This French Beach Hotel Is A Mid-Century Style Stunner
Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel is fresh off a multimillion-dollar revamp courtesy of a famed Belgian architect.
One of the South of France’s most iconic beachfront hotels recently got a multimillion-dollar makeover in lush Mid-Century style that’s set to bring back the days when Brigitte Bardot frolicked there. Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel has existed in some form since the 1940s, yet of late it had become a jumble of design styles thanks to inconsistent updates. Now renowned Belgian architect Bernard Dubois has completed a meticulous revamp that melds Palm Springs style with the Mediterranean and Mid-Century Modern aesthetic.
Designed to offer the perfect blend of “beachside relaxation, vibrant social spaces, and gastronomic delight,” the five-star hotel features 35 elegant rooms and suites, a private beach, two acclaimed restaurants, and a famed rotunda bar overlooking the beach.
Nestled between the Gallice and Crouton harbors near to where classic movies such as To Catch a Thief were filmed, the Cap d’Antibes Beach Hôtel is designed to be a “boutique retreat seamlessly harmonizing with the breathtaking landscape of the rugged Antibes peninsula.” It’s picture-perfect white-sand beach dotted with pink umbrellas is a French Riviera favorite.
The hotel has always stood out thanks it’s “bold and refined” architectural lines and purity of form. As the day progresses, the vibrant atmosphere at its beachside food and beverage venue becomes a lively celebration, especially the iconic rotunda with its breathtaking views of the azure Mediterranean sea and the yachts passing to and fro.
For the renovation project, Dubois returned to the building’s original structure, peeling away extraneous layers and decoration. “He brought forth a very simple geometric construction, with clean lines and curves, reminiscent of Palm Springs homes in California,” the property notes, using light-colored stucco and granite and stone floors, plus raw-wood furniture designed to be welcoming and warm.
“Integrated with nature, the building plays with sunlight,” Dubois notes. “The eye captures every perspective…. The hotel was designed as a calming and protective place, made up of a play of shadow and light.” With neutral tones and playful splashes of pink, it is soothing to both the eye and the soul of vacation-seekers.
The fact that most of the rooms and suites have sea views and are just steps from the beach contributes to the feeling of a rarified oasis, especially in an area where direct access to the sea is a coveted attribute. In addition to the beach, a shimmering terrace featuring an infinity pool gracefully extending over the waves offers it’s own perfect perch for sunbathers.
“As the gentle waves caress the shore,” prepare for a lively experience at BABA, the hotel’s cool new beachside restaurant from Assaf Granit. As dusk approaches, the Rotunda Bar is the place to be, with celebrants migrating up from the beach or the wellness center nestled in the tranquil garden with its two signature massage suites.
“As the sky clears and the Mediterranean sea sparkles with reflected light, BABA emerges as a vibrant addition to the French Riviera’s dining scene,” as the hotel puts it. The cuisine is an “open-air celebration of nature and culture, embracing the art of grilling with an international flair,” mixing traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences.
Nicolas Saltiel, the visionary behind the hotel, partnered with JLM Group to create BABA as “an experience that embodies the essence of both elegance and camaraderie.” Menu highlights on the lighter side include fritto misto of squid and shrimp spiced with chimichurri and shifka pepper, a beef tartare with roasted eggplant, and “Cleopatra” salad with kale, artichoke chips, and chicken marinated in black coffee and sumac.
Expertly grilled main dishes include fresh fish, farm-raised chicken, steak and octopus. The restaurant’s carefully-curated wine list is a “Mediterranean odyssey, featuring exquisite selections from Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Syria, Croatia, and Italy”, as well as France’s own renowned regions like Languedoc and Provence.
In the evening, guests also have the option of dining with Chef Nicolas Rondelli at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Les Pêcheurs, where breakfast is also served. On a nautical-meets-Mid-Century-style terrace overlooking the ocean and hotel grounds, this is more of an elevated gastronomic experience in the classic French-accented Mediterranean style. “I approach cooking with humility, by composing with dishes inspired by the sea,” Rondelli delcares. “Like a navigator.”
Part of the Adresses Hotels collection, Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel is also a member of the world-class Relais & Châteaux association, established in France in the 1950s and now prevalent all over the world. Relais & Châteaux members commit to “protect and promote the wealth and diversity of the world’s culinary and hospitality traditions, to ensure they continue to thrive,” while they are “equally dedicated to preserving local heritage and the environment.”
