Honeymoon Havens: Six of the Best Honeymoon Hotels on the Cote D'Azur by Devanshi Mody
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Strung along the golden stretch of coast running from Nice to St Tropez are a raft of the most picture-perfect honeymoon hotels in France, exquisite jewels studded in emerald green and overlooking sapphire seas. Ravish away...
1. The Cap Estel
One of the sexiest, snazziest, swankiest honeymoon hotels in France is, without a doubt, the Cap Estel. It is so ultra-exclusive that you cannot just walk in without authorisation, however. But, once you’re in and have driven past spectacular gardens, you’re in paradise. This design hotel is a perfect marriage of cutting-edge cool and sumptuous splendour, abounding with outrageously trendy paraphernalia.
With the art on the walls, coffee tables, lamps, rugs and swish glass lifts, this hotel is overflowing with some of the jazziest accoutrements imaginable. And, don't be surprised by the fancy cars parked outside the entrance. Indeed, the hotel looks like it belongs in a Bond film. If you don’t want your man absconding with a Bond girl (or a blond girl), stay put in the uber-smart suites.
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2. Le Chateau de la Chevre d'Or
Le Chateau de la Chevre d’Or is a favourite with Cote D'Azur addicts. This enchanting venue that sways atop a craggy cliff and has rooms scattered around the historic and ever captivating little village of Eze offers the contrast of contemporary suites in a historic setting. Needless to say, the mind-blowing views from this hotel are practically unrivalled.
Apart from its fabulous restaurants, the hotel is set in cascading gardens dotted with waterfalls, ponds, pools and wildlife incarnated in sculpted metal, including a golden goat that overlooks all from its lofty position. The beguiling beauty of the setting will no doubt inspire amorous adventures.
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3. La Villa Marie
La Villa Marie is a charming little retreat ensconced in gardens and overlooking the Bay of St Tropez. The wonderful rooms are a mishmash of rustic, ornate and contemporary chic. At present, they have one suite: an imaginatively converted attic. (But, the ceiling comes down dramatically, so if you’re very tall, this might be inconvenient...)
Of course, if you intend to spend much of your time supine (and of course you do), then there’s no problem. But, if you’re taking along a copy of the Kama Sutra on honeymoon, go for one of the lovely terraced rooms with one-piece bathrooms, including stand-alone bathtubs. The wonderful spa will relieve all of the stress after nights of Don Juan-esque exploits.
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4. Hotel Le St Paul
Hotel Le St Paul in the famously fortified medieval Village of St Paul de Vance is the cutest little thing ever. The recently refurbished rooms exude regal grandeur and plunge you into an era of romance and chivalry. Go for the suite with its own private terrace that encompasses views of the sea and the village. The luxury village is resplendent with delightful luxury boutiques and art galleries and is convenient for post-wedding shopping.
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5. Le Mas Candille
Tucked away in the hills, just a few kilometres outside Cannes, Le Mas Candille is one of the best kept secrets on the coast. Languorous and old-fashioned with four poster beds and quaint charm, it’s a fab place to retire to romance in peace. Especially attractive is the poolside with terraces overlooking the village. The hotel’s award-winning Shisheido Spa team also does the best massages on the Riviera and is a must for those with a zest for zing.
6. Grand Hotel du Ferrat
The most exclusive address on the French Riviera is the Grand Hotel du Ferrat that teeters temptingly on the tip of the eponymous peninsula, the most expensive land on the French coast. For exactly a century, this monumental legend, once the Riviera residence of the King of Belgium, has played host to a wide variety of people.
With guests like the Duke of Connaught, Sarah Ferguson, the Romanovs, the Savoies, the Emir of Bahrain, Paul Allen, Aristotle Onasis, Jean Cocteau, Sommerset Maugham, the Clintons, George W Bush, Jean Paul Gaultier, Ralph Lauren, Elton John, Prince and Beyoncé Knowles, the list is as long as the hotel’s history.
Wrapped in acres of landscaped gardens that descend gently into brilliant blue waters, this oasis of delicious serenity is the ideal, idyllic retreat for honeymooners. It might also be the place to get married. After all, it is frequently rented out by the likes of Top Shop big boss Philip Green to host outrageously lavish parties. The hotel is always full, but you feel like you’re the only one around.
If you want to be more isolated, retire to the hotel’s villa that comes with its own butlers and maids and is for those with the luxury of time. If a month of honeymooning might exhaust the resources of the most inspired lover, then settle for the ultra sexy, recently refurbished suites, including a sweet little one that comes with its own terrace-top Jacuzzi.
But, if you intend to be spending lots of time in your room (and one would hope that that is the point of a honeymoon), then go for one of the sprawling suites with terraces that offer heartbreakingly beautiful views over an infinity of azure. You must, of course, step out of your room to wine and dine and romance a while at the hotel’s enchanting gastronomic restaurant or to lunch at the private Club Dauphin with its cliff-edge pool where Charlie Chaplin’s swimming coach still instructs children of the jet set.
And while the beds are oh-so-comfortable, it’s worth waking up for the best breakfast grapefruit juice – a wonderful reminder of the bitter sweet taste of love itself! The hotel’s spa professionals also do relaxing massages. But, the spectacular spa opening in the hotel’s new wing next summer is worth waiting for: rumour has it that this will be Chanel’s first ever spa operation...
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Looking for a selection of the most beautiful honeymoon hotels in France? Check out our selection of breathtaking romantic hotels on the Riviera/Cote D'Azur.
Or, check out 101 Honeymoons for more honeymoon hotels and mini moons.