The confidential journal.
Confidential addresses, art de vivre, insider tips.
Saint-Tropez
16 articles
Hosting a private party in Saint-Tropez: villa or yacht?
A birthday, a celebration, dinner for twenty: the two possible settings, what they cost in logistics, and the hour the music stops.
Luxury shopping in Saint-Tropez: where, when, how
The village packs into three streets what other cities spread across a district. When to go, which streets matter, and what you only find here.
Private jet to Saint-Tropez: La Môle, Nice or Cannes-Mandelieu
Nice, Cannes-Mandelieu, La Môle: three runways, three logics. And the question nobody asks before booking, the last kilometre.
Saint-Tropez after dark: the order it happens in
Nobody goes clubbing at midnight here. The real sequence of a Saint-Tropez night, the addresses, and the one thing that actually matters at the door.
Private wine tasting near Saint-Tropez
Twenty minutes from the beaches, rosé is made on estates most visitors never see. How I arrange the day, and why I put it on a Tuesday.
Getting married in Saint-Tropez: what to know before choosing the venue
The legal rule everyone discovers too late, the four families of venue, the hour the music stops, and the real timeline of a wedding on the peninsula.
My sea itineraries out of Saint-Tropez
The peninsula, the gulf, Porquerolles, the Lérins: the days at sea I genuinely arrange out of Saint-Tropez, with the distances, the trade-offs and the mistakes to avoid.
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: a concierge’s guide
Classic yachts, a village handed back to sailors, October light: why Les Voiles is, for me, the finest week of the year in Saint-Tropez.
The Saint-Tropez Braderie: a concierge’s guide
The last big weekend of the season, when the village shops move onto the street: what to know before you go, and why I send my clients.
The best beach clubs in Saint-Tropez: my addresses
Club 55, Loulou, Shellona… my favourite beach clubs in Saint-Tropez, and the sunbed rule you absolutely need to know.
How much does a luxury concierge in Saint-Tropez cost?
Stay package, per service or complimentary with your booking: how the price of a luxury concierge in Saint-Tropez is really built.
The cost of a yacht charter in Saint-Tropez: what to understand
Charter, APA, crew, the 12-guest rule: breaking down the real cost of a yacht charter in Saint-Tropez, by the day or the week.
Things to do in Saint-Tropez: a concierge's notebook
Beaches, sea, village and nights: our selection to experience Saint-Tropez beyond the postcard.
Getting from Nice to Saint-Tropez: car, helicopter or boat?
Distances, real durations and summer traps: how to reach Saint-Tropez from Nice airport, depending on your priority.
Where to stay in Saint-Tropez: neighbourhoods and travel style
Village, Les Parcs, Ramatuelle, the Gassin hills: which Saint-Tropez area to choose for the way you travel.
A luxury weekend in Saint-Tropez: a concierge's guide
Where to dine, which beaches, how to get around: my guide to a perfect luxury weekend in Saint-Tropez, addresses and insider secrets included.
Cannes
10 articles
Creating your own perfume in Grasse: the best half-day inland
Forty minutes from Cannes, the world capital of perfume. What you actually do there, why it works with teenagers, and what you bring home.
Private chauffeur and discreet security on the French Riviera
A driver isn’t a luxury here, it’s the answer to a very concrete problem. And security, done properly, is entirely invisible.
The starred tables of the French Riviera, from the inside
Where the great tables are, which to choose for the occasion, and the honesty I owe my clients: they aren’t all equal at the same moment.
September in Cannes: the Yachting Festival and the Régates Royales
Two nautical events in a fortnight, two opposite worlds, and the best month of the year on the Croisette, if you know where to stand.
Booking on the French Riviera: the rules nobody explains
Two seatings, the sunbed rule, the hour children stop being admitted, the real time to the airport: the Riviera’s booking mechanics, as I actually practise them.
Beaches and beach clubs in Cannes: my address book
From the Croisette to Île Sainte-Marguerite: the beaches I genuinely send my clients to, the ones that go three weeks ahead, and the one I keep for September.
A luxury weekend in Cannes: a concierge’s guide
Tables, beaches, islands and insider secrets: my guide to a luxury weekend in Cannes, the one I actually give my clients.
Cannes Lions: a concierge’s guide to creativity week
A week when Cannes fills with executives from around the world: where to stay, how to get around, and where the conversations actually happen.
Yacht charter in Cannes: my four itineraries
Estérel, Lérins, Cap d’Antibes, Monaco or Pampelonne: the four days at sea I offer from Cannes, with their real trade-offs.
Cannes Film Festival: access, the red carpet and private parties
The red carpet, the magazine dinners, the parties nobody announces: what I can genuinely obtain during the Festival, and how to go about it.
Monaco
7 articles
Beaches and beach clubs in Monaco: the principality at the water’s edge
Monaco has few beaches, and that’s precisely what makes the good addresses interesting. Those in the principality, those just outside, and which I choose for which kind of day.
Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters: the finest tournament on the tour
Mid-April, clay courts above the Mediterranean. Where to sit, why the first days beat the final, and the detail nobody knows about the club.
Spas and thalassotherapy in Monaco: the principality nobody talks about
Monaco has one of Europe’s highest concentrations of great spas. It’s my most systematic recommendation, and the one greeted with the most scepticism.
Monaco Yacht Show: the week the principality changes character
In late September, Port Hercule hosts the greatest concentration of superyachts in the world. What actually happens on board, on the quay, and why the city becomes impossible.
A luxury weekend in Monaco: a concierge’s guide
Starred tables, beaches, the Rock at dawn and insider secrets: my guide to a luxury weekend in Monaco, where detail matters more than anywhere else.
The finest driving roads on the French Riviera
Corniches, the Estérel, the hinterland, the peninsula: the roads I genuinely send my clients on, the car that suits each one, and the right time to set off.
Monaco Grand Prix: the weekend as an insider
Grandstands, a VIP box, a private terrace, a yacht on the harbour or a room facing the circuit: how I place my clients at the Grand Prix, and what it really costs.
Courchevel
11 articles
Opening weekend: skiing before everyone else
Late November, early December: the cheapest, quietest and most uncertain window of the winter. How I decide whether to send a client, or not.
On-piste restaurants in Courchevel and Megève
Lunch on the slopes is the real meal of the day in the mountains. My tables, the two seatings, and why the finest terrace isn’t always the right one.
Christmas and New Year in the Alps: a concierge’s calendar
Two weeks side by side, and nothing alike. When to book, what goes first, how I orchestrate the 24th and the 31st, and why I might steer you towards January.
What to do in Courchevel beyond skiing (and in summer)
The winter non-skier and the green resort of summer: what I arrange in Courchevel when the skis stay at the chalet.
A private ski instructor in Courchevel: why and how much
Progress at your own pace, avoid the black-run trap, get driven back to the chalet: why I recommend a private instructor in Courchevel, and what it costs.
Transfers to Courchevel: Geneva, Lyon, helicopter — prices and times
Car or helicopter, from Geneva or Lyon: the real prices and times to reach Courchevel, and the Saturday trap.
The 3 Vallées ski pass in Courchevel: which pass, what price?
3 Vallées, Courchevel-only or the pedestrian pass: which to choose for your level, and at what price.
Après-ski in Courchevel: a concierge's guide
From slope-side terraces to festive dinners: my Courchevel après-ski notebook, the one I actually share with my clients.
Renting a luxury chalet in Courchevel: the complete guide
Levels, mountain sides, gondolas, seasons: what I tell my clients before choosing a chalet in Courchevel.
How much does a week of luxury in Courchevel cost?
Accommodation, skiing, tables, transfers: the items that make up a week of luxury in Courchevel, and the season that changes everything.
Courchevel 1850: a concierge's guide
Michelin tables, chalets, après-ski and insider secrets: my guide to Courchevel 1850, the heart of alpine luxury.
Megève
6 articles
Megève’s social winter: snow polo and golf on ice
In January, Megève brings its horses out onto the snow. What it actually is, how to place yourself, and why it’s the best week to come without skiing.
Children’s ski school in Megève: what I actually arrange
Ski school or private instructor, from what age, how many hours, and the three mistakes that ruin a first week in the snow.
The Megève ski pass: which one, and what does it cost?
Megève alone, Évasion Mont-Blanc or Mont-Blanc Unlimited: which to take for your level, what it really costs, and the mistake almost all my clients make.
Getting to Megève from Geneva: road, helicopter, timing
An hour and a quarter by road, fifteen minutes by air: Megève is the easiest luxury resort to reach in the Alps. Provided you avoid the one day that ruins everything.
Renting a chalet in Megève: the neighbourhoods, the traps, the budget
Mont d’Arbois, Rochebrune, the heart of the village: where to actually stay in Megève, what to check in a listing, and why “ski-in ski-out” here rarely means what you think.
Megève: a concierge’s guide
Why I send certain clients to Megève rather than Courchevel, the tables I actually book, and how to get there without losing your evening.
Val d'Isère
5 articles
The Critérium de la Première Neige: Val d’Isère opens the winter
In early December, the World Cup arrives on the Face de Bellevarde. The best weekend of the year to discover the resort, and the worst to arrive without a plan.
Off-piste and heliskiing in Val d’Isère: what’s possible, what isn’t
Val d’Isère’s off-piste is among the finest in Europe. Heliskiing in France isn’t what you think, and here’s how the rule is legally worked around.
The Val d’Isère ski pass: which one, and what does it cost?
Val d’Isère alone or Val d’Isère–Tignes: why I nearly always recommend the full area, what it costs, and the one factor nobody checks before buying.
Getting to Val d’Isère: Geneva, Lyon, Chambéry or the train
Three and a half hours up the Tarentaise, a Saturday that can derail everything, and a railway station too few people use: how I actually organise the arrival.
Val d’Isère: a concierge’s guide
The longest season in the Alps, some of Europe’s finest off-piste, and a luxury that comes after the mountain: my guide to Val d’Isère.