Ramatuelle, France - Pavillon de Pampelonne (St. Tropez)

Even if I'm still wearing a winter coat here in London, the calendar reads June, and so, it must be summer somewhere! Summer means planning my annual trip to St. Tropez, France. While this year we are going in August and renting a flat in the port (stayed tuned for that), last year we stayed in a lovely B&B called Pavillion de Pampelonne on the road that leads to the beaches (Route des Plages) in Ramatuelle. (The summer before I stayed here).

The Pavillon is owned by a British couple, Alison and Peter Dow, who fell in love with it and bought it in May 2003, and have gradually restored it to its current splendor. They are wonderful hosts who treat you as if you are their houseguest for the weekend. “We try to run it as part home, part hotel so that the formalities of service and cleanliness are observed but at the same time inviting guests to use all of the facilities in the house – there’s even an honesty bar where you tell us how much you drink!” 

Breakfast is included in the room rate and can be eaten by the pool, in the garden (below) or taken in your room. It includes a fresh fruit bowl, juice, coffee, yogurt and an entire basket of croissants, pain au chocolat, french baguettes and other fresh goodies. Rooms and bathrooms are simple, but furnished tastefully and very clean. Parking is free and their James Bond-like security system means that even if you party until the wee hours of the morning, the door to the Pavillon will unlock by reading your fingerprint.

We loved the location because it was at the top of the road that leads down to the famous Club 55 where we spent all of our time during the day. You can leave the car at the residence and walk down to avoid the parking and traffic chaos in front of the club. However, you will need a car to reach the port of St. Tropez about 4km away.