Wellness retreat with spa, holistic programs, and Mediterranean views











Colline Saint Michel, Boulevard Abel Faivre, Quartier de Gigaro, 83420 La Croix-Valmer, France Get directions

"Located not in a valley but on a sunbathed hilltop, Philip Starck’s rustic-modernist vision feels like it was made for this spot on the glitzy French Riviera. It has two bright blue pools, three excellent Provençal restaurants, and a super-techie spa. A beach club is a short shuttle ride away. My city-weary self, drawn by the promise of good food, daily exercise, and swish treatments, arrived for one of its four signature health retreats. I spent my days whipping from reformer Pilates to TRX class and indulging in suspiciously tasty meals (here, caviar scrambled eggs is a diet dish). On the last day I began to cry, my stay proving as much an emotional tune-up as a physical one—a balm for my London-fried soul, with a healthy lashing of Côte d'Azur lasciviousness. From $640. —Charley Ward" - CNT Editors

"Located not in a valley but on a sunbathed hilltop, Philip Starck’s rustic-modernist vision feels like it was made for this spot on the glitzy French Riviera. It has two bright blue pools, three excellent Provençal restaurants, and a super-techie spa, with a beach club a short shuttle ride away. My city-weary self, drawn by the promise of good food, daily exercise, and swish treatments, arrived for one of its four signature health retreats; I spent my days whipping from reformer Pilates to TRX class and indulging in suspiciously tasty meals (here, caviar scrambled eggs is a diet dish). On the last day I began to cry, my stay proving as much an emotional tune-up as a physical one—a balm for my London-fried soul, with a healthy lashing of Côte d’Azur lasciviousness." - CNT Editors

"High in La Croix Valmer, Lily of the Valley pairs cinematic Riviera views with unconventional luxury: Philippe Starck’s walnut ceilings, daring marble bathrooms and offbeat rustic spaces host a wellbeing‑forward agenda where the spa runs three holistic programs (weight‑loss, sport and detox) alongside à‑la‑carte wellness, and menus lean nourishing — poached fish and seasonal salads — while the pool dominates with trippy Mediterranean vistas." - Rosalyn Wikeley

"Saint-Tropez, France This relatively new arrival to the Cote d’Azur may share other five star hotels' cinematic Riviera views and cool, contemporary interiors, but its agenda is unique and, perhaps, prophetic. Philippe Starck’s walnut ceilings, daring marble bathrooms and offbeat rustic spaces high in La Croix Valmer play host to new thinking on luxury travel—where wellbeing is no longer confined to a Swiss lake but sits alongside tapas lunches and lazy pastry breakfasts. This is where the well-heeled (and well-tired) come to recharge without the Opus Dei flavor punishment, but equally without the heavy hangover of an overindulgent week. The spa has, therefore, had to up its game for this new breed of Riviera roller—who sign up for three holistic programs (weight loss, sport, and detox) or go at their own turmeric shot and Technogym pace. Shades and materials, both inside and out, feel as organic and nourishing as the plates of poached fish and seasonal salads. The pool lords over trippy, Mediterranean views and reminds the one-only cocktail crowd (who occasionally slip off the wellness wagon) that wellbeing and pleasure were always bedfellows. —Rosalyn Wikeley Distance to the water: On the beach Travel time: 1 hour 40 minute drive from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport Price: Rooms from around $520 per night" - Lauren Burvill

"A wellness property south of Saint Tropez, France, offering a specialized aging evaluation and facial treatments to promote longevity."