On St. Tropez, Hotel Byblos Still Has It All

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A summer stay in St. Tropez, for many, isn't just a tradition -- it's a rite of passage.

Since 1967 the Byblos Hotel has been luring pop stars, everyday billionaires and travel elite. What's more, the hotel recently emerged with a new spa, updated restaurants and renovated pool area made even hotter for 2008.

What To Expect

Byblos is located within the inner village, walking distance to the port and shops even for those in mile-high stilettos. This comes in handy when the compact streets of St. Tropez come to a standstill of Maseratis and Ferraris during summer.

Dress to impress: Think "summer sexy" rather than "dressy." Stylish French travelers arrive in fluffy white linen, sparkly sandals and chunky Rolexes, making their entrance down the stone staircase leading to the main lobby.

The First Impression

Byblos-virgins are pleasantly surprised to discover the laid-back luxury of the hotel despite all its tabloid hype. Cobbled tile floors and pastel stucco walls surround a relaxed lobby of oriental rugs, plasma-screen TVs and local antiques collected by the Chevanne-family over the hotel's 40-year history.

The front desk is exceptionally organized by a meticulous concierge able to secure next-day reservations at hot beach clubs like La Voile Rouge or evening bottle service at the in-house nightclub. Watching over everything is manager Stephane Personeni, who greets guests personally in a dapper khaki suit and refreshing French rapport.

Finding Your Room

If arriving in July or August, you'll be thankful for any room you can get -- 95 in all -- arranged around the signature inner courtyard modeled after a Mediterranean village. The Byblos is a sexy meeting of old and new -- and nowhere is that meeting more evident than in the guest rooms.