Location and Design
The Lily of the Valley Hotel is designed by the prolific French architect/designer Philippe Starke and you can feel his visionary approach throughout every element of the hotel. The way it has been built into the natural landscape shows he has gone to great effort to minimise the ecological footprint of the structure. And what a landscape it is! Exactly what you would imagine from the French Riviera. With olive trees, umbrella pines and lavender bushes surrounding the Meditarranean coastline. The interior is an eclectic mix of styles with warm colours that make you feel very comfortable and at ease.
The Team
The team is young but highly skilled, all overseen by the highly experienced and approachable General Manager, The service is impeccable without being stuffy and they were all very friendly. A couple of the restaurant staff took me under their wing and helped me stay on track with my weight loss meals which I highly appreciated . I was very impressed with the therapists at the spa. All extremely professional but also very intuitive, reading me well and what my body needed rather than following strict protocols.
Food
Mouthwateringly delicious. If you like gastronomic food and especially seafood then you will not be disappointed. I can honestly say that I did not feel like I was having weight loss meals at all and every meal was a fine dining experience . From lobster with a quinoa salad to a scallop carpaccio. The weight loss meals are based on high protein and low carb principles which not only helps to shift the pounds but also increase muscle which we lose at a faster rate as we get older.
Wellness Facilities and Activities
The wellness offering at Lily of the Valley Hotel is based around their Shape Club which is a very stylish corner of the hotel dedicated to getting in shape. I enjoyed swimming in the heated lap pool and I admired the very well kitted out gym from afar. I’m not a gym person but I did enjoy taking part in the sports activities such as sea wading (wearing a wet suit I may add), and the restorative yoga class which was excellent. The spa is impressive with the facilities you would expect from an ultra luxe hotel.
My Wellness Experience
I tried the 4 Day Healthy Ageing programme which has been designed to help you look and feel more vibrant, which is something I would imagine we all want to feel as we get older. The programme started with a Bioimpedance Analysis that measured body fat percentage, muscle mass, and how hydrated my cells are. The nutritionist then discussed the results with me and gave me advice on how to eat to help lose some of the weight around my organs and also build more muscle. This information was then relayed to the chef to build my personalised meals plans.
This was followed by a Kinvent fitness check up with the personal trainer which uses equipment to measure my balance, range of motion and strength. This technology is used for elite athletes and also physiotherapists to customise training plans as we of course are all different. For example even though I am right handed, I didn’t realise how weak my left side is, so special attention was given to the left side with the training when I had my personalised PT sessions.
The programme was full of treatments at the spa ranging from holistic massages and reflexology using traditional Chinese medicine techniques, to more aesthetic type treatments to help my skin glow. I spent a lot of time at the spa and was feeling very relaxed by the time I left.
My Personal Highlights
• The food was so delicious and I fully understand their tag line of losing weight with pleasure. I also had a cheeky glass of wine on evening without it affecting my results. When in France….
• The programmes are very targeted without you realising it as its all fun. I was happy to see that I had gained a little bit of muscle in 4 days which made me want to continue on this path when I got home.
• The location is absolutely stunning with those views of the St Tropez peninsula and the lush vegetation.
• The eye Countour treatment, which did actually lift my eyes. I was amazed how a manual technique could do that and the lovely therapist gave me some tips on how to do it at home.
Areas for Improvement
• As much as I loved the treatments, I felt there were too many in the programme and I didn’t have enough time to just relax in the stunning environment. For some this would be ok, but if you are like me, then I would recommend taking another of the programmes and just adding a couple of treatments if desired.
I would recommend this Wellness Resort/Retreat to:
• Couples. It has such a relaxed vibe and you can find activities to enjoy even if you are not on a programme. For example, my husband enjoyed the mountain biking and TRX class but didn’t want any spa treatments.
• Those who want to stay in an ultra luxury hotel and do a goal oriented programme without sacrificing any of their creature comforts.
• Those who only have time for a short break but want maximum results.
Insider Info
• There are a lot of steps at this hotel. If you struggle with your mobility it is not the best choice, especially during the heat of the high summer.
• The sun shines a lot all year round in this part of the world, so if you want a programme the best time to visit in terms of value are the winter months.
Visited in March 2024
Why Wellbeing Escapes?
