Discover Lily of the Valley, the New Wellness Kingdom of the French Riviera
Need to get back on your feet after a somewhat chaotic quarantine? Head to Lily of the Valley, a new base for lovers of healthy living passing through the French Riviera. Perched among the umbrella pines on the heights of Croix-Valmer and endowed with a breathtaking view of the Big Blue, the five-star hotel created by Alain Weill and his daughter Lucie was thought up by Philippe Starck. Elegant and friendly, the hotel, open all year round, promises a total (re)connection to the natural elements, a welcome breath of fresh air after months of confinement.
The famous designer has managed the best of all worlds, harmoniously associating Provencal DNA and his unquestionable taste for modern architectural elements.
The tiled roofs of the buildings and their wooden pergolas adjoin the bathrooms with futuristic notes, irresistible calls to the sin of the mirror selfie, while the 2000 square meter building devoted to wellness surprises with its minimalism and minerality.
Around the main pool which adjoins the Vista terrace, a house restaurant that bears its name aptly, the Cac40 pundits rub shoulders with Heathista models and multi-Caesarized actors who have come incognito, in a melting pot of idle recklessness that evokes the coast of azure of yesteryear.
The ideal option for those who wish to treat themselves to a regenerating break in the unspoiled natural setting of the Gulf of Saint Tropez, without opulent bling-bling and the noisy stream of reality TV candidates.
The last thing to distinguish Lily of the Valley from its surrounding competitors? Its incomparable wellness offerings, which contrast with the surrounding hotels of the moment, where the magnums of vintage champagnes are more rigorous than the detoxifying juice greens.
A hotel statement that begins with the plate, thanks to the light and tasty dishes of chef Vincent Maillard: breakfast adapts to all dietary requirements, while the lunch menu gives pride of place to local and seasonal products.
We feast on fish marinade with fennel, Lily salad with quinoa and seasonal vegetables, cooked/raw tuna with capers, and a cold tomato and red fruit soup, the ideal antidote to the summer heat.
The hotel's wellness village covers 2,000 square meters entirely devoted to the balance of body and mind. We immerse ourselves in the wellness programs concocted by the hotel, immersive experiences focused on sport, weight loss, or detoxing.
Accessible to residents of Lily of the Valley but also to external clients, these fully personalized protocols include dietetic monitoring with menus concocted by Dr. Jacques Fricker. Consultations provided by experts in nutrition and naturopathy, private coaching sessions in the fitness room with Technogym equipment, a vast adult-only swimming pool in the wellness village, group lessons for all tastes (aqua boxing, float yoga, biking, pilates, or Nordic walking) and treatments by Biologique Recherche and Sun Spa Esthederm, to be practiced before sun exposure to boost the rise of melanin and exfoliate the epidermis, or after-sun to optimize a tan and prolong its duration.
"The experience is all the more successful if it is carried out in immersion, which explains why the majority of our wellness programs are followed by hotel residents," explains Lucie Weill. Given the post-Covid period, we are witnessing a very strong demand for wellness on the part of our customers, which twists the necks of the usual clichés associated with the summer season of idleness where excess food and alcohol are rife. Our customers seem to want to refocus on themselves, to offer themselves a peaceful and privileged moment. For a 5-star hotel and in view of the prices that we charge, our clientele is quite young. This shows the growing impact of well-being among those in their thirties and forties, generations fully aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and in search of concrete solutions that will allow them to age better "
Colline Saint Michel, Boulevard Abel Faivre, Gigaro district, 83420 La Croix-Valmer
