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The best Antibes hotels for a sun-kissed Mediterranean getaway
Our favourite seaside stays in the laidback South of France resort
The South of France is an excellent destination for exploring the Mediterranean by rail. Like Provence and Bordeaux, you can reach its sun-kissed shores in less than a day, making it the perfect slow travel experience if you're avoiding hopping on a plane this year. When you get there, the best hotels in Antibes will make a great base for your holiday on the Cote d'Azur.
With its maze of cobbled streets and 16th-century ramparts, this French Riviera resort is the real deal – an authentic seaside town largely free of the glitz (and explosive prices) of Cannes and Saint-Tropez, and brimming with cultural heritage – it inspired Picasso in the 1940s and now has a museum of his works, while English author Graham Green also lived here for more than 20 years.
Today there are sleek yachts in the marina but the old fishing port retains its charm and there are plenty of old-school bistros and artists’ and artisans’ workshops lining the flower-filled streets.
Antibes is very easy to reach by train for those looking for a no-fly holiday – take the Eurostar to Paris or Lille and change to a super-fast TGV, which takes just five and a quarter hours to get down to the south coast in comfort and style.
Our pick of the best Antibes hotels features mainly boutique hotels in and around the town, including on the forested Cap d’Antibes peninsula and in the neighbouring town of Juan-les-Pins.
Hôtel La Villa Port d'Antibes & Spa
A grown-up place to stay in Antibes, Hôtel La Villa Port d'Antibes & Spa, close to the port and the ramparts, features fabrics by Christian Lacroix in rooms themed loosely around travel: the Indies and the South Seas, for instance. The best are on the top (fifth) floor, with panoramic views from their balconies.
The bar and lounges are cosy nests in which to hole up in the shade and cool after a dip in the heated outdoor pool lined by luxuriant plant life. There’s an alluring spa including a hammam and a sensory shower bookable for private sessions, plus treatments using products long-established French brand Sothys along with ‘sensorial escapes’ also inspired by travel, including the Japanese Hanakasumi.
Hôtel La Villa Cap d’Antibes
Just two kilometres outside of Antibes itself, in Juan-les-Pins, Hôtel La Villa Cap d’Antibes is in a calm setting within strolling distance of fine-sand beaches, restaurants, bars and boutiques. The temptation to stay put is strong, thanks in part to the heated outdoor pool nestled amidst the palms and century-old olive trees of the lush garden, as well as the simple, restful rooms with their terraces or balconies – some with a sea view.
For romantic seclusion, bag the Prestige Pavillon Room in its own little building by the pool. Massages take place in a cute-as-a-button old Romany caravan in the grounds.
La Place Boutique Hotel
Perfectly located for exploring Antibes’ Old Town, La Place Boutique Hotel is a refreshingly laidback spot with a pretty terrace with deep wicker chairs and lots of plant life - fantastic for people-watching as you breakfast or indulge in treats from the afternoon tea room or cold meats, cheeses, smoked salmon and the like from the evening lounge-bar.
Its 14 rooms are low-key and restful, with floral artworks and muted colours; the best have coffee machines and balconies with space to sit outside and breathe in the seaside air.
Les Remparts
These pretty apartments in two buildings in Antibes – one right in the middle of the Old Town, near the church and main market – all have their own personality, and some have quirky touches such as giant neon-coloured blow-up snails or empty, mismatched gilded picture frames.
Most sleep four; the biggest has room for up to six. One apartment is loft-style, with a vast sea-view terrace; a couple are spread over two levels. The decor at Les Remparts features lots of retro touches along with more contemporary pieces, and sometimes also original features such as stone fireplaces.
Hotel Relais du Postillon
This quirky little place occupying a former posthouse oozes French charm and even romance in 16 individually decorated rooms, some with vintage furniture and/or floral wallpapers. All have large windows to let the Mediterrenean light and sea air flood in, but a few also have their own patio or balcony. The hotel also offers a number of equally alluring apartments for up to four.
Breakfast is served by a roaring fire in the colder months or on a sunny terrace, and while there’s no restaurant at the Relais du Postillon, Thursday evenings see live piano music accompanied by wine and platters of salmon, cheese and cold meats. There’s also bike hire and even boat trips to the Ile de Saint-Honorat, with snorkelling equipment loan, lunch and the chance to visit the abbey’s monks.
Hôtel Sainte Valérie
Also just a few minutes from the lively centre of Juan-les-Pins, this pretty option occupies a 1930s-built Provençal residence in its own lovely garden that is now home to a refreshing pool. Hôtel Sainte Valérie has been a family-run affair for the last four generations.
Guests are welcomed warmly with a drink in the garden before settling into bright, airy rooms and suites with Provençal touches (including wrought-iron four-poster beds in some), all of them opening directly onto the garden. The generous breakfast buffet is laid out under a mulberry arbour.
Le Ponteil
Simple, unpretentious and fantastically welcoming thanks to its passionate owners, this is a little piece of French heaven in a handsome 20th-century villa nestled in its own peaceful garden, within walking distance of Ponteil, Salis, Gravette and Garoye beaches. There’s a shabby-chic feel to Le Ponteil that only adds to the charm and sense of being lost in time.
The place can be booked out for groups, as there are only four rooms - two doubles (one with a gorgeous balcony), a family room and a single. Breakfast, served in the garden with its wrought-iron chairs and furniture (also a great place for coffee or glasses of local rosé throughout the day), features lots of organic produce.
Le 1932 Hotel & Spa Cap d'Antibes - MGallery
Just outside Juan-les-Pins, Le 1932 Hotel & Spa Cap d'Antibes is a sleek option built in the 1930s. A recent refurb has embellished it with an appealing Art Deco aesthetic both in its light-flooded rooms and suites (most of which have balconies and a sea view) and in the unique La Rotonde, with its breakfasts and its upscale French cuisine.
A second restaurant, Quinto Cielo with its terrace overlooking the sea, serves a blend of different Mediterranean cuisines; right by it is the hotel’s biggest draw, its rooftop pool.
Résidence Pierre & Vacances Premium Port Prestige
Opposite the marina, just a short stroll from Antibes’ Old Town, this apart-hotel was designed by prize-winning French architect Christian de Portzamparc and features lots of shady terraces and cascading Mediterranean plants. Its airy modern self-catering apartments with their pale decor – the largest sleeping up to six – all have balconies large enough for convivial family meals, and some also come with their own outdoor hot tub.
Résidence Pierre & Vacances Premium Port Prestige also has two pools and an outdoor Jacuzzi, plus a wellness area for getting yourself properly pampered.
Hotel Mademoiselle
This 13-room boutique hotel is in the heart of Juan-les-Pins, a minute’s stroll from the beaches. Hotel Mademoiselle stands out for its funky designer rooms, all different, with bright pops of colour including baby pink, canary yellow and turquoise and with whimsical touches such as vintage carousel horses, jungle-themed wallpaper or Pop Art motifs. The furniture has a retro, reclaimed feel too.
The sun trap of a courtyard houses a small pool ringed by cushion-filled lounging areas and a breakfast terrace for sunny days. Hotel Mademoiselle’s in-house pastry cook provides homemade treats in the mornings and in-room cookies, and there’s also a tea room.
Hôtel Josse
In a lovely location facing sandy Salis Beach a kilometre’s stroll from the Old Town, Hotel Josse is an intimate seaside hotel in a breezy motel-style building with just 27 contemporary Mediterranean-style rooms with either sea or garden view.
Several lovely bistros and cafés can be reached within a few minutes’ stroll, while breakfasts of local seasonal products can be enjoyed on the hotel’s lovely terrace in fine weather or in its pretty conservatory.
BOOK A STAYVilla Fabulite
Clustered around a gorgeous Mediterranean garden filled with lemon, orange and olive trees just outside Antibes on the peninsula, Villa Fabulite has 13 rooms, all with terraces. Each was individually decorated with tactile linens and other luxurious fabrics by sought-after interior designers.
There’s a small spa with a treatment room, hammam and sauna, plus a seasonal outdoor pool with a bar. Generous breakfasts feature fresh cheese and eggs, plus pancakes by request. The concierge will help book excursions and arrange surprises such as champagne and flowers.
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