooking the vines. Chef Valentine Costuna whips up a four-course tasting menu (£105pp, fondugues.com).
SATURDAY
8am The view of the heated outdoor pool tempts me out of my canopy bed and into my swimsuit. After working up an appetite, I slip into something a little more breakfast-appropriate, grab a table in the shade and enjoy the eggs benedict (served on a waffle).
11am A stroll away, at place des Lices (from the medieval word for jousting ground), is the town square’s famous market (held on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from 8am to 1pm), where I check out the local delicacies and browse the antiques, linen wear and basket bags.
1pm Lunch is at The Strand, an old St Tropez favourite brought back to life by Arev with the help of famous French hospitality brand Bagatelle. I opt for the avocado salad with raspberries, and leave room for the tarte tropézienne, a cream-filled brioche bun.
3pm Time to recline by the pool while I await a full-body massage. With just two treatment rooms and a hammam, appointments at the spa are coveted. I tell the therapist about my ‘tech neck’ and she adapts our 50-minute session. Afterwards, I feel re-energised.
8pm Insta-hot bohemian interiors, plenty of outdoor seating and live music – there are lots of reasons locals flock to Le Café, but its unpretentious brasserie food tops the list. I have the shredded crab (£30) and filet de bœuf with peppercorn sauce (£45, en.lecafe.fr).
SUNDAY
9am Anyone for padel? After brushing up on my backhand skills on the hotel’s courts, I walk into town to enjoy a delicious, if pricey, iced vanilla matcha latte (£6.75) and pain suisse (£10), from Cedric Grolet & Airelles (cedric-grolet.com) to tide me over until lunch.
12.30pm The hotel’s six-course Sunday brunch menu (£60pp) beckons and I head straight for the cured meats, smoked fish and cheeses. Next? A mini vegetable tart and, of course, a few treats from the dessert table. I think I’ll skip the airport snacks…
