Best Western Hotel Matisse

Henri Matisse is the reference point here, but the practical appeal is simpler: you stay in the centre of Sainte-Maxime, close to the beach, with a garden, an outdoor pool and a bar waiting when the fins are put away. Best Western Hotel Matisse was fully renovated in 2023 and has 28 rooms, giving it a manageable scale rather than the feel of a large resort built for people who enjoy queueing.

The address suits a couple who wants the town outside the door and a pool terrace for the slower parts of the day. Families are catered for too, with family rooms, connecting rooms, outdoor play equipment and board games. The hotel website is available in English as well as French, useful when you want to check the details before arrival.

You are in the heart of Sainte-Maxime, France, at 11 Boulevard Frédéric Mistral. Central Beach is about a 5-minute walk away, while Plage de Galets takes around 11 minutes on foot. The hotel is not isolated by the waterfront; it sits in the village, where the beach and the town centre are both part of your daily route.

That makes the location particularly handy for evenings without driving. Restaurants are within a minute or two on foot, and cafés are close by as well. The Boulodrome du Prince Bertif de Suede is about a minute away, while Sainte-Maxime Church and La Tour Carrée are roughly a 4-minute walk. If you fancy a wider outing, Sainte-Maxime golf course is 5 km away.

For airport access, the nearest listed airport is the Heliport of Grimaud, about 6 miles away by road. Saint-Tropez La Mole Airport is around 11 miles away, and Toulon–Hyeres Airport around 33 miles. Transfers are not listed as a hotel service, so you will need to organise your onward journey separately.

The room choice is really about how much space you want around the day’s equipment and how important the view is. For two, the Prestige King Room with Sea View is the obvious pick if waking up to the Mediterranean matters more than keeping the room compact. The Classic Double Room is the straightforward option for a shorter stay, while the Superior Queen Room gives a little more breathing room without moving into apartment territory.

Couples who prefer room to spread out can look at the one-bedroom apartment with a super-king-size bed. Families have a dedicated room sleeping up to four, with a super-king-size bed and three single beds; connecting rooms are also available. That is useful when the group wants proximity without everyone sharing the same sleeping space.

Air conditioning matters when the coast has done its work on you, and every room also has a minibar, satellite television and lift access. Some rooms look towards the sea. Bathrobes and hairdryers are provided, while free WiFi covers the hotel. Room service is available, with limited hours in the room from 07:00 to 11:00, and daily housekeeping keeps the practical side of the stay moving.

Breakfast comes as a buffet, with continental choices and gluten-free bread, cakes and cereals. It is served from 06:30 to 10:30, giving you a useful window whether your morning starts early or you are taking the rare luxury of a slower start. Breakfast can also be served in your room.

The hotel restaurant works around Provençal flavours and serves lunch and dinner on the terrace. This is not presented as a grand gastronomic production; it is the sort of arrangement that lets you eat at the hotel when you want the evening to stay simple. Room service also runs during limited morning hours, so it is not a late-night rescue plan after an especially long day.

There is one bar, along with lounges for sitting down properly rather than balancing a glass on the nearest ledge. The poolside terrace hosts a daily Happy Hour with rosé wine, homemade lemonade and local snacks, while an aperitivo is offered every evening. A snack bar, coffee house, tea and coffee-making facilities and minibars cover the smaller gaps between meals.

The outdoor swimming pool sits in a garden, with a sun terrace, outdoor furniture, umbrellas and loungers. Pool and beach towels are available, so you can move between the two without turning your room into a drying room. The garden gives you somewhere to sit when the afternoon calls for shade rather than another excursion.

When you want to leave the pool behind, walking tours and bike tours are available, and electric bikes can be hired on request. Cycling, hiking, fishing, canoeing, windsurfing, horse riding and snorkelling are also available locally, with several taking place away from the hotel. These are options for a day when the sea has been admired from above, rather than a list you need to conquer before dinner.

Golf is available at the Sainte-Maxime course, 5 km from the hotel. For a quieter evening, the shared lounge and TV area, board games and the poolside terrace do the job without demanding much athletic commitment. Sometimes the correct post-dive activity is a chair.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 00:00, and check-out from 07:00 to 11:00. A 24-hour front desk, concierge service, luggage storage and express check-in/check-out make the arrival and departure routine easier, especially if your travel plans do not line up neatly with the room timetable. There is no age requirement for check-in, and children of any age are welcome.

The hotel has a lift and step-free access. Free WiFi is available throughout the property, and rooms are non-smoking. Pets are allowed. Cots for children aged 0 to 3 can be requested, while extra beds are not available, so the selected room arrangement matters for family bookings.

Nearby underground parking is available; it is free from November to March. Outside that period, parking is paid. Cash is not accepted at the hotel. You can also use the on-site cash machine, request packed lunches, and rely on laundry, ironing and dry-cleaning services when the holiday kit has taken on a life of its own.