By Mark Ellwood
Dive into summer on the Côte d’Azur.
A dreamy strip of coastline along France’s southern reach, the Côte d’Azur has been a magical getaway for more than 100 years, an otherworldly place, as much a mythical playground as a real place (no wonder F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fever dream of a novel, “Tender is the Night,” was written right here). It’s the ideal summer escape, but it can be dizzying to plan a trip when there’s such a luxe glut here. So, we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to the region, including expertise from the most connected insiders, to offer even the most seasoned visitors some fresh inspiration.
Where to Stay Right Now
The pick of the hotels is a binary choice, depending on if you’re looking for modern chic or classic glamour. For the latter, book a suite at the wedding cake–like Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, restored in 2023 to its glittery glory by Paris-based Tristan Auer; if you’d rather remain contemporary, opt instead for the hilltop The Maybourne Riviera in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Increasingly, though, wealthy visitors prefer the seclusion and convenience of a villa; here’s the trio we’d most emphatically endorse:
The Carlton Cannes offers a classically glamorous experience, while the 12-bedroom Le Grand Jardin skews more modern.
The 12-bedroom Le Grand Jardin Cannes, from Switzerland’s Ultima Collection, was once owned by Louis XIV, and sits on the two-mile long Sainte-Marguerite island in the Bay of Cannes—take a short helicopter ride over to check in. It has its own botanical park, filled with roses and olive and cypress trees; and make sure to dip into the bayfront park’s waters where British artist Jason deCaires Taylor installed an underwater sculpture garden.
Take a dip in the pool at Le Grand Jardin.
Brand-new for 2025: Villa La Guettière, an offshoot of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc (and just a stone’s throw away), is a nine-bedroom, Provençal-style residence, designed by architect Luc Svetchine. The property, which opened in April, sits on its own 1.6-acre plot on the water, almost dipping into the Mediterranean; the pool has spectacular views. It’s rostered with the same top-tier service and amenities as the hotel, including chef, butler, and security.
Property developer David Rich-Jones, of Richstone Properties, is currently building a spectacular hilltop mansion for rent in Cap d’Antibes, Inch Allah, which will become available in summer 2027. Until that’s finished, the best perch is his other property, a little down the hill at Domaine de la Garoupe, which has room for 18 people across three buildings on its gated estate and a gorgeous patch of beach a short walk down the hill.
In Monte Carlo, be sure to save time for a meal at Avenue 31, which also has a sister property at Bal Harbour Shops, Avenue 31 Café.
Where to Eat (and Party) like a Local
Australian hotelier–turned-entrepreneur Jennifer Fox splits her time between Monaco and a chic apartment overlooking the Croisette in Cannes and is an unapologetic good-lifer. Who better, then, to offer advice on the must-book tables along the coast?
In Monte Carlo, be sure to save time for a meal at Avenue 31, where classics like beef tartare are served alongside more seasonal fare.
On the Renzo Piano–renovated Larvotto strip in Monaco, try Sexy Tacos, which is “perfect for a beach afternoon, or a night out in the upstairs restaurant,” says Fox. Otherwise, Chez Pierre nearby is one of the few family-run restaurants in Monaco and “the power-lunch place for the business elite.” Owner Pierre Baldelli, a Cipriani alum, opened it with his sons, Luca and Marco, and his wife, Kate, makes the cakes. For a taste of Italy, turn to Avenue 31, where Mediterranean fare is served up family-style using local, seasonal ingredients. The Monte Carlo mainstay also has an outpost at Bal Harbour Shops, which opened last year. Day or night, you can’t go wrong at La Môme, Fox adds, with its location overlooking both Port Hercule and the royal palace on the Rock. The twins who own it, Antoine and Ugo Lecorche, expanded their footprint to Cannes with La Môme Plage. “Their beach club takes over the entire street and it is definitely the top place to see and be seen,” says Fox. Palm Beach was once the haunt of Cary Grant and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; it reopened last year after a more than $270-million makeover. “It has so many great places all under one roof,” she says, noting that alongside the members’ club, there are several restaurants (each with superb terraces), including a Zuma outpost and the “sexy, cool, glamorous” nightclub, Medusa.
The pool at Villa Las Brisas offers a more private experience.
The Party Planner You Need (and the Rosé to Serve)
Art collector Carol Asscher’s great grandfather was commissioned by Britain’s King Edward VII to cut the world’s largest diamond for him; in the process, he earned the right to name the new technique in his honor. She’s a fixture of the scene here, and even rents out her own seven-bedroom Villa Las Brisas, which has private access to Pampelonne Beach (half-squint, and you could almost see Brigitte Bardot posing there, as it was one of her favorite spots). One bonus perk of renting from Asscher? Access to her extraordinary network of fixers and helpers, like Christina Montori Mandelli of the Endogroup. The party planner is the only person she’ll trust to handle events, major or minor. According to Asscher, Montori Mandelli moves from Italy to live more or less full time in Saint-Tropez every summer, expressly to handle the surge of bookings from socialites like her and her circle. “July is really busy, because everyone’s there, and doing a party every night,” says Asscher, so book Christina’s time well in advance. The best insider rosé to serve, she adds, is Saint-Tropez–adjacent Domaine La Rouillère. “I’m friends with the owner, but the wine is nice, the color is light, and the price is good, too.”
Cannes’ iconic Palm Beach.
Ask a Concierge: Sébastien Clémente
Sébastien Clémente is a former head concierge and Clefs d’Or who struck out five years ago to co-found Cannes-based concierge, Alter[3]go. There’s no one with better connections (and taste) to act as a fixer on your next stay—as these recommendations prove.
Every beach club that matters, he says, is clustered together on Ramatuelle in Saint-Tropez—not just Le Club 55, but also Bagatelle, Shellona, and Verde Beach. “Always ask for the second seating, starting around 2:30, to be there at the best time of day,” says Clémente. In the evening, though, book a table at L’Opera, “the party place this side of the Riviera that goes all night long.”
Want to learn how to make a true French baguette? The erstwhile head pastry chef at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Lilian Bonnefoi, will teach you at his own charming house in the old town of Antibes—that is, if you ask Clémente to arrange it for you.
The view at Zuma’s Cannes outpost.
As for vineyards, there are two he’ll always suggest clients visit. Within the island chain of Iles de Lérins in the Bay of Cannes is Saint-Honorat Island, home to its namesake vineyard, Saint-Honorat. “Monks established the abbey there during the 11th century,” says Clémente, “and they’ve been cultivating the vineyard on the island ever since.” Otherwise, in the hills above Nice in the tiny Bellet appellation, go to Château de Crémat. “Coco Chanel used to go there when she was on the French Riviera, and the legend is that the coat of arms of the castle inspired her for the interlaced double-C logo,” says Clémente.
Steal this Trip: The Insider’s Yachting Guide
Monaco-based Paola Scalabrino, of Super Yachts Monaco, is the go-to charter expert for the pickiest summer visitors. She recommends a week or so to hit the key spots in and around the coast; come during Le Jumping (July 3–5) for an extra jolt of glamour, with showjumpers cantering round a special course built right on Port Hercule.
Book the Berco Voyager from Super Yachts Monaco for an unrivaled summer charter.
The best berth to start among the trio of marinas serving Monaco, she says, is Fontvieille, as long as your superyacht is 30m (around 98 feet) or smaller. “If you’re looking for a good night’s sleep, but you can still walk into the center of Monaco,” says Scalabrino, the insider’s spot to idle in the principality is restaurant Club La Vigie, part of the Monte- Carlo Beach hotel, just over the eastern border into France. “You have the waves just below you, and a real sense of being on holiday when you’re there.”
Once you’re sailing into the Med, she says, make sure to mix up between being in port and dropping anchor. First place to do the latter: Villefranche-sur-Mer. “The summer is magical there, with the light changing: there’s a reason why the Impressionists often came here,” says Scalabrino. Get your charter broker to reserve a private dinner at the Rothschild-owned Villa Ephrussi, amid the sumptuous gardens; it can be privatized with the right connections. Hop in a car to drive inland for sundowners: in the battle between the La Chèvre d’Or and Château Eza, Scalabrino sides with the latter. “It’s a little bit more intimate, with windows where two or four people can sit.” Move on from there to Cannes; weigh anchor between the islands, and use a limo tender to island-hop, but have lunch at La Guérite on Sainte- Marguerite, for a superb salade niçoise.
Scoring a berth in peak season in Saint- Tropez is always a challenge, especially on a weekend. “It’s lovely to be inside the port for at least one night, to breathe in the atmosphere of the town,” she adds, “But otherwise, it’s beautiful to anchor in the bay.” From there, save the best for last: the chance to explore Porquerolles, an island that Scalabrino says has “the atmosphere of a lost town from Provence,” with its pine forests, dirt roads, and no cars.
It’s home to barely 300 people, and there’s scant overnight accommodation, either, so it’s even quieter when the final daytripping ferry leaves. One exception: the 47-room hotel Le Mas du Langoustier, whose restaurant La Pinède has a Michelin star. “Get dropped off with a tender on the two beautiful beaches close by and walk there through the pine trees.” Otherwise, rent bikes and pit stop whenever you wish—at beaches, of course, or vineyards like Domaine de l’Ile. After that, head back to Monaco after the perfect week on the water.
Getting Around in Style
Gylls Wolff began her career as a war reporter— including three years in the jungle during the Vietnam War. She eventually decamped to Nice where she began a second career close to her other passion: cars. Zoom the Solution rents out a fleet of vintage convertibles, (the oldest is a 1930s Jaguar) with or without a chauffeur (“You need to turn the steering wheel more than you expect on antique cars,” she cautions), so you can explore the area in chic retro style. Consider a day trip to Cassis, or the tiny Italian Riviera town of San Remo, just 30 miles away. If making the jaunt for lunch, we recommend Michelin-star Paolo e Barbara for an exquisite crayfish cappelletti served in an Abbruzo saffron broth.
What to Pack:
Monaco’s Latest Developments
In a feat of nature-defying engineering (huge concrete chambers were built under the sea close to shore, before being drained and then filled with sand to form the foundation of an entirely new part of the coastline), the principality just reclaimed a 14-acre plot of land from the Med to create a brand-new neighborhood (and enlarge the 499-acre country by 3 percent in the process). It’s dubbed Mareterra in a nod to those origins, and has become the hottest place to live in the country, mostly thanks to the unusually large, open-plan apartments and homes designed by the likes of Sir Norman Foster, Tadao Ando, and Renzo Piano. Even if you’re not house-hunting, though, head to Mareterra’s new entertainment and dining complex for lunch at Marlow, which opened in January. It’s a throwback to the era when this area was thronging with British aristocrats, serving contemporary riffs on English classics, whether a full English breakfast or beef Wellington.
Monte-Carlo’s Hôtel Métropole has reopened for the season following a redesign by Jacques Garcia. However, its Odyssey pool, designed by Karl Lagerfeld, remains unchanged.
Meanwhile in Monte-Carlo, the Hôtel Métropole—the only independent hotel there— reopened for the season after a six-month closure, once again deeding the redesign of the rooms to fashionista favorite Jacques Garcia, whose aesthetic defines hotels like La Mamounia in Morocco and Hotel Costes in Paris. There’s a new Guerlain-run spa, but one thing remains unchanged: its beloved Odyssey pool, which was the brainchild of the late Karl Lagerfeld, another regular.
The One Croissant
Go to Boulangerie Veziano, the oldest of its kind in Antibes, which just celebrated its centenary and is still family-run (current head baker: Jean-Paul Veziano). Don’t just scarf a croissant, though, as it’s also known for pizza-style flatbread pissaladière, and chard pie, spiked with pine nuts, raisins and rum, Niçoise-style.
