Les Bulles de Mer

A room with a view

TEXT: EDDI FIEGEL | PHOTOS © LES BULLES DE MER

With its cloudless blue skies and radiant light, the French coastal town of Collioure, just north of the Spanish border, may be most famous for inspiring painters like Matisse: but just down the road, a luxurious spa hotel on the beach is creating a reputation of its own.

Sitting on the wild coastline’s silky sand beaches near Saint Cyprien, just half an hour’s drive north of Collioure and the same distance south of Perpignan, Les Bulles de Mer looks directly out onto the shores of the Mediterranean.

Originally opened in 2018, the hotel has recently undergone a major refurbishment, with 50 rooms featuring new interiors in a chic mix of nautical royal blue, white and natural tones, by designer Annabelle Fesquet.

The rooms, which all feature terraces facing either directly out to sea or to the lagoon and nearby Mount Canigou, have been designed as ‘intimate cocoons’ where you can let the cares of daily life drift away during the day and fall asleep to the sound of the lapping waves by night.

At the hotel restaurant – Les Ganivelles, chef Pierre Bacle has made a name for himself creating locally sourced, healthy dishes which reflect the Mediterranean surroundings. Relaxation is high on the agenda throughout and with a heated pool, the hotel makes the most of the area’s year-long sunshine, hot summers and gentle winters.

The hotel’s ‘Sand Spa’, meanwhile, features vast picture windows with spectacular panoramic views of the beach. Alongside the hammam and Jacuzzi, a wide range of luxurious massages, facials, body and beauty treatments for both men and women are available, using Thalasso marine algae products as well as luxury products from Thalgo and Décleor. Elsewhere, the hotel organises Hatha yoga classes on the beach, pilates and children’s games. There are also two new conference and function rooms, holding up to 80 people.

www.lesbullesdemer.com

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