EPI Baie de Pampelonne
Hotel · Ramatuelle ·
Bungalows, restaurants, tennis, fitness, spa on Pampelonne Bay
Bungalows, restaurants, tennis, fitness, spa on Pampelonne Bay
"In Ramatuelle on the Côte d’Azur, this sporty hideaway offers far more than beach clubs and sceney restaurants, with tennis emerging as a must-do activity. Open from May through September, the two synthetic clay courts are surrounded by pine trees and invite you to refine your backhand under the Mediterranean sun. Hotel guests can book private lessons for 180 euros or rent the courts for 90 euros, and afterward browse the chic pro shop for pieces to commemorate their game before lounging on the property’s pink pool chairs to unwind." - Rana Good
"A pin-up hotel when the French Riviera was the most fabulous place to go on holiday—especially for stars of the silver screen—has been rebooted for a new generation. Italian designer Monica Damante has rebooted rooms with old-world charm—full of vintage ceramics and sisal rugs. The restaurant serves seasonal Franco-Californian dishes with lots of vegan hits (rare in France). The closest village is Ramatouelle which is smaller and quieter than the other towns on the Riviera. Understated, breezy sophistication on the quieter Riviera—this is a retro oasis for rosé by the pool. —Tom Morris" - Lanie Goodman, Sarah James
"Set the scene.Laid-back, hippy, salty and sexy—in a ‘70s Serge Gainsbourg way. From the eggshell umbrellas over the poolside daybeds to the rattan furniture, Épi is refreshingly restrained on a stretch of coast that has come to welcome excess. It’s confident and cool. What’s the story behind it?A pin-up hotel when the French Riviera was the most fabulous place to go on holiday—especially for stars of the silver screen—has been rebooted for a new generation. Épi was originally opened in 1959 to keep up with the jet-set of the day flying in from Paris and New York by nightclub owner Jean Castel. It had 10 cabins and clay tennis courts tucked behind the sand dunes. Guests included Johnny Halladay and Sylvester Stallone. What can we expect from our rooms?Airy and charming cabins, pitched at just the right level of sophistication. Italian designer Monica Damante went big on restoring the old-world charm, placing black-and-white prints and vintage furniture inside each of the white-washed cabins. How about the food and drink?Good French seaside classics such as langoustines and poulet roti mixed with Californian favorites such as 'gratitude' vegan bowls and, inevitably, avocado. All washed down with the lightest of rose wine. The name Épi is derived from the French word for grocery—so the food is excellent, down to the fresh and healthful smoothies the attendants deliver poolside. Who comes here?Those that last summer were hitting up the utterly hip Roche Rouge a few beaches away. Think of the crowd as if Soho House did the French Riviera—these are the young up-and-comers set to become the Bardots of their generation. Not obnoxiously hipster, but cool and sophisticated. Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton could easily be on those poolside day beds. What’s the neighborhood scene like?This is away from any crowds, on Pampelonne Beach. The closest village is Ramatuelle, which is smaller and quieter than the other towns on the Riviera. Though guests can get to places such as the St Tropez Port and Navy Museum within a 10-minute drive, the hotel is really designed for you to stay on its grounds, strolling the designer gardens. Next door is Nikki Beach, but that’s another world. Anything we missed?On top of the phenomenal pool and those clay tennis courts (tested by John McEnroe), the gardens are truly exceptional. Profuse with hydrangeas and lilies, they were designed by Madison Cox who did Marjorelle in Marrakech. You can smell the flowers in any part of the hotel. There is also an old-fashioned games room which is as charming as playing a game of pétanque on the lawns. Worth it—and why?This is the Riviera as it used to be; consider it lucky this low-key, quiet glamour has been revived so we too can experience it. Laid-back, hippy, salty and sexy—in a ‘70s Serge Gainsbourg way. From the eggshell umbrellas over the poolside daybeds to the rattan furniture, Épi is refreshingly restrained on a stretch of coast that has come to welcome excess. It’s confident and cool." - Tom Morris
"About an hour and a half's drive from Nice, the retro oasis is set back from the heavily touristed areas of surrounding Saint-Tropez on Pampelonne Beach—plus there's a phenomenal pool, clay tennis courts that have seen the likes of John McEnroe, and a lily- and hydrangea-stocked garden."
"This glitzy Mediterranean playground might not register on the average hipster’s summer-holiday hit list. But last year’s reopening of Épi 1959 could change that. Set away from the hubbub on Ramatuelle beach west of the town proper, and tucked behind the sand dunes, it is the antithesis of loud-money Saint-Tropez. It’s cute, cozy, charming and low-key. There are 10 simple, whitewashed cabins, designed by Madison Cox, the man behind the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech. If it feels like the riviera of Brigitte Bardot’s heyday, that is precisely the point. The Épi first opened in the late 1950s and for decades it was the destination du jour for stars such as Johnny Hallyday before fading from the limelight. Then last year the place was given a spruce by Italian interior designer Monica Damonte. She turned to old pictures and vintage furniture to recreate the feeling of the golden age. Time travel is not at odds with modern luxuries though. There’s a big focus on food, of course (Épi takes its name from épicerie, or grocery). The restaurant serves the most delicious langoustines and rosé, and smoothies can be delivered by the pool before a knockabout on one of the two clay courts. There’s also an old-school games room in which to take a break from the sun over table-soccer. Though it is tough to resist the deep-blue Mediterranean, so close you can hear the lapping waves. This is the riviera, brought back to its roots. FLASH POINT Guests get allocated space at the pool and staff keep a supply of fresh blueberry and watermelon juice coming. +33 9-6366-8267; epi1959.com. Doubles from about $1,000." - CNT Editors