Château de Théoule: A Private Beach Getaway in the South of France
Sweeping views of the Bay of Cannes.
Château de Théoule in France has lived many lives since opening its doors in 1630. First a soap factory, the building shuttered when soap and fragrance production moved to Grasse. After a turn as a maison de vacances, the building sat abandoned for years until its enviable beachside location and design potential naturally caught the eye of Millésime founders Alexandra and Philippe Monin, who have given it a new lease on life as the group’s latest address earlier this year.
From the outside, the château certainly makes an impression. Flowering vines partially cover the stone façade, which has been sensitively restored to its former glory by architecture firm Morand Legrix in collaboration with Bâtiments de France. As with all Millésime properties, the group’s in-house designer Marie-Christine Mecoen took charge of the interiors, which blend influences from the château itself and its natural Riviera surroundings.
Photo by Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Photo by Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Photo by Gaelle Le Boulicaut
The 34 rooms and 10 suites are spread across three spaces, the original castle, the new main villa, and La Maison des pêcheurs (House of the Fishermen), a three-room building that can be rented in its entirety.
Colour palettes reference the medicinal herbs and flowers that inspired the region’s perfume-making: red and pink in the Fleur de Valériane rooms, green in Fleur de Sauge, and blue and violet in the Iris rooms. In the original château, rooms have been regally dressed with rich velvet furnishings and modern tapestries made with fabrics from the Parisian house Nobilis, although there are some quirky Riviera design influences in the form of deep-gold palm tree stand lights. To preserve the château feel, windows have been recreated in the same arched style to bring a touch of historic character that makes up for the lack of balconies, which instead you’ll find in the newly rebuilt villa. Here the design is rooted in Côte d’Azur’s history rather than the château’s. Art deco references and gold highlights nod to the 1920s, whilst shell-motif lamps, breezy curtains, and wallpaper embossed with golden sea plants add a beach vibe further enhanced by the balcony’s sweeping sea view.
Photo by Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Photo by Cedric Fruneau
Photo by Cedric Fruneau
Photo by Gaelle Le Boulicaut
The most fun space though design-wise is what could also be described as the heart of the hotel, the salon and the bar. Red-and-white-striped walls—contrast with deep-green velvet sofas. The gilded wooden arches, which have been revived by the decorative painter Nathalie Henras, are fitting companions to the antique furnishings sourced by Mecoen herself, a former antiques dealer.
The rest of the facilities give the boutique hotel a beach resort feel. There’s an outdoor pool and bar with more sea views; a gastronomic restaurant, Mareluna, headed up by chef Francesco Fezza; and Millésime’s signature Ec(h)o Spa, which rather than being hidden underground like other hotel spas comes with an outdoor Nordic bath, lounge area, and treatment room. If all that can’t keep people indoors though, there is always the hotel’s La Plage Blanche, where guests have priority access to sought-after sun loungers for lazy days on the Côte d’Azur.
Photo by Cedric Fruneau
