“The story of the Hôtel Belles Rives starts with the infatuation of a ‘lost Generation’ for the French Riviera, when American intellectuals and jet setters fell in love with this romantic stretch of sand and beaches…”
In 1925 Juan les Pins became home to the notorious Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald who rented a private seaside villa called the ‘Villa saint-louis’. This is not only where ‘Tender is the Night’ was written, but it is also where Scott and his extravagant wife indulged in their infamous wild parties, hosting celebrities such as Ramon Novarro, Hemingway, Gerald and Sarah Murphy, Rudolph Valentino, Florence and Frank Jay Gould and Picasso…
They lived a life of music, dancing, champagne and debauchery, and it is widely known that ‘The Great Gatsby’ was inspired by the life of which Fitzgerald led. The consequent result of this was that the Fitzgerald’s fired up the quiet coastal town of Juan les Pins, turning it into a roaringly glamorous attraction for artists, politicians and stars.
A few years later, the Villa saint-louis was bought by a Russian hotelier who saw the opportunity to turn it into a hotel, and so henceforth it became the Hôtel Belles Rives, the first seaside hotel on the Riviera. The 5 star hotel became the top location for film stars, jazz artists, writers and famous singers, and still remains popular today for many A-listers from the artistic world.
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The hotel, described as a ‘palace’ which ‘kisses the blue waters of the Mediterranean’, is classified in the Historical Monuments Registry and is oozing with 1930s decor and tradition. Each room was individually renovated in order for each of them to have their own personality, living up to the hotel’s ‘boutique’ image.
The restaurant and bar are what attracts many to this hotel. The ‘Bar Fitzgerald’ has entered the exclusive circle of listed European bars, and here, like the rest of the hotel, the refurbishment was based on thorough studies of historic documents and archives. It serves elaborate cocktails and afternoon tea’s, and is something to be recommended to all who are visiting the area.
The hotel and its own private beach club are top locations for many events such as parties and award ceremonies.
Throughout the hotel is evidence of the era from which it grew from, and memoirs devoted to the rich heritage both the hotel and the area have to offer. It is clear that Fitzgerald drew much of his inspiration for his writing from visiting this area of the French Riviera, and since then it has become a place of spectacle, and exhibition to his work, and most prominently, a place of luxury and lots and lots of money!
A short stay at this hotel could cost you up to around £2,000 per night, so maybe avoid the extortionate room costs and pay a visit for an evening cocktail or afternoon tea.
Photo Credits: projectgutenbergproject.blogspot.com, bellesrives.com, wordpress.com, tripadvisor.com