Style-meets-the golden sands of Europe this summer, with a number of glamorous designer beach clubs popping up along the Mediterranean coast. Fashion houses and luxury brands are taking over some of our favourite sun-drenched spots, bringing with them monogrammed sun-loungers, parasols, towels and so much more. From Missoni at Nikki Beach to D&G in Sicily and Dior, Gucci and Armani on the Côte d’Azur, these are the most glamorous beach clubs of the summer.
Designer Beach Clubs in Europe
Missoni Resort Club x Nikki Beach Costa Smeralda
Sardinia, Italy
Missoni brings its iconic stripes to Sardinia thanks to a collaboration with Nikki Beach Costa Smeralda, resulting in one of the most glamorous designer beach clubs of the summer. Nikki Beach was the original beach club, introduced by entrepreneurs Jack and Lucia Penrod in 1998. 25 years later, and the brand has 11 outposts (from St Barths to Koh Samui, Dubai to Miami Beach), as well as five hotels and resorts.
Their Sardinian beach club in Cala Petra Ruja, Porro Cervo, has been completely transformed by the fashion house, merging the barefoot luxury vibe for which Nikki Beach is so well known with a chic Italian aesthetic. Sunbeds, huge parasols, towels and cushions (even the place mats in the restaurant) come in Missoni’s classic geometric patterns. The palette of deep blue and ocean turquoise paired with vivid pops of emerald-green has been carefully chosen to reflect the island’s glittering coastline.
Cala Petra Ruja, 07021 Arzachena SS, Italy
nikkibeach.com
Bagatelle Saint-Tropez x Giorgio Armani
Saint-Tropez, France
Bagatelle was the brainchild of two restaurateurs Aymeric Clemente and Remi Laba, who wanted to serve up a combination of Mediterranean food, chic decor and lively music. Following openings in the US, Brazil and St Barths, they turned their attention to Pampelonne beach. The Gilles Pellerin-designed beach club only opened in 2022, but it has fast become the destination du jour for chic French Riviera holidaymakers.
Now they’ve even more reason to visit with this summer’s Giorgio Armani takeover. The Italian house brings its iconic Mare pattern to the club, adorning umbrellas, cushions, games and beach accessories (from surfboards to lilos) in the exotic-inspired blue motif. Guests can lie on one of the giant loungers, wrap themselves in an Armani bath sheet, and order the signature Bellini Sbagliotto cocktail, a recipe from Milan’s Emporio Armani Caffe. Beauty treatments are on offer throughout the day, with a photobooth (adorned in the Mare motif, of course) on site to capture the results.
Les Tamaris, Chemin de Matarane, 83350 Ramatuelle, France
bagatelle.com
Dolce&Gabbana Casa at San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel
Sicily, Italy
San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel, was once a 14th century convent, perched on a rocky promontory on the east coast, high above Taormina Bay. It became a hotel in 1896, welcoming guests from Oscar Wilde and King Edward VIII to Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren. Now the Sicilian destination has entered a new era under Four Seasons, with a restaurant serving up Michelin-starred fare, a sublime spa, and 111 rooms. Indeed, you might already be familiar with its cooly elegant decor and sweeping Ionian Sea views, as the hotel was used as the filming location for the latest season of White Lotus.
Such a dramatic setting calls for an equally eye-catching summer pop-up – and Dolce&Gabbana delivers. The Italian luxury fashion house has taken over the hotel’s clifftop infinity pool area and gardens, decking them out in the ‘Blue Mediterraneo’ motif. The deep blue-and-white pattern, which draws inspiration from majolica pottery, adorns all the paraphernalia that comes with the seaside. A customised Granita Trolley weaves its way amongst the loungers, serving guests lemon and coffee granitas. Surely the most stylish way to cool off in the Sicilian sunshine?
Piazza San Domenico, 5, 98039, Taormina, Italy
fourseasons.com
Louis Vuitton at Blue Beach Club & Bar at Mandarin Oriental
Bodrum, Turkey
Mandarin Oriental Bodrum welcomes Louis Vuitton for the season with a pop-up store and redesign of the resort’s iconic Blue Beach Club & Bar. The hotel sits in one of the most beautiful spots on the Turkish Riviera, hugging Paradise Bay, and has two private beaches. The resort itself is spread over 60 hectares on a hillside that’s surrounded by centuries-old olive and pine trees, with the 128 rooms, suites, villas and apartments all having a terrace or balcony to soak up the views.
Though there’s a gorgeous swimming pool, it is the beach club and pop-up store that are the summer highlight. Louis Vuitton motifs have been stencilled onto the facade of the beach club, as well as the wooden walkway across the sand to the water. Meanwhile, the store decor has been inspired by the maison’s By The Pool collection, with interiors incorporating natural materials and a fresh blue-and-white palette referencing the local architecture, as well as the concept of leisurely, unhurried days. Prise yourself away from your LV lounger to browse the rails of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, as well as accessories and fragrances.
Gölköy Mahallesi 314 Sokak No.10, 48483, Bodrum, Muğla, Turkey
mandarinoriental.com
Dior at Shellona Beach
Saint-Tropez, France
Shellona beach was already well established in St Barths in the Caribbean before it arrived on the legendary Pampelonne beach in the South of France in 2017. The decor at this beach club perfectly encapsulates Tropezian bohemia – think driftwood-and-rattan furniture, fringed straw umbrellas, a simple, sunny Mediterranean menu and chilled-out Ibiza-style beats. It’s the definition of low-key luxe.
This summer Shellona offers golden hour glamour to guests at the Dioriviera Beach & Boutique Pop-Up, designed as a continuation of Christian Dior’s long-term passion for the Mediterranean art of living. Fringed parasols, sunloungers, cushions and deckchairs all come in Dior’s iconic toile de Jouy in a delicate blush pink and grey colourway, called Toile de Jouy Sauvage, with the addition of exquisite embroidery and luxurious detailing. The animals which feature in the print (lions, giraffes, tigers…) have been recreated as life-size sand sculptures to add to the effect. Shop Dior surfboards, yoga mats and the latest Dioriviera capsule at the pop-up, including the Saint-Tropez Dior Book Tote (£2,500), which is exclusively available at the boutique.
Chemin des Tamaris, 83350 Ramatuelle, France
shellonabeach.com
Loro Piana at La Réserve à la Plage
Saint-Tropez, France
For bohemian chic, it must be La Réserve à la Plage. After all, not many beach clubs can claim to have been designed by Philippe Starck. The French architect and designer has created one of Saint-Tropez’s most exclusive seafront destinations, drawing on Pampelonne beach as inspiration. It may have impeccable credentials, but the vibe is super relaxed. Days here are spent sunbathing, nibbling chef Nicolas Cantrel’s exquisite spin on tapas and browsing the concept boutique. In the evening, the tempo ramps up and the Champagne flows as guests get in the mood for St Trop’s nightlife.
The resort itself is spread over 60 hectares on a hillside that’s surrounded by centuries-old olive and pine trees, with the 128 rooms, suites, villas and apartments all having a terrace or balcony to soak up the views.
This summer, the beach club has collaborated with Loro Piana, bringing Italian luxury to the French Riviera. Furnishings are upholstered in Loro Piana Interiors outdoor fabrics with the brand’s multi-striped motif adorning everything from parasols to beach towels, even making an appearance in the bar-restaurant. The shop currently stocks the Loro Piana Summer Resort 2023 Collection, so you’ll find everything you need from straw hats and swimsuits to handmade linen beach bags in the signature Suitcase Stripe.
Route de l’Epi-Pampelonne, 83350 Ramatuelle, France
lareserve-plage.com
Jacquemus x Indie Beach
Saint-Tropez, France
Childhood friends Vincent Luftman, Raphaël Blanc and Tobias Chaix all grew up together in Saint-Tropez. Keen to capture the spirit of the town, as well as introduce it to a new generation, they decided to launch their own beach club, opening the doors to Indie Beach on Pampelonne in 2021. Success was swift with people flocking to the waterfront oasis for its bohemian decor and laid-back atmosphere.
It makes perfect sense that Jacquemus has collaborated with the Saint-Tropez hangout this summer. The label was founded by Simon Porte Jacquemus, who lived in Salon-de-Provence in southern France until he moved to Paris aged 18. The French designer has gone all-0ut yellow, with his first-ever branded beach dotted with retro-inspired furniture, striped citrus-coloured parasols and cushions, and even surfboards to bring the holiday vibe. Browse the brand’s Été capsule collection at the pop-up store on Ramatuelle’s Plage de la Bonne Terrasse, featuring straw hats, jewellery and new iterations of the Chiquito and Le Bisou bags.
80 rue du Tibouren, Parc d’Activité du Colombier 2, 83350 Ramatuelle, France
indiegroup.fr
Fendi for Puente Romano Beach Resort
Marbella, Spain
The strap line for Puente Romano is ‘Live Life’ – and this Andalusian village-style resort is teeming with opportunities to do just that. It’s got something for everyone – spacious suites and private villas, more than 20 restaurants and bars, a buzzing nightlife, complimentary golf, botanical gardens, a tennis club, Six Senses spa, extensive wellness facilities… the list goes on.
It also has a beach club, Chiringuito, which this year has been given the Fendi touch. To celebrate the opening of their new three-floor Puerto Banús boutique, the Italian fashion giant has transformed the space with vibrant prints, colours and emblematic stripes that are a playful nod to the maison’s Astrology Collection 2023. Furniture, furnishings and textiles all get multi-hued makeovers, while tableware in the restaurant is decorated with the signs of the zodiac. On the beach, the joyful mood continues with Bali beds, beach chairs, cabanas and open-air lounges adorned in the famous Fendi logo, with cushions in different sizes and colours and soft beige carpets. Even the beach buggies and resort’s sailing boats have been given a makeover. There’s a pop-up store too, where you can buy the new collection as well as all the classics.
Bulevar Principe Alfonso von Hohenloe, S/N, 29602 Marbella, Spain
puenteromano.com
Gucci at Loulou Beach Club
Ramatuelle, France
Can there be anything chicer than the Gucci stripe? Especially when it’s adorning your sunlounger. To mark the reopening of its newly renovated boutique in Saint-Tropez, Gucci has collaborated with Loulou Ramatuelle, resulting in one of the most elegant designer beach clubs on the Côte d’Azur. Designed as an ode to the French Riviera of the 1950s, the restaurant-beach club is where well-heeled Parisiennes go to drink chilled rosé and dine on family-style dishes from France and Italy – antipasti, colourful salads, pizzas and grilled fish.
Now they’ll be there in their droves to admire the lounge area, a vision of Gucci’s signature motifs in fresh, summery colourways. Beach umbrellas and cabanas come in sunshine yellow-and-white stripes and the interlocking G logo adorns towels and cushions, while the red-blue-and-white loungers are so dapper, you’ll want to take one home. If you’re in the buying mood, the Gucci pop-up boutique has a curated capsule of warm-weather pieces envisioned exclusively for the destination, as well as the Summer Stories collection. After all that shopping, lie back and order a cocktail from Loulou’s bar, which offers a menu curated by Giardino 25, Gucci’s all-day café and cocktail bar in the heart of Florence.
Chemin des Tamaris, 83350 Ramatuelle, France
loulou-ramatuelle.com
Valentino Escape at Palazzo Avino
Ravello, Italy
Once a 12th century private villa belonging to an Italian noble family, Palazzo Avino has lost none of its grandeur, nor its spectacular views. The dusty-pink five-star hotel is tucked away in the Medieval hilltop village of Ravello, perched some 1000 ft above the Amalfi coast. With just 33 rooms and ten suites, the vibe is intimate and the service excellent. A Michelin star restaurant, cafe and Lobster & Martini Bar keep a glamorous clientele fed and watered, and the spa is gorgeous.
The hotel’s beach club ‘Club House by the Sea’ is located in Marmorata, a 15-minute drive away (there’s a complimentary shuttle bus). This summer, it pops with Valentino red as the Italian fashion house settles in for the season. Umbrellas, deckchairs and sun loungers are all in the signature vibrant hue, adorned with the “V” logo, so too the towels and yoga mats. There’s even a bright red striped 1950s-style cabina (changing room), surrounded by lemon trees. Dress the part with a visit to the resort’s boutique which showcases the maison’s Escape 2023 collection of caftans, floaty mini dresses and beachwear in the Valentino Animalier, Loop and Panther prints.
Via S. Giovanni del Toro, 28, 84010 Ravello SA, Italy
palazzoavino.com
