You can drink your champagne in Saint-Tropez, or you can spray it on your friends at Nikki Beach, one of the quintessential see-and-be-seen beach clubs in the French Riviera.  If you've had too much champagne the night before, then maybe you can just nap on the beaches of the Bay of Pampelonne. That is, after you wash down your lunch with a few bottles of rosé at Club 55, the chicest beach restaurant in the Mediterranean.   

"Discovered” in the late 19th century by writers and artists, Saint-Tropez gained popularity as sexy starlets of the 1930's flocked to this Mediterranean resort town. Then Brigitte Bardot arrived to film And God Created Woman (1956), and Le Club 55 created lunch for the film crew. Today, Saint-Tropez remains a playground for movie stars, and for all the other well-heeled international folks who can afford methuselahs of Cristal.

Saint-Tropez remains as hedonistic and as over-the-top as ever.  But beyond the sizzle, Saint-Tropez is actually quite sweet and civilized. You just need to look past the harbor, which is moored with ginormous power yachts. Marvel instead at the picturesque old fishing village, with its cobbled back alleys, and rows of candy colorred houses.  Or go back to scoping the yachts to see who might step off, just like everyone else. You might get a glimpse of Naomi Campbell, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, or the Beckhams.

To be sure, I heard more English than French being spoken on my trip, and I met too many Americans in Missoni bikinis and Tom Ford shades, who have "been coming here forever." For most of the season, which begins around Easter and ends around the middle of October, the locals hide from the bejeweled tanned flesh and heaving silicone, and from the Euro-cads in their uniform of white linen, couture jeans, and D&G belt buckles.

If you readily dismiss Saint-Tropez as a "has-been hang-out for B-list wannabes", then you must be here in the high season, happening right now through August. But are you really pooh-poohing the south of France? It can't be. Besides, if you're unhappy in Saint-Tropez, then you must not be staying at the Byblos.

The Byblos Hotel is designed to resemble a Provencal village, with  lavender, bougainvillea and olive trees surrounding the mosaic-tiled swimming pool. I got lost in the serpentine hallways, leading to its 96 rooms and suites. Rooms are modern and individually designed, and decorated with Provencal fabrics and antique Midi furniture. Bathrooms are loaded with Etro toiletries, and feature balneotherapy baths and showers.  The new two-bedroom Riviera Suite directly overlooks the pool.

But does anyone come to The Byblos for the furniture?  Of course not. How convenient that the most decadent nightclub in town is on-site! The legendary Les Caves du Roy is so popular that even hotel guests are not guaranteed entrance. I asked Isabelle Gainche, Byblos's director of sales, marketing and communications, if late-night revelers try to book rooms after partying at Les Caves. She paused, and smiled. "We are always booked," she replied. 

Sadly, Les Caves was open on Fridays and Saturdays only at the time of my visit in late-June; my stay at the Byblos was in the middle of the week. It saved me considerable grief, probably.  What would I have worn?  How long would I have had to queue? Would I have kept my cool if I spotted George Clooney? Alas, I had no choice but to console myself at Papagayo, a portside dance club famous for hosting Bruce Willis, Diddy, and Bono. Inside, I somehow recall dancing around a stripper's pole.

It's no surprise that breakfast is served poolside at Le Byblos until 1 P.M., and lunch winds down around 7 P.M.  Hotel Byblos is designed for party people. The morning after any stripper pole incident, you can recover with a restorative massage at the on-site Sisley "Soins Essentiels Spa", which opened in May of this year.  The spa features specialized treatments; only at the Byblos can you experience an "Autour de l'Olivier," a 3-hour session beginning with a steam bath with Provencal essential oils, an intense hydration body massage, followed by an anti-aging hydration facial treatment using semi-precious malachite. There is a minimal health club, but with repeated peek-ins on my way to the pool, I didn't witness anyone using it.

There is wonderful food in Saint-Tropez -- even the mediocre French tourist food is better than much of what you can find in the States. Of course, there's good reason to stay at the hotel (especially in your room: I have never experienced such speedy room service at any hotel in the world). Spoon Byblos, operated by Alain Ducasse, is located on an outdoor terrace, with a view into the glass-walled kitchen and an aquarium-like wine cellar. The restaurant's motto is "Freedom." The chef is free to play with flavors of the Mediterranean, the Riviera, Italy, Spain, and North Africa. You are free to create your meal by choosing individual ingredients from the menu. You can even eat it with chopsticks, cutlery or with your fingers, if you like. I found it all somewhat confusing, but it was also very fun.  Bayader, Byblos' excellent Mediterranean restaurant, serves more formal fare.

Whether it's your first time or your 40th, shopping in the village of Saint-Tropez is fabulous, especially on Rue du Géneral Allard, Rue Gambetta, and Rue François Sibilli.  The market in the center of town at Places des Lices on Tuesdays and Saturdays is not to be missed. With over a hundred vendors, you can find everything from gorgeous peaches to lavender soap to antique linens.

The legendary Hotel Byblos Saint-Tropez is turning 40 this year, and from July 20th to August 5th, the Byblos Saint-Tropez will be having a birthday party. I encourage you to crash the party, and then recover poolside at the Byblos.

High season rates start at 550 euros.

Hotel Byblos Saint-Tropez
Avenue Paul Signac
83990 Saint-Tropez
Phone: 33 (0) 4 94 56 68 00
Fax : 33 (0) 4 94 56 68 01

www.byblos.com

Hyong Jung Lee is a New York-based freelancer who has also written for Forbes.