The Most Beautiful 5-Star Hotels on the French Riviera

From Nice to Cannes, via the hills of Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Giens Peninsula, the French Riviera boasts a collection of 5-star hotels. Some embrace discretion and prefer anonymity to prestige, while others embrace the glitz of spectacular renovations. Gault&Millau has selected the establishments that best embody this diversity.

Hôtel du Couvent, Nice

At the very top of Old Nice, across from Sainte-Réparate Cathedral, this former^17th-century convent was long home to nuns before falling into ruin and being reborn, after ten years of renovation, as one of the Riviera’s most beautiful five-star hotels, now distinguished by the “Palace” designation. Studio Mumbai and Studio Méditerranée designed the architecture, while Festen handled the interiors, in a “less is more” spirit that borders on the monastic: no television, no smart home technology, just terracotta tiles, marble, and an almost sacred silence found nowhere else on the Côte. The 88 rooms and suites are spread across the historic building and two contemporary wings, where you ascend to the terraced garden—olive trees, persimmons, and 80 aromatic herbs—before reaching the 19-meter lap pool, which undoubtedly offers the most beautiful view of the Baie des Anges in Nice. Dine at La Guinguette—pan bagnat included—or enjoy a more gourmet experience at the Restaurant, while the spa circuit, modeled after the Roman baths of Cimiez, completes the site’s ancient legacy.

• Starting at: €431/night
• I want to stay at the Hôtel du Couvent

Cap Estel, Èze

Set on a two-hectare private peninsula between Nice and Monaco, this former Florentine mansion—built by a Russian aristocrat in the^19th century—has hosted the likes of Greta Garbo, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. There are just 20 rooms and suites spread across four buildings—Le Cap, La Mer, Les Jardins, and Le Parc—all facing the Mediterranean. The grounds, dotted with century-old ficus trees, rose gardens, and waterfalls, wind down in five curves to the private beach. Two infinity pools, a Sothys spa, a tennis court, and a gourmet restaurant run by chef Kévin Garcia round out this exclusive retreat, conceived less as a hotel than as a guesthouse where anonymity takes precedence over all other considerations.

• Starting at: €1,200/night
• I want to stay at the Cap Estel Hotel

Villa Miraé by Inwood Hotels, Cap d’Antibes

Completely transformed by the Inwood Group in 2026, this Relais & Châteaux property in Cap d’Antibes was redesigned by architect Oscar Lucien Ono in the spirit of a Provençal home: Burgundy stone, carved wood, linen, and Murano glass. The 35 rooms and suites, organized into three color schemes, all feature a private terrace. In the kitchen, Mauro Colagreco, chef at Mirazur, oversees the entire culinary offering: Amarines in the evening for a gastronomic experience rooted in sustainable agriculture, and Miraé, open all day, for a more casual dining experience blending French Riviera and Italian cuisine. A swimming pool, a seaside solarium, and direct access to the beach round out this new landmark in Le Cap.

• Starting at: €405/night
• I want to stay at the Villa Miraé hotel

© Alexandre Tabaste

Les Roches Blanches, Cassis

Facing Cap Canaille, one of Europe’s highest sea cliffs, this 1887 mansion once hosted Winston Churchill and Édith Piaf before being transformed into a five-star hotel with a contemporary Art Deco aesthetic. The 45 rooms and suites, ranging from 18 to 89 m², feature understated decor; the Presidential Penthouse includes three bedrooms, a terrace, and a hammam. The restaurant Les Belles Canailles, led by chef Alessandro Guardiani, showcases Provençal producers, while Le Loup Bar and La Pétanque extend the experience into the evening. The Sisley spa, perched above the Mediterranean, rounds out the experience, as does Villa Cala Bianca, a 280 m² standalone property with direct access to the sea.

• Starting at: €680/night
• I want to stay at Les Roches Blanches

Villa Marie, Saint-Tropez

Perched on the heights of Ramatuelle, nestled between pine forests and the Mediterranean, this property of the Hôtels et Maisons Sibuet group evokes a Tuscan family home: ochre-colored facades, cypress trees, and fountain-adorned ponds. The 45 rooms and suites blend four-poster beds, weathered furniture, and handcrafted ceramics in sunny hues. The Dolce Vita restaurant serves colorful Mediterranean cuisine overlooking the bay, while the Pure Altitude spa offers treatments featuring mountain plants and pine and lavender oils. A unique feature of the hotel: the opportunity to explore the Saint-Tropez peninsula on a Vespa, in partnership with an Italian scooter rental company, far from the hustle and bustle of the village and its summer traffic jams.

• Starting at: €620/night
• I want to go to La Villa Marie

© Hortense Sadou

Les Roches Rouges, Saint-Raphaël

On the Corniche d’Or, nestled among pine trees and tamarisk, this 1950s roadside motel was transformed in 2017 by the design duo Festen, revealing the raw charm of its original modernist architecture. Polished concrete, a De Sede leather sofa, a wicker coffee table by Charlotte Perriand, and terracotta wall sconces by Guy Bareff: the vintage furniture spans the decades without ever succumbing to nostalgia. The 50 rooms and suites, which open wide onto the Mediterranean, feature a palette of white accented with red, blue, and ochre, echoing the Estérel Mountains. Two restaurants bring the property to life, including Estelo with its Provençal cuisine, complemented by a swimming lane carved into the rock, a seawater pool, a private beach, and an Esthederm spa.

• Starting at: €426/night
• Where? 90 Boulevard de la^36e Division du Texas, 83700 Saint-Raphaël

© Lucas Dutertry

Château de Théoule, Théoule-sur-Mer

A former soap factory dating back to 1630, transformed into a medieval-style château by a Scottish lord, this estate has been owned by the Millésime Group since 2024, which renovated it over three years without compromising its spirit. The result? Preserved wood paneling, restored hardwood floors, and shades of azure blue and pale pink that echo the Riviera. The 33 rooms and 11 suites, all with ocean views, are spread across the Château, the Art Deco Villa, and the Maison des Pêcheurs, the latter of which can be rented out entirely for private use. Enjoy lunch with your feet in the sand at La Plage Blanche, dine at La Mareluna on Italian-Japanese cuisine by Francesco Fezza, then head to the spa in partnership with MyBlend by Clarins.

• Starting at: €350/night
• I want to stay at the Château de Théoule

Domaine du Mas de Pierre, Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Set apart from the hustle and bustle of the hilltop village, this family-friendly resort—part of the SFH group and a member of Relais & Châteaux—features 76 rooms and suites spread across 4 hectares of gardens, distributed among nine country houses, including an adults-only retreat centered around a private pool. The Lis Orto bistro serves dishes made with local ingredients alongside a 25-meter pool, while La Table de Pierre, helmed by Maxime Leconte, showcases the flavors of Provence. The 2,000 m² spa, in partnership with the brands PAOMA and CellCosmet, rounds out the wellness experience. A family-friendly highlight: a 340 m² lagoon with a white sand beach, waterfalls, and slides, designed as a playground in its own right for children.

• Starting at: €248/night
• I want to stay at the Domaine du Mas de Pierre hotel

Le Hameau des Pesquiers Ecolodge, Hyères-les-Palmiers

Located on the Giens Peninsula, in the heart of Port-Cros National Park, this Curio Collection by Hilton is housed in former salt workers’ homes nestled between salt marshes and pine forests. The first 5-star ecolodge on the French Riviera, awarded the European Ecolabel, it features 48 rooms and suites accessed via wooden walkways, where driftwood and hewn stone take center stage, accented by Murano glass chandeliers. The restaurant Les Saliniers features hearty, locally sourced cuisine; the Nuxe spa offers a hammam and sauna; and direct access to the sea rounds out the experience. Sculptor Carl Jaunay has installed a dolphin bench made from recycled materials, illuminated at night by solar-powered spotlights.

• Starting at: €242/night
• Where? 1729 Route de Giens, 83400 Hyères-les-Palmiers

Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel, Cannes

The first luxury hotel in Cannes when it opened in 1913, the Carlton reopened in March 2023 after two years of renovations and a €300 million investment by the Qatari group Katara Hospitality. Architect Richard Lavelle and interior designer Tristan Auer added two wings totaling 20,000 m², bringing the total floor area to 52,000 m² without ever compromising the Belle Époque façade, which is listed as a historic monument. The interior garden, planted with 22,000 Mediterranean species, leads to the largest infinity pool on the Croisette. The hotel features 332 rooms and suites—including 72 with ocean views—and 37 residences; the seventh floor is home to the signature Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, and Kirk Douglas suites. Three restaurants, including the Anatolian Rüya, and the C Club—a 900-square-meter fitness and spa complex featuring a boxing ring—round out this legendary Festival venue.

• Starting at: €321/night
• I want to stay at the Carlton Cannes Hotel

© Amaury Laparra

The Palais de la Méditerranée, Nice

A member of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, this hotel—whose façade is designated a historic monument—unveiled interiors redesigned by Hungarian designer Linda Boronkay in 2026. Featuring sweeping curves, Art Deco furnishings, and pastel hues, most of the 145 rooms and 28 suites offer views of the Baie des Anges or the hills of Nice. The Zouzou restaurant, led by Chef Sébastien Roux, brings the patio and sea-view terrace to life with its refined Mediterranean cuisine.

Upstairs, a year-round heated indoor-outdoor pool, a sauna, a hammam, and a salt wall make up a wellness area located just a few meters from the Promenade des Anglais.

• Starting at: €230/night
• I want to visit the Palais de la Méditerranée