At Les Roches Rouges, the Mediterranean is never far from view. Perched along the Estérel coastal road in Saint-Raphaël, the Beaumier hotel appears to emerge naturally from the rocky landscape, its modernist architecture opening toward the sea and the distant silhouette of Île d’Or. This year, the Riviera retreat debuted new gardens, expanded the spaces around the pools and added new terraces tucked among the rocks. A neighboring building has also been renovated with 25 new bedrooms (now totaling 68), creating a more immersive connection to the sea. The transformation, led by interior architects Antoine Ricardou and Clémentine Larroumet of ASL, builds on the work of Festen, who first renovated the hotel in 2016.
Inside, the design follows the same philosophy. Raw concrete, natural light and expansive views give the rooms and suites a distinctly modern Riviera sensibility, while an eclectic collection of art and vintage furnishings adds warmth and personality. The standout new accommodation is the Riviera Suite, a private rooftop residence that feels more like a secluded Mediterranean apartment than a traditional hotel suite. Spanning 135 square meters, it has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a light-filled living room, along with 125 square meters of landscaped terraces. A private pool and outdoor shower look toward the horizon while a curved concrete wall adds a sculptural element to the otherwise serene space.
One of the hotel’s buildings
Much of the appeal, however, is found beyond the rooms. The hotel’s signature seawater pool appears to dissolve into the Mediterranean, while a heated lap pool offers another place to swim. Guests can head directly from the property onto the water for paddleboarding, kayaking or snorkeling while excursions can extend to sailing, fishing, scuba diving, tennis, golf and even vintage-car drives along the coast. Food is equally rooted in the region. At Estelo, the hotel’s Mediterranean terrace restaurant, Chef Alexandre Baule focuses on seasonal Provençal cooking. For a more relaxed afternoon, La Chicoula sits beneath the pine trees, serving pizzas, salads and cocktails.
DuJour spoke with the property’s general manager, Patrice Lanteri, to discover what makes it so special.
What’s the most requested room at the property?
The Riviera Suite, room 300
What makes it so special?
It offers a completely different experience from a traditional hotel stay. Sitting above the Mediterranean with its own private entrance, the two-bedroom suite feels more like a private Riviera home, with sweeping sea views, a rooftop terrace, a private pool and generous indoor-outdoor living spaces. Guests are drawn to its sense of privacy and exclusivity, as well as its design, which takes inspiration from the modernist architecture of the Côte d’Azur and the surrounding Estérel landscape. It’s the closest you can get to having your own secluded corner of the French Riviera, while still enjoying all the services and facilities of Les Roches Rouges.
Estelo restaurant
What is the nightly rate for this suite?
From €2,600
What’s your favorite design element on property?
The seawater swimming pool. It’s carved directly into the volcanic coastal rock and sits at sea level, so waves occasionally splash over the edge, you’re swimming with the tide rather than beside it. The pool floor is lined with natural sea pebbles rather than tiles, which gives swimmers the feeling of swimming in a cove, while the outer rock barrier has been carefully engineered to protect against strong ocean currents.
What special perk or amenity do you offer that no one knows about?
We place great importance on showcasing the craftsmanship and savoir-faire of our region, thoughtfully selecting local products wherever possible across our rooms, minibars and boutique. Guests will find small touches that tell the story of Saint-Raphaël and its surroundings, every item has been chosen to offer a meaningful connection to the destination.
The hotel grounds
What’s your personal favorite room? Why?
Signature Junior Suite room 506. The Mediterranean is ever-present here, right from the moment you walk in, with a spacious balcony that opens directly onto the water and a separate sitting area for the choice between a king or a double bed. It’s a suite built entirely around comfort and stillness, the kind of room where you let the rhythm of the sea set the pace for the day.
What’s an interesting tidbit about the hotel that speaks to its status as an icon?
The original building dates back to the 1950s—right around the time the term “jet set” was first coined—making Les Roches Rouges a contemporary of the very era that put the French Riviera on the map. The hotel was reimagined by Parisian design duo Festen, who stripped back decades of eighties-era renovations to reveal the building’s original modernist bones, drawing inspiration from Eileen Gray’s iconic E-1027 villa. It’s a rare case of a hotel that’s both historic and a true design icon in its own right.
How about one more fun fact about the property?
The hotel extension we unveiled last year was previously an abandoned car park before its transformation. It was completely renovated by Antoine Ricardou and his team at ASL, turning it into one of the most beautiful and unique parts of the hotel. It’s my favorite hotel secret to share, guests are always shocked to learn what it used to be.
