HOTELsezz “Luxury is no longer what it was in the 1980s and ’90s,” says hotelier Shahé Kalaidjian. “Today, luxury is space and service.” And that’s precisely what guests find at Hotel Sezz, Saint-Tropez.

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SeT in A SecLuded wooded area just minutes from Saint-Tropez’s Canoubiers beach, the resort's layout feels more like a tiny Provençal village than a hotel. In keeping with the amiable vibe, arriving guests are met by a personal assistant—rather than a blazer-clad desk clerk—who already knows their preferences, thanks to a pre-arrival questionnaire.

For the hotel’s design, owner Shahé Kalaidjian called on Christophe Pillet, with whom he’d created Hotel Sezz, Paris. The dry Mediterranean landscape guided their de-cisions, and resulted in single-story, stone-walled struc-tures with clay-tiled roofs. Pillet imbued each of the 37 guest rooms, including two loft-like villas that just opened this summer, with a feeling of spaciousness, installing sliding glass doors that open onto either the pool area

(the heart of the property) or private gardens with plunge pools. He opted for Italian and American furnishings, but adhered to a 1950s French-inspired palette of light grey, dark brown, sky blue, and saffron. To further enhance the Mediterranean ambience, they brought in landscape de-signer Christophe Ponceau, who encouraged what came naturally: laurels, palms, olives, figs, and lemons.

Guests can indulge at the Dom Pérignon champagne bar (this is the French Riviera, after all) or Restaurant Colette, headed by triple Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire and named for the famous French author who called Saint-Tropez home. Other hotel offerings include a new spa, picnic baskets for beach-going, polo lessons, and cooking classes. or, hop on the resort’s Ape calessino and be whisked into town for some upscale shopping.

hotel sezz saint-tropez A member of Design HotelsRoute des Salins 83990 Saint-Tropez, France hotelsezz-sainttropez.com

restaurant colette villa bedroom

poolside dining

entrance and pool terrace dining terrace

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LAMAISERENGETI

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Can you see them yet? Hidden amid the massive granite outcroppings of the Tanzania plains, Lamai Serengeti offers a different kind of safari experi-ence. From permanent tents, guests can watch the African wildlife migrate through the river valley directly below the camp.

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NOMAD TANzANIA, ONe of east Africa's original safari companies, has operated camps in the remotest corners of Tanzania for twenty years. With a special build-ing dispensation awarded by the government, this June they debuted their latest endeavor, Lamai Serengeti, a permanent camp. while most safaris pick up and move, Lamai sits stationary on a ridge overlooking Mara River Valley, a veritable highway for migrating herds.

Located in the northernmost area of the Serengeti Na-tional Park, the camp offers panoramic views, and from July to October, it’s a prime site to watch wildebeest, buf-falo, and elephants. But year-round, guests are treated to the more regular tenants of the grassy plains: zebra, topi, gazelles, giraffes, and big cats. Watch them from your verandah or take a 4x4 drive or a guided walk.

With only 12 rooms, or tents, split between two lodges (each with its own bar, dining area, library, map room, and pool), guests are given plenty of space. The tents—built of canvas, plaster, and wood, and tucked between the boulders—are designed to withstand the elements, while remaining almost undetectable, ensuring the ani-mals have their privacy, too.

For the camp's look, the firm enlisted designer Jo Cooke, who moved to Tanzania from england after twelve years in the art and editorial departments at World of Interiors. She drew inspiration from local traditions and a talented team of craftspeople, who made everything by hand. Throughout the property, cooke opted for natural materi-als, woven textures, and an earthy palette, all in keeping with the wild and immediate landscape.

lamai serengetiNomad TanzaniaP.O. Box 681Usa River, Tanzanianomadtanzania.com

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bathroom

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dining terrace