An independent guide to luxury ski chalets
From £10,000 exclusive villa per week
Stunning designer villa
across
the bay from St Tropez
usp
La Chenoiserie looks like a lovely, typical Cote d’Azur villa from the outside, all curvy roof tiles, beautiful long French windows, olive trees and deep purple bourgainvillea, but inside is an interior designer’s dream. The villa boasts fabulous, utterly uninterrupted views across the bay to St Tropez too. Not surprisingly, many guests have tried to buy the property, but to no avail – the owner, understandably, is not selling.
location
The villa is located in the Beauvallon area near St Maxime, on the other side of the bay from St Tropez. This makes it rather more exclusive and residential than villas nearer to the resort, as well as traffic free. Access to the bright lights and glitz of St Trop can be as little as 15 minutes around the coastal road, or a stylish five minutes by speedboat.
style
Walking into La Chenoiserie is like entering a giant chocolate box. The colour palette is exclusively browns and taupes and beiges and powder whites, with gorgeous white sofas and bleached wooden tables and lamp bases. There are wonderful rattan sun loungers around the pool area, adorned with turquoise towels to echo the colour of the water, as well as further rattan chairs arranged around a giant wooden table for outdoor eating. It is all exquisitely co-ordinated.
rooms
These are just beautiful, each with a fabulous view of the bay through lovely long French windows. The colour scheme is the same as the main living space, all bleached and seasidey, with just a hint of other soft colours such as baby blue or lime. The ground floor bedrooms have direct access onto the terrace, while they all have perfectly appointed en-suite bathrooms equipped with Jo Malone toiletries, apart from the twin bedroom downstairs which has a separate shower room. The master suite has a walk-in dressing area, bath with a view, and a dreamy, muslin-draped four poster bed. ^
food & drink
The food and drink is the same high standard as at the villa’s sister ski chalets, Chalet Himalaya and Chalet Montana. It is run by the same staff, in fact, transplanted to the Cote d’Azur from the Alps for the summer. The champagne is Perrier-Jouet, the wines are top notch French, and the food is locally sourced from markets and farms and, where possible, totally seasonal. Five course gourmet feasts can be laid on, either inside in the dining area, out in the loggia where breakfast is usually served overlooking the bay, or around the table beside the pool. Simple salads or comfort food can just as easily be arranged too – the food is bespoke rather than routine. ^
service
The service at La Chenoiserie is impeccable. Nothing is too much trouble, and the highly professional, efficient villa manager seems to be on duty 24 hours a day. ^
spa facilities
There is no spa at the villa, but yoga and pilates sessions can he held outside on the terrace with local company Bertrand Poncet. They also do all permutations of massages and beauty treatments, either in guests’ bedrooms or al fresco in the lovely pool house. ^
children
La Chenoiserie is a sophisticated, adult villa more than family-friendly hang-out. You go there for a gorgeous girlie break or for special celebratory adult occasions, leaving the children behind. ^
extras
There is wifi throughout, iPod docking stations and Sky TV. There is also a small library off the main living area with a guest computer, while outside, of course, there is a stunning, secluded pool lined with twinkling lanterns by night and offering fabulous views down to the bay and St Tropez beyond. There is also a pool house beside the pool with open fire, perfect for evening dining or just cocktails. ^
best thing
The interior design and the views. ^
worst thing
When the weather is bad and you can’t enjoy the outdoor pleasures of this beautiful place. ^
getting there
Fly to Nice, from where it is just a 1hr to 1hr 30mins transfer. The villa can pick you up, for an additional cost. Or you can be whisked by helicopter to one of the nearby helipads in Grimaud or St Tropez. ^
bottom line
The villa is only let out on a whole villa basis and costs from £10,000 in early May up to £22,000 for the peak months of July and August. September is priced at £15,000. ^
bookings & enquiries
If you would like to make an enquiry or a booking, please email enquiries at chicchaletguide.co.uk. Remember, we have visited all the properties we feature so can give you totally unbiased, independent advice on all of them. The prices we quote are also the list prices quoted by the villas themselves, so there is no advantage in going to the villas direct.
Villa - 10
Service - 10
Room - 9
Food & Drink - 9
Luxury - 10
Explore the charming local hill-top medieval villages of Grimaud and Gassin nearby, as well as the bright lights and bling of St Tropez itself.
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Bookings and enquiries: enquiries at chicchaletguide.co.uk Telephone:
+44 (0)7772 853996
guest book
"Four days in heaven. What a wonderful place, usually only found in dreams. The house is gorgeous and the staff amazing.”
“The perfect holiday.”
“We have had the best time. It has been a privilege to stay in your beautiful villa.”
“Back again for our second stay and this place is still as magical as ever. It truly is a little piece of paradise.”
“The villa was stunning, the views to die for and the food wonderful.”
“La Chenoiserie is a place you definitely want to come back to. We spent an unforgettable, wonderful time here and enjoyed every beautiful day of our stay.”
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