Explore Our Editor’s Must-Reads / The French Riviera Palace That Drew Churchill And Audrey Hepburn Has Reopened / By Kate Symons

COMO Hotels and Resorts has reopened the legendary COMO Le Beauvallon on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, with a new culinary program by chef Yannick Alléno and a restored Belle Époque palace

COMO Hotels and Resorts has reopened COMO Le Beauvallon on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez – one of the French Riviera’s most storied addresses – following a landmark restoration of the 1914 Belle Époque palace.

The 42-room property sits on a private ten-acre estate of palms, pines and rolling lawns, its grounds extending to the Beauvallon Sur Mer beach club. Originally a magnet for luminaries including Winston Churchill, Colette and Audrey Hepburn, the hotel has been reimagined as a refined Riviera sanctuary with a bold culinary vision led by chef Yannick Alléno and interiors that blend Belle Époque grandeur with contemporary flair.

Dining by Yannick Alléno

Central to the hotel’s new new chapter is a culinary program shaped by Alléno, whose portfolio spans more than 20 restaurants worldwide.

At the beach club restaurant, Beauvallon Sur Mer by Yannick Alléno, the chef draws on Southeast Asian culinary traditions with Mediterranean flavours – with sharing plates including yellowtail tartare with peanuts and Thai basil ice cream, and seared tuna with Kampot pepper sauce.

The space was designed by French designer Dorothée Delaye, who has combined Belle Époque refinement with the carefree glamour of the 1950s Côte d’Azur. A 25-metre mosaic pool, reserved for hotel guests, sits beside direct beach access.

“I didn’t expect to be so deeply moved by this place.

The gulf, the light, and the history of this palace create a real sense of responsibility. COMO Le Beauvallon will be a destination in its own right,” said Alléno.

In the main building, the Winter Garden offers all-day dining beneath a glass ceiling, while the Riviera Terrace – designed by Paola Navone of Milan’s Otto Studio – provides an open-air lounge with sweeping gulf views.

Rooms, suites and art

All 42 rooms and suites are individually designed, featuring highlights from the hotel’s collection of more than 300 contemporary artworks.

The 28 suites – including the signature COMO Suite – have sweeping bay views, while Hillview rooms face the Provençal countryside.

Grounds, wellbeing and access

The estate extends to the Beauvallon Sur Mer beach club, connected by a private jetty from which a COMO speedboat offers complimentary eight-minute transfers to Saint-Tropez.

A second boat provides access to the beaches of Pampelonne.

Within the bayside gardens stands the 2002 Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Toyo Ito.

The hotel’s COMO Shambhala retreat offers two treatment rooms with holistic therapies, alongside a gym and daily yoga classes. For guests arriving by sea, yacht moorings sit directly offshore, while helicopter landings are available on site.

Rooms at COMO Le Beauvallon start from €840 per night. comohotels.com/lebeauvallon