La Réserve Ramatuelle Hotel, Spa & Villas serves up St. Tropez’s biggest wow factor for travelers in search of a truly five-star experience.

The décor is Florentine inspired, and the views of the sea and surrounding countryside are stunning from this height. There are seventy-five rooms and forty suites (ask for one with a terrace or balcony overlooking the sea). After a two-year renovation, the property joined France’s Airelles group, and added an outdoor lap pool and a 10,000-square-foot Valmont Spa. Inside the new wellness sanctuary, guests can enjoy signature massages in any of the nine treatment rooms, as well as a hammam, sauna, indoor pool and infrared therapy.

The huge pool and impressive fitness center and spa may persuade you to remain on-site, but La Messardière also offers twenty-four-hour shuttle service to two of St.-Tropez’s private beaches (Tahiti and Tropezina). Some couples bring children, but the atmosphere is discreet and slightly formal, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself whispering.

Within walking distance of all the action in the village, the eagerly anticipated Cheval Blanc is the only hotel in St. Tropez with its own beach.

Twenty years after the Hôtel de Paris closed its doors, the grande dame reopened in 2013 with a fully modern look, thanks to Sybille de Margerie, the designer also responsible for the Mandarin Oriental in Paris and the Cheval Blanc in Courchevel. The ninety rooms and suites start on the small side, but each has impeccable contemporary décor, mixing natural materials with pops of color, from fuchsia throw pillows to graphic yellow stripes along a wall. All rooms have street or courtyard views, while top floor suites overlook the neighboring St. Tropez harbor or the rooftops of neighboring buildings.

The rooftop restaurant has wonderful views across St. Tropez - a perfect place to start the day - while Le Suffren Cafe, created by three-star Michelin chef Georges Blanc, is suitable for a big night out. To recover from a late night, escape to the brand new Clarins Spa and take advantage of the sliming treatments, Turkish Hammam, and nail spa. Don’t miss the rooftop’s glass-bottomed pool, suspended above the hotel’s central atrium. An insider who stayed recently reports that the service is excellent.

Breathtaking views, exquisite service and a beautifully curated aesthetic make Lou Pinet a prime destination in Saint-Tropez.

The sister property to Paris’ hip Hôtel Sezz, Saint Tropez’s Sezz offers an equally cool crash pad for scenesters and fun-loving families who flock to this sleek resort for sun, sea and scene. The thirty-seven rooms - referred to as cocoons - are spread throughout the property in one-story bungalows and are minimally furnished with low platform beds, mid-century chairs and crisp white linens. Tiled floors open onto private patios, and the soaring floor-to-ceiling windows allow plenty of light plus views into the lush gardens. Though a rollaway bed can be added to the cocoons, there are also two villas that are better fits for families.

Most guests at this twenty-six-room manor house are lodged in pink-and-ocher pavilions, some of which have garden terraces and open-air Jacuzzis. The hotel is set back from a country road, and the pool is in a tropical palm-shaded garden. La Bastide’s restaurant, L’Olivier, excels in Mediterranean classics, and attracts a local clientele year-round. If you want to feel like you’re part of the St.-Tropez scene, this decidedly untrendy hotel isn’t the place for you. But travelers who appreciate great food as well as a deeply comfortable and quiet setting—and a good deal—will be happy here.

The once modest property is now a showcase of gray-and-white minimalist chic. The guest rooms have plasma-screen TVs and large bay windows with views of the pool, sea or a vineyard, but not much else in terms of décor. There is also an apartment that’s good for families or friends traveling together. For lounging, there is a small pool, but most guests use the patio more as a breakfast terrace than as a place to spend the day (the car park is next to it).

Situated in picturesque La Croix Valmer, Lily of the Valley focuses on wellness and its interplay with the surrounding natural environment.

Once the home of Napoleonic hero General Jean-François Allard and his Indian-born wife, Princess Bannou Pan Deï, the Palais feels like a colonial-style home. The lobby is decorated with Indian antiques and Asian furnishings, statues and colorful carpets, and the unusually spacious guest rooms have ceiling fans and beds are draped with shimmering fabrics. Best of all, they can convert into modular super suites, ideal for traveling families. Keep in mind that the Asian décor is not for everyone. Guests who love it call the hotel tranquil and magical; those who don’t feel like they are sleeping in an antiques store.

Between boutique-hopping (the top shopping is just outside the hotel), guests can lounge on Indonesian daybeds by the heated pool, sip Champagne cocktails at their private bar or book a shiatsu massage in the mini-spa. The restaurant serves up innovative Mediterranean and Asian dishes, and there’s a small bar that’s fun for evening drinks. The ambiance at both stays convivial, though if you want to party, the top clubs are just down the road. Pan deï Palais feels exclusive and intimate given its small size, and is a great escape from the usual St. Tropez fare. The lobby and lounge areas, as well as the pool and outdoor space are beachy, homey and comfortable and have an oasis vibe.

The hotel also has a small spa, which features treatments using the Valmont skin care line. The Swiss brand even customized the “Princess Pan Deï” treatments, designed to fight the effects of the sun and to treat the premature signs of aging.

Owners John and Pauline Larkin, two former London-based designers, have infused the hotel with a hip-meets-Provence atmosphere. A cutting-edge art collection lines the walls, including photographs by Robert Doisneau and David Hockney, as well as works by Fernand Léger and Roy Lichtenstein. At Pastis’s retro zinc bar, adorned with vintage Sex Pistols and Rolling Stone album covers, you can sample some of the region’s best local wines by the glass. During the day, guests—an international crowd of summer revelers and boho baby boomers—relax by the palm-shaded pool and garden courtyard. Bonus: the Larkins are always happy to share their insiders’ picks with their guests.

The individually designed rooms showcase a variety of styles, including a contemporary mix of white and beige fabrics, mahogany four-posters, painted wood furniture and cushy leather sofas. The stone-rimmed outdoor pool, surrounded by a lush garden, is a wonderful place to while away an afternoon, and the hotel’s Thai restaurant, Le Grand Café, is excellent.

Set in the hills of Gassin outside St. Tropez, and surrounded by private villas and homes, Villa Belrose feels like a private residence. The scene is quiet, which is rare to find in the glamorous city. The property’s unparalleled 180-degree views overlooking the Bay of St. Tropez can be enjoyed at various times during your stay – whether on the entrance’s terrace at welcome drinks upon your arrival, breakfast or lunch on the mid-level terrace, an afternoon spent at the large pool or from your sea view room.

While the overall feel of the palatial hotel was inspired by Renaissance Florence, the hotel’s fairly large 40 rooms are decorated in a soft contemporary style (although luxurious, some rooms feel a bit old world and dated). Each room has its own balcony or terrace with sea or garden views.