When it comes to renting a villa in St Tropez, you would think you would be able to have it all. After all, St Tropez is the chosen holiday spot of the world’s elite, with villas designed to cater to the most discerning clientele. However, what we need to remember about St Tropez is its size; it is in fact just a small village, with its famous Pampelonne beach actually located in nearby Ramatuelle.
This means that certain compromises must be made when it comes to location and amenities. However, our skilled agents will work tirelessly to secure all the villa rental conditions that you care about the most. In this article, we will look at what is possible and what’s not when renting a villa in St Tropez.
Your options when you rent a villa in St Tropez
Why can’t clients have it all when booking a villa?
St Tropez vs. Pampelonne Beach
In reality, all of the villas we think of as being in St Tropez are actually in the surrounding areas, typically located about a five to ten minute drive to the centre of the village. If you do book a property that is within walking distance of St Tropez, you will need to drive to Pampelonne beach. Meanwhile, if you choose a villa within walking distance to Pampelonne, you will face a longer journey to St Tropez centre. Take Villa Sunset for example, which is located within walking distance of St Tropez centre and offers breathtaking sea views, but requires a drive to the beach. It is worth noting here as well that if you require a helipad, you won’t be able to find a villa located less than seven minute’s drive from St Tropez,
Sea views vs. Easy walking distance to the beach
When a villa is located slightly further back from the sea, you typically get better panoramas. Meanwhile, if you are very close to Pampelonne beach, you may have some greenery in the way of your sea view due to being located on flat land. If being close to the beach and having a good sea view are important to you, you could consider booking a villa in a hillside domain such as Cap Tahiti, which is within walking distance of the beach and offers an easy downhill walk to get there. The only downside here is that you will face a steep climb on the way back, however if this is not an issue for you then Villa Rokko and Villa Ivanoa should fulfil your requirements well.
Big garden vs. Private domain
As a general rule, the further you go from St Tropez centre, the larger amount of land a property will have. Likewise, if you rent a St Tropez villa in a domain, you will tend to get a smaller garden than when renting a freestanding house. A great example of this is Villa Cerise, which is located within the safety and comfort of a domain, and has been voted the best sea view villa in St Tropez House portfolio, but has a smaller garden and requires a drive to get to the beach. However, we do have some villas in domains with very large gardens, so don’t lose hope if this is what you require.
Cost vs. requirements
As you will likely expect, there are certain villa rental conditions that can only be fulfilled at a higher price point. For example, Villa Rokko’s position within the Cap Tahiti domain, offering stunning sea views, means that it is roughly twice the price of Villa Cap Bastide, located just outside the Capilla domain.
Another consideration is that for lower budgets, we can still offer wonderful houses with nice gardens but very rarely will they have modern architecture. This is because if a villa has modern architecture or undergoes a refurbishment, the owner automatically increases the price. So, if budget is a concern but you need to have a lot of bedrooms (six or more), you may need to choose a villa with beautiful Provencal architecture instead.
How does St Tropez House meet as many villa rental conditions as possible?
From the moment you get in touch with an enquiry, we will work by your side to ensure we deliver the best possible villa for your budget and expectations. We will explain the St Tropez property market and make sure we understand which requirements you are determined to have, and which would be a bonus. For example, if sea views are a must-have, then perhaps you would be willing to compromise on driving to St Tropez centre, as with Villa Mirage II. If you really want modern architecture, maybe you could compromise on the sea views, as with Villa Marilyn. If a tennis court is needed, then again maybe you can forgo sea views, as we have with Villa Tabou.
Of course, having an almost limitless budget can bring you as close to ‘having it all’ as St Tropez’s geography will allow. From €100,000 a week, you can secure a stunning modern villa within a prestigious domain, offering plenty of land and breathtaking sea views, such as Villa Asana. However, this may not be very close to St Tropez centre or Pampelonne – Villa Asana is a 12-15 minute drive to Pampelonne and a 7-8 minute drive to St Tropez. Likewise, Villa Ama is within five minute’s walk of Papelonne’s finest beach clubs, and offers sea views, modern architecture, a gym and a helipad, but still requires a drive to get to St Tropez.
We hope this article has helped to explain the compromises that may occur when renting a luxury villa in St Tropez. For more information, please contact Emilia today.
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