Airelles Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière

What the classifiers highlight

Perched above town, a turreted château with red-tiled towers looks over the Gulf of Saint-Tropez from acres of pine forest and Valmont spa gardens. MICHELIN counts it among France's Palace hotels and gives it Two Keys. Forbes highlights the 86 rooms in pastel yellows and terracotta, and Nobu's outpost, Matsuhisa, among three restaurants on site.