u/CodiGoFar — reddlx

Hi all! I am just wrapping up a week in the South of France just as it is opening up for the season. I go to this part of the world often, but this time I was there to see the brand new COMO Le Beauvallon just outside of St Tropez, the week leading up to its opening on April 24th. I'll also be posting a full deep-dive review on that property shortly.

At the tail end of the trip, I decided to pop over and see the newest hotel in the Zannier portfolio, and I am so glad I did. So instead of this being a trip to see one brand new hotel on the French Riviera, I saw two, and both just days before they open their doors for the first time. This new Zannier property opens officially on May 1st, 2026, and I was the second official tour of the property. It's a cool one.

I don't see a ton of mentions about this brand here yet, but it does come up from time to time, and I think it is going to get more and more popular in the coming years and as they add more properties. Rates are very reasonable right now, and I expect them to creep up once it gets traction.

TL;DR

This place is awesome and worth considering adding as a stop to your South of France itinerary. I think it’s best as an extension of a Provence trip, but can also be a great way to relax after an upbeat St Tropez trip. It’s just a little further out than most of your traditional South of France stops.

Zannier Portfolio Background & Concept

Before I get into the property, I quickly wanted to touch on the interesting concept and background of Zannier hotels. Arnaud Zannier is the founder and comes from a fashion background. His father built a children's fashion empire, and Arnaud's first venture was a handmade luxury shoe brand. He is fairly new to hospitality and got his start when he purchased La Ferme de mon Père in 2011, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Megève, which he converted into the first Zannier hotel.

This is only the 6th property in the portfolio, alongside one in Cambodia, one in Vietnam, two in Africa, and the Megève property in France. The entire portfolio has ~210 total keys, so everything is very boutique and intimate. There are also a few estates scattered around.

The entire concept is based around "Mastered Simplicity," and if you've been to a property, you know how accurate this is. The simplicity shows through in everything at these properties. They are built into the environment and use sustainable materials to blend into the surroundings. Every property is built around the place it is in.

Property Overview

The island itself is owned by the Ricard family, who owns the popular Marseille-based French anise-flavored aperitif dating back to 1932. The island used to be open to the public and home to restaurants, a market, and a couple of different hotels. They closed it down about 5 years ago to undergo a complete restoration with Zannier overseeing it. It truly does have a village vibe the second you get there, and it works…really well. You could honestly stay on this property for 3-4 days without leaving, and stay a week+ if you use it as a home base to explore further.

This is the largest property in the portfolio so far at 93 keys (almost half of the entire portfolio). It feels big for what the brand has done so far, but the way they are laying it out does not make it feel like nearly 100 rooms. It's a great size for a full private island, and it will help encourage the social atmosphere to hone in on the village vibes.

The property has a very simplistic (surprise) and warm Mediterranean meets Wabi-Sabi vibe. I love the dark neutrals throughout the rooms mixed with the coastal feel of the island. It felt very grounding walking through the buildings, and peaceful, with practically 360-degree Mediterranean sea views from almost anywhere on the island you stand.

Getting Here & Arrival

The property is built on a private island that is just a 5-minute boat ride from Bandol. For context: Marseille is a 45-minute drive, Aix-en-Provence is 1 hour. I drove over from Antibes, which was a 1 hour and 45 minute drive. A boat day into St Tropez would be about 2 to 2.5 hours, and then you could drive the 1.5 hours back if you wanted to. It's a very accessible home base, especially if you are looking to do more in the wine region, or extend on the tail end of your Provence trip, which is how I would recommend doing this hotel.

The arrival is super fun. They have their own private dock, and your car can drop you right across the main boardwalk. They have a nice and welcoming room as a holding space if needed. I think they could warm up this space a little bit so you start to get the feel for the resort even before you get to the island, but that's a super simple fix. They have a fleet of boats, pictured above. Two smaller ones that are used for arrivals and departures only, and then a legit ferry that they own. The ferry runs every 30 minutes. It's so easy to hop on / hop off to get to the mainland, and it's also what all the staff will take to and from shifts. Pretty nice.

When you first arrive, they have maintained the village facade along the dock. It really feels like you are arriving in a private village community vs. an island or a resort.

Lay of the Land

The way everything is laid out is important to understand what room types are best for you, where things are, etc. So I will start there.

First of all, the island takes a total of 25 minutes to truly walk around. It's small. But there is a lot packed in. Going clockwise from arriving, the first thing you hit is the reception. Then you have Delos, one of the two main hotel buildings, to the left. Even though this is the first building you get to when arriving, it's furthest away from most of the general resort amenities. It is the quieter side of the island from an accommodation perspective. Delos has a gorgeous infinity pool in the corner, where you can see a lot of the sea traffic and Bandol/mainland buzz from.

You can take a path from Delos that wraps around all the way to the back half of the island. It's a gorgeous walk, and very South of France / European rocky sea boardwalk with little coves that drop down to hidden sun beds and ladders into the water. Obsessed. When you come to the end of the path / end of the island, you arrive at Soukana, the larger of the two hotel buildings, which will have a lot more of a buzz about it. They have a rooftop bar, a ~30-meter pool, a fantastic Asian restaurant, and it's close to the tennis and pickleball courts. It's also very close to the gym & spa (which is excellent), kids club, beach, and main center restaurant. Once you loop back near reception, there are a bunch of old retail buildings and shops that will be filled with hands-on workshops by local artisans where you can learn and shop local crafts.

The heart center of the island is a nice big restaurant in the middle, which will also serve the beach. The beach is not huge, but it's a lovely size for the island and plenty big for how many guests are at the resort. The restaurant in the middle will have DJs and a beach club type of vibe.

The Rooms

It has a total of 21 room categories, a ton for this size of property. Most of the room categories come down to the type of view you get.

There are two main buildings, even though the website says three. The third (Madrague) is a string of cottages that all share walls in the heart center of the village. I didn't get to see these, but they won't really have views. I would stick to the two main buildings for a first-time visit.

Delos

This is the first building right when you get to the property, closest to reception, but as mentioned above, this is the quieter side of the island. The Cloister and Garden views are the entry categories here. The sea view rooms will be unobstructed. The Cloister building faces the mainland, but you're still getting sea views, just with buildings in it. Even all of the garden views have some sort of peep at the sea.

Soukana

The bigger and probably the most hotel-like building in the entire portfolio of the brand, but they have done a good job with it. This building has more connecting room options, so this is where I would stay if you are a family. There are x4 two-bedroom options here, but in all honesty, I think you would be better off with true connecting rooms than booking the 2 bdrm. It feels like more of a one-bedroom suite that they put some additional bedding in, and then they have a jack & jill style bathroom with only one toilet and shower for both rooms. A connecting option would give you more space.

Madrague

These are the cottage-style accommodations and were not available to see when I was there last week. As mentioned above, these rooms won't provide many views, but they will be in the heart center of the resort.

Food & Beverage

There are a total of four restaurants and three bars, plus a cafe and creperie. A fair amount of outlets. They want people that are on the island for 4+ days to not feel like they have to leave in order to get variety. They are also encouraging external reservations, which will help make the outlets feel a little more lively. You'll be able to get breakfast in both hotel buildings.

Nonna Bazaar

Think the village brasserie. Mediterranean food, friendly vibe, located right in the heart of the island near the artisans' village. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Tucked next to it is Bar Patrick, a cozy little tribute bar to Patrick Ricard.

Nonna Beach

The barefoot beach club. Sits right on the cove in the middle of the island, all-day food and drinks, big terrace for 60, perfect for a long lunch on the sand or sunset apéro.

Le Grand Large

The upscale one. Their gourmet restaurant overlooking the sea, chic Provençal atmosphere. This is your "let's get dressed up" dinner.

Soukana

The healthy spot with a Vietnamese twist. Restaurant + rooftop bar combo. Lighter, more balanced food. Open daily for breakfast and dinner. Rooftop bar = sunset cocktail spot.

Delos Table & Delos Cocktail Bar

The poolside one with full 1960s Riviera glamour energy. Refined-but-simple food at the restaurant, signature cocktails at the bar, clubhouse-style setting next to the pool. Open all day.

Café Paul Ricard + Crêperie

The casual harborside bistro with a big terrace facing the port. Traditional Provençal food. The crêperie is a separate little walk-up window for crêpes and ice cream.

Lots of options!

Amenities

This place has it all honestly. Tennis, pickleball, beach, snorkel, scuba, an excellent wellness program, full gym, artisan workshops, kids club, beach, you name it.

The spa area is super serene and has two pools here alone. One is in the courtyard of the spa building, and the other is a small indoor spa pool that feels very peaceful. They have cold plunge, sauna, steam, cryotherapy, and many other cutting-edge treatments including Iyashi Dome.

They've thought of a lot and are still developing programming for the island, which will be fun to see evolve as they mature.

Final Thoughts

I am super excited about the resort overall. I think it's a perfect pairing with a wine country visit, or a perfect pairing with Aix-en-Provence. I would say this is a perfect spot for a quieter version of the South of France. I do think it would also be an epic buyout spot to have a full island to yourself for a milestone celebration or retreat.

The rates are extremely reasonable for this inaugural season, and I would love to see some reviews start flowing once they are up and running. I think we will see rates rise as this gains popularity, and a lot of repeat bookings for this hotel. Please feel free to ask me anything, and reach out if you want your stay VIP'd!