Hotel Belles Rives:

The Icon of Sweet Decadence

Staying at Hotel Belles Rives is really an experience of admiring the beautiful 1930s era of Art Deco, Jazz and a decadent way of life. The hotel is located in a small town called Juan-les-pins, just a few miles away from Cap d’ Antibes and on the romantic stretch beaches along the stunning French Riviera coast. this hotel was first known as a private seaside villa called Villa Saint-louis and was designed by Niçois architect Charles Dalmas, who is also known for his works of the Carlton in Cannes and Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice. Following the style of the late 1920s and early ‘30s, this villa was done in an Art Deco style.

In 1925, the charm of Villa Saint-louis caught the attention of famous American author F. Scott Fitzgerald (who is known for his literary masterpieces such as “Tender is The Night” and “The Great Gatsby”) and his wife Zelda who was in the city after the First World War. They immediately fell in love with this little city and decided to reside in the villa. It is known that he wrote “Tender is The Night” while residing here and included this villa into his masterpiece. His time spent on French Riviera region provided him with the inspiration to write “The Great Gatsby” several years later, in which one imagines the extravagant couple throwing many parties on the terrace by the sea with celebrities such as Rudolph

Valentino, Hemingway, Franck Jay Gould, Maurice Chevalier and Pablo Picasso, with a green light shining on the horizon.

A life lived at night with Champagne, extravagance and sweet decadence… The Fitzgeralds made Juan les Pins the place to be. In 1929, Russian Boma Estene and his wife Simone who came from a famous dynasty of hoteliers bought Villa Saint-louis and transformed it into a hotel project. Thus, The Belles Rives was born as the first seaside hotel on the Riviera. They appointed Cannes architect César Cavallin to add a wing and two floors to the establishment which then had 44 rooms. It was Victor Gillino, Niçois furniture designer at the Palm Beach and Cannes Casino, who applied his talent to create the interior design of the rooms in the new establishment, using a blend of precious wood and innovative forms. After the Second World War, architect Maurice Guilgot modernised the Belles Rives with private beach. The current owner Marianne Estène-chauvin (third generation of the Estène family) acquired the hotel in 2001, making The Belles Rives as a family business until today.

Every inch of the hotel sings a hymn to 1930s style. Its soothing atmosphere shines through a long study of archives, a vow to preserve its authentic elegance, a choice of only the finest architects and designers who work only with the most precious fabrics, stones and paintings. The lobby was restored to its past grandeur under the direction of interior designer Olivier Antoine. He recovered its historic colours, enhanced by thin linings of gold and silver. Three bronze ceiling lamps came to illuminate these details, juxtaposing the Venetian Terrazzo with the wave-like mosaic motif bordering the room and framed by large marble tiles. All 43 rooms and suites have individual designs and personalities with balconies opening onto the Mediterranean or Cap d’antibes. Each room is designed with a warm decoration by an alliance of straight graphics featuring Ruhlmann style, while the 1950s whims the Madeleine Castaing way and rich Pierre Frey fabrics. The bathroom is also beautifully adorned by Carrara marble that is designed under the theme of the ‘thigh of the emotive muse’.

Highlight of this hotel includes Piano Bar Fitzgerald that features a Moleskin bar, club leather seats, chandeliers and its authentic frescoes with Art Deco furnishings covered in animal-print fabrics. Aside from the bar, we were also amazed by La Passagere Restaurant Gastronomique that has one Michelin star. It underwent a complete renovation in 2016 and designer Olivier combined the contemporary nuance while conserving the Art Deco roots.