A peaceful luxury hotel in Saint-Tropez: the Slow Luxury experience at Sezz

, On the July 20 2026

Where can you enjoy a peaceful break in Saint-Tropez without compromising on quality or missing out on the peninsula’s vibrant atmosphere?

For a long time, a successful holiday on the Riviera was all about ticking things off a list:

the beach clubs you’d visited,
the back-to-back nights out,
the most photographed spots, ticked off one by one.

Today, some travellers are seeking the opposite: less hustle and bustle, more presence. Slowing down, savouring the moment, choosing less but better. This is ‘slow luxury’, and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez is beginning to organise itself around this concept.

Le Sezz Saint-Tropez, on Route des Salins, just five minutes from the town centre yet sheltered from its hustle and bustle, is one of the finest examples of this:

the Sezz spa by Susanne Kaufmann,
the gourmet restaurant Colette,
the bistro Le C,
the Dom Pérignon bar,
a swimming pool surrounded by trees,
separate guest rooms…

the whole complex is designed so that you never feel crowded, nor feel the need to rush from one place to another.

Luxury is no longer measured by the number of activities

In a world where everything is speeding up – work and leisure alike – holidays have often become a race against time to ‘see everything, do everything’. Slow travel offers the opposite: taking the time to connect with a place, its people, its food and its pace, rather than simply passing through it.

This movement is accompanied by a shift in the very definition of luxury. Today, we speak of ‘quiet luxury’ – a form of luxury without ostentation that brings travel back to its essence: the excellence of the destination and the quality of the experience itself, rather than its display. It is a luxury that is lived rather than shown off.

This shift also responds to a very real sense of fatigue. The French spend, on average, more than four hours a day in front of a screen (according to Médiamétrie data for 2024), a figure that partly explains the growing appeal of holidays that encourage people to disconnect, even briefly. There’s no need for a ‘digital detox’ in the strict sense: sometimes all it takes is a place that makes you want to look at what’s happening right in front of you rather than at your phone.

In practical terms, what these travellers are looking for today is:

hotels on a human scale
silence
space
genuine contact with nature
authentic experiences
time for themselves.

Why is ‘quiet luxury’ transforming luxury tourism?

For a long time, luxury was defined by abundance: the grandest suites, the most high-profile locations, the most exclusive experiences.

Today, a new generation of travellers is seeking something different. ‘Quiet luxury’ is not about foregoing luxury, but about prioritising what is not immediately obvious: attentive service, understated architecture, unspoilt spaces and the feeling of having time.

This shift reflects a new way of approaching travel. Ostentatious luxury seeks above all to impress and to be seen. Experiential luxury emphasises the emotions, encounters and memories created during one’s stay. ‘Quiet luxury’ goes even further: it prioritises discretion, serenity and the quality of every detail, without ostentation or excess.

More than just a style, it is a philosophy of travel. We no longer choose a destination to accumulate experiences, but to fully savour those that truly matter.

In Saint-Tropez, too, there’s another way to experience the destination

Why are more and more travellers avoiding lively hotels?

Saint-Tropez has a reputation built on beach clubs, yachts in the harbour and parties that last until the early hours. This is a genuine part of its identity, but not the only one.

There is also this other side to the peninsula, less visible but just as real:

the coastal footpaths, to be explored on foot early in the morning
Canebiers beach, more secluded than Pampelonne
the morning markets, where you can meet the producers before anyone else arrives
breakfasts that stretch on without a glance at the clock
sunset views that you really take the time to appreciate.

It is precisely this side of Saint-Tropez that the Sezz has chosen to cultivate.

Sezz, a place designed to help you slow down

Where should you stay in Saint-Tropez if you’re looking for peace and quiet?

The Sezz doesn’t set out to offer as many activities as possible. Instead, it aims to provide the space you need to take things at your own pace.

The hotel has 37 rooms and suites, no more. There is no massive building: the architecture, designed by architect Christophe Pillet, opens out onto the gardens, with each room retaining a sense of independence from the others. The 200 m² heated swimming pool is surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation rather than sun loungers crammed together.

The rest follows the same philosophy:

The Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant Colette: for a leisurely dinner, open to both hotel guests and external visitors (up to 45 guests on the terrace and 30 indoors)
Le C bistro: for a relaxed lunch on the terrace, with a barbecue at lunchtime. Fancy finding out more? Read our article dedicated to Le C bistro and its summer cuisine.
The Dom Pérignon bar: for an aperitif by the pool, with a choice of signature cocktails and champagne (Champagne and cocktails from €25)
The Spa by Susanne Kaufmann: holistic treatments, hammam, jacuzzi, sunrise and sunset yoga classes (2 treatment rooms, including one for couples; treatments from €70). Discover our comprehensive guide to the Sezz Spa.
Free valet parking: so you don’t have to search for a parking space in the sun

Here, there’s no pressure to pack your day full. You stroll through the gardens, make your way back to your room without bumping into crowds of holidaymakers, and settle down by the pool simply because you feel like it – not because you have to book a sun lounger. The Sezz’s architecture has been designed so that everyone can naturally find their own rhythm.

And the location does the rest: just a few minutes from the beaches, right next to Les Salins, close enough to the centre to cycle there if the mood takes you, yet far enough away to never be bothered by the noise.

Finding time again: what that actually means

How can you experience Saint-Tropez in a different way?

Slow luxury isn’t an abstract concept. It’s a series of very simple moments that we often no longer have time to enjoy elsewhere.

Here’s what a truly unhurried day at Sezz might look like:

In the morning: a coffee on the terrace, without checking the time, before the heat sets in. Or a yoga session at sunrise, when the Gulf is still silent.
Late morning: a walk or cycle ride to Les Canebiers, with no set route, just to see where it takes you. Or a book by the pool, with nothing else planned.
Lunch: a table at Le C, for Chef Philippe Colinet’s grilled specialities prepared right before your eyes.
Afternoon: a treatment at the Sezz by Susanne Kaufmann Spa – not just a break between activities, but the activity itself. Or, this summer, some time at the Pool House to the sounds of DJ Charly Virzi – a livelier interlude, but still in keeping with the idea of doing nothing but simply being there between 4.30 pm and 7.30 pm. Do also check out our article on Sunset Chic and resident DJ Charly Virzi.
In the evening: dinner at Colette under the stars, with nothing else planned afterwards, except perhaps a drink at the Dom Pérignon bar.

These aren’t spectacular experiences. They’re the moments you really remember once you’re back home.

A more sustainable form of luxury

Slow luxury and sustainability often go hand in hand, though this is not always merely a marketing ploy. At Le Sezz, the link is very real:

The Colette restaurant works with a network of local producers, such as market gardener Yann Ménard at the Jardin de la Piboule and Loïc, our cheesemonger, who helps shape a seasonal menu rather than a fixed year-round one. To discover Chef Philippe Colinet’s philosophy and his cuisine, read our article dedicated to Colette.
The hotel’s gardens are designed as a living Mediterranean space, not merely as decoration.
The collaboration with MAATHI showcases handcrafted textiles and fine perfumery, a far cry from mass production. Immerse yourself in the world of MAATHI and this exclusive collaboration created for summer at Sezz.
The Sezz Spa by Susanne Kaufmann uses formulations based on Alpine plants, developed and tested to the highest standards

There is a genuine consistency between the venue’s philosophy and the way it operates on a day-to-day basis.

Perhaps true luxury is having time

For a long time, luxury was measured by what one could see, do and show off. Today, for a growing number of travellers, it is measured by what one can finally leave behind.

At the Sezz Saint-Tropez, this rediscovered sense of time is not just a slogan. It is made possible, day after day, by the architecture, the scale of the hotel, the pace of the service and its location. A stay that doesn’t try to do everything – and is all the better for it.

Practical information — Hotel Sezz, Saint-Tropez

Address: Route des Salins, 83990 Saint-Tropez
Access: 5 mins from the centre of Saint-Tropez, 10 mins from the beaches of Pampelonne, right next to Les Salins and the coastal path, 45 mins from Cannes, 1 hour from Nice
Capacity: 37 rooms, 5-star designer hotel
Rates: Stays from €1,170 per night in July 2026
Dining: Colette gourmet restaurant (dinner only), Le C bistro (lunch and dinner), Dom Pérignon bar
Wellness: Sezz Spa by Susanne Kaufmann
Summer 2026 entertainment: DJ Charly Virzi, Pool House, 4.30 pm–7.30 pm
Services: free valet parking, free fibre broadband
Pets: allowed up to 10 kg

Our tip: if you’re coming to really unwind, don’t book anything specific for your first afternoon. Let the pool, the garden and the silence do their work before deciding what to do for the rest of your stay.

Book your slow luxury getaway now