Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France.
Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Hotel of the Week: This Incredible Property Near Cannes Transforms a Circa-1630 Château
Located in Théoule-sur-Mer, France, Château de Théoule channels the breathtaking local landscape into artfully conceived suites
Exterior of Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
The dramatically crenelated Tudor style stone walls of the Château de Théoule come as a surprise in the sunny seaside town of Théoule-sur-Mer, which during the summertime is a 20-minute ferry across the azure waters of the Mediterranean to Cannes. This improbable Highlands look is explained by the fact that the last owner of the château was Lord Harry M. Crawford, a Scott who remodeled a building that had originally been built to house a soap factory in 1630 in a style that would remind him of his homeland.
In its latest incarnation, the fanciful structure has become part of a 44-room boutique hotel that also took the château’s name when it opened in May. Twenty rooms are located in the original building, while others are found in a fisherman’s house just above Théoule harbor, and the rest in a more modern Art Deco property next to the château.
The spa at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
The gentle pastel decors of the hotel’s interiors, which recall some of the paintings that Matisse and Renoir did when they lived nearby in Nice and Cagnes-sur-Mer, were chosen by Marie-Christine Mecoen, a former antiques dealer who’s now the interior designer for Millésime Collection hotels, the small French chain of restored historical properties of which the Château de Théoule is a part. The ochre rocks and Mediterranean vegetation of the surrounding Massif d’Estérel were another source of inspiration for Mecoen, and every room is named for a different local herb, including rosemary, thyme, and lavender.
La Page Blanche at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Mecoen also sourced a variety of vintage pieces for the property and commissioned custom-made linen curtains from the French brand Maison de Vacances, along with buying other fabrics and objects from Courant Sauvage, Jean Vier, Mis en Demeure, and Labyrinthe.
Tucked away in beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking the Mediterranean, the hotel’s best amenity is its Plage Blanche beach club, a well-groomed strand of white sand with well-spaced sunbeds and umbrellas facing the Bay of Cannes. Waiter service from the hotel’s Plage Blanche beach restaurant makes it a perfect place to spend a lazy day getting lost in a good book between swimming, sunning, snacking—don’t miss the pissaladière, an open tart of sautéed onions, black onions, and anchovies—and sipping, maybe a well-chilled local rosé from the surrounding Var region.
Restaurant Mareluna at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Mareluna, the hotel’s main restaurant, serves outdoors on a water-view terrace when possible and offers dishes like rock lobster pasta with herbs and a refreshing dessert of olives, yuzu, lemongrass, and elderflower. The hotel’s three-room Ec(h)o spa uses Clarins and Kos Paris products for massages and skin.
Oh, and yes, you want a room with a view, a sea-view.
See more images below:
Interior of the Jasmine suite at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Mareluna restaurant dining terrace at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Water views from one of the guest suites at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Reception desk at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
The beautiful bar at Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France. Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Cover: Château de Théole in Théoule-sur-Mer, France.
Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut
