This was our second stay. We stayed in an elagant courtyard facing appartment which comprised an equally large twin-bedded room which was ideal for our family. Fantastic restaurant. Highlight has to be the stunning ancient palm tree lined path to the beach where the aquamarine glint of the meditarranean sea beckons you forward. The hotel's sister hotel, La Pinede Plage pampers you once you get there. Sadly, this experience is not light on the wallet!

We stayed there for 4 days during summer 2007, preferring it over some of the properties closer to St Tropez. The grounds are beautiful and exude the charm of southern France. The rooms are nice and full of charm, and the service was competent (even if they couldn’t get us a table at the 55 for lunch, but then we asked the day before for a saturday). The only critique would be the pool. It is small and feels more like a cheap Costa del sol resort. But ok when you are in this area you would rather go to some of the beaches (Nikki, 55, Tahiti).

Staying at Chateau de Valmer could have been a really great experience, but it wasn’t quite, due to a number of minor issues that added up to a general feeling of a little less than perfect stay.
I have to say that the first off-putting moment was on our arrival. We arrived rather travel-worn at 4pm, looking forward to a quick entry to our room and a shower. We were greeted by a young French lady whose welcome was as frosty as a December morning. She then proceeded to bombard us with a list of information about spa treatments, and many other things that passed me by completely as I had just driven several hundred miles. It took fully 20 minutes to be allowed to actually close the door in our own room.

The room was great, except for a rather hard bed. This high ceilinged large bedroom on the top floor was one of the two best in the house, and its views across the vineyards to the sea were spectacular. The air-conditioning worked well, and the decor was tasteful, with a walk-in closet and a nice bathroom. But then again, there was no mini-bar, and no water was served in the room apart from the initial issue upon arrival. I’m sure we would have ordered room service, but at 500 Euros plus per night, I would expect all that to happen automatically.

This hotel is associated with a sister hotel at the beach – the Pinede Plage, and you have the choice of dining at either location. You can walk through an arcade of palm trees to the other hotel or take the hotel shuttle in the evenings. While the beach hotel is less traditional in decor, its restaurant is still formal, fancy and pricey. I think a more informal menu would have been useful there.

We had dinner at the Chateau Valmer restaurant, and the food was nice, but unexceptional, and service was slow. Prices were high, and a bottle of Domaine Ott rose, available at a store for 12 Euros, sold here for 75. However, ridiculously high food and wine prices in this area of France are very much the norm, and this establishment is just one of many marking up wine in this way. One of the issues on the Riviera is that there is such a demand from very wealthy clients that exclusivity is very often determined by price rather than by the quality provided.

Breakfast was another 25 Euros each, and while it was a fairly good buffet, we shared it with the birds. Most of the buffet items were laid out at 7:30 am then left open to visiting bird-life who took their time to enjoy cereals, cakes and bread before the late-rising guests came for second peckings.

The local Gigaro beach is a pleasant and pretty bay, with some nice restaurants. However, the location of the Valmer gives you easy driving access to the Cavalaire and Cavaliere resorts with their many bays and public beaches. There are also excellent small beach restaurants serving fresh fish in Cavaliere.
Of course St Tropez is just half an hour away. It’s flashier than ever, with so many yachts they can’t get parking space at the port. Those that have found a berth park their custom Bentleys or Ferraris at their gang-planks just to further reinforce their ostentatious image, just in case you hadn’t noticed. One difference to a decade or two ago is that most yachts now have hard-faced security men in evidence ready to repel boarders.

Closer to the hotel, the local culinary star is the Couleurs Jardin restaurant at the end of Gigaro beach. A most unassuming building from the outside, this partly al-fresco fusion of African and Mediterranean decor provides a shabby-chic atmosphere that attracts a full house every night. So popular that they don’t even answer their phone in the afternoons when diners will be attempting to reserve, they turn out well-cooked and ample portions, full of flavour and colour, and make you feel that you have had great food cooked well.

All in all the Valmer provided a lovely location, attractive gardens, great views and a nice pool, but the dining arrangements left something to be desired. The spa looked nice, but we didn’t try it. Most of the staff were OK, but not especially welcoming or helpful. It was a good experience but not great, and that’s what it should have been at the price.

Fantastic Hotel. Very Private. Need a car, to see the sites. Room spacious and very comfortable. Set back from the road. Loved every second. Food very expensive though. €60 + pp. Travelling with children, so too expensive to eat there. Sister hotel also expensive. Breakfast very nice. Can definately recommend this hotel. Lovey romantic destination, Very very quite.