In a move that redefines Côte d’Azur luxury, Le Provençal’s developer Caudwell has announced a ground-breaking partnership with its equally storied neighbour, the five-star Hôtel Belles Rives, which will see the hotel provide Provençal residents with its renowned exceptional concierge services and access to fabulous hotel amenities.
Caudwell’s founder, British businessman and philanthropist John Caudwell confirmed that Belles Rives will provide residents of the new £300 million plus (GDV) luxury residential address with “outstanding 5-star concierge and lifestyle services, valet parking and the benefit of privileged reservation at the Hótel Belles Rives restaurants (including the Michelin-star La Passagère restaurant), cocktail bar and private beach.”
Two iconic French Riviera landmarks unite
The arrangement between the two iconic French Riviera landmarks, in the exclusive Cap d’Antibes enclave, makes perfect sense. They are just steps away from one another on Boulevard Edouard Baudoin, both sharing a rich cultural heritage (that includes F. Scott Fitzgerald) and breathtaking views over the balmy blue bay of Juan-les-Pins. Both have played host to a glittering set of wealthy, famous and fabulous international luminaries (think Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Dorothy Parker, Picasso, Churchill, and of course the Fitzgeralds).
As the Le Provençal prepares to officially open this summer, no longer as a hotel, but as a luxury residential building, this deal means that residents get the best of both beautiful worlds – a fabulous apartment with 5-star hotel service and amenities, most included in the service charge.
Provençal residents will be able to count on Belles Rives to handle their every whim:
- From ordering freshly pressed linens and flower deliveries (on a tariff basis) to securing sun-beds at the private beach or a table at La Passagère or at Paseo (at Hôtel Juana), no request will be too bespoke.
- The hotel’s famed Bar Fitzgerald, beach club, and luxury Swiss skincare house Valmont spa will now be extensions of life at Le Provençal.
- Uniformed concierge staff – stationed in a dedicated on-site service suite – will offer valet parking, spa bookings, restaurant reservations, and personalised cultural itineraries.
- The perks extend well beyond typical concierge fare: access to hire a chauffeur-driven Bentley Flying Spur or Mercedes S-class limousine, sports car rentals (Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW), private yacht charters, and exclusive entry to nearby golf clubs.
- For younger residents, the offerings range from tennis and dance classes to immersive French lessons.
As John Caudwell, the visionary behind this project, adds:
“With the services and cachet of Hôtel Belles Rives, Le Provençal becomes the ultimate lock-up-and-leave home or Riviera investment. This is five-star living in the footsteps of legends.”
Le Provençal magically transformed
Le Provençal was of course once a famous hotel itself, built in 1927 for American railway heir Frank Jay Gould.
It lay abandoned for over 40 years before Caudwell acquired it in 2014 and transformed it meticulously and magically into the gloriously grand design we see today – a luxury residential building with 41 superbly detailed apartments, each with their own security garage. Some of the residences exceed 9,000 square feet.
For the restoration Caudwell enlisted Parisian architecture and interior design house Affine Design, renowned for the renovation of celebrated hotels such as the Hôtel de Crillon, Hôtel de Paris and Hôtel Shangri-La Paris.
Some of the building’s restored public areas include a porte cochère, grand reception lobby and a rotunda with an Ottoman style domed gold leaf ceiling. There is also an Art Deco inspired 16-seat cinema and a spacious (200 sq.m.) health spa. Inside the spa a serene sanctuary of wellness beckons with a semi-circular tinted mosaic spa pool with a feature waterfall and jets, an inviting Jacuzzi, vitality pool and submersed beds. Complemented by a sauna, a hammam, a cold plunge pool, an ice fountain, hydrotherapy jets and soothing hot stone benches for a deeply rejuvenating experience.
There is also a gymnasium, treatment room, fitness studio and a separate female steam room and sauna in the ladies changing rooms. (Residents will be able to book health, beauty and spa treatments and private fitness and gym coaching through the concierge.)
There are also retail boutiques (on the ground floor as you stroll towards the Belles Rives), a restaurant, children’s playroom, and a gorgeous six-acre garden oasis complete with a 30-metre pool. (There are other swimming pools too at the ultra-prime address, including one each for the penthouses.)
Hôtel Belles Rives and its famous former resident
Before it became a famous Riviera hotel, Belles Rives was a private residence. It was this property – then called Villa Saint-Louis – that Fitzgerald and his family rented in 1926, and it was here that he began writing ‘Tender is the Night’. They would entertain their famous friends, including Ernest Hemingway, at the nearby Hotel Provençal (which was completed in 1927).
On one summer evening, Fitzgerald persuaded musicians performing at a restaurant in Juan-les-Pins to come to Villa St. Louis and perform until dawn. This event helped to inspire the creation of the hotel’s famous Bar Fitzgerald.
Coincidentally, as Le Provençal prepares for its imminent launch, Belles Rives will be celebrating 100 years since Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby.
Stéphane Vuillaume, Director & General Manager at Hôtel Belles Rives, says:
“For nearly a century, Hôtel Belles Rives has embodied the golden age of Riviera hospitality, where timeless elegance meets the refined art of personalised service.
“Our conciergerie upholds the storied tradition of the grand hotels of Europe, anticipating every need and crafting experiences that capture the effortless glamour of the Côte d’Azur.
“Residents of Le Provençal will have access to this unparalleled level of service, along with world-class wellness, leisure, and cultural offerings—including our renowned private beach, a cherished retreat on Cap d’Antibes that has welcomed discerning travellers for generations.”
Apartments released for sale at Le Provençal
The 41 residences at Le Provençal include lateral apartments, penthouses and garden houses/villas. Most of the residences offer outside terraces and spectacular views of the sea, with most also benefitting from views of the Alps.
There are three penthouses (located from the 8th to 11th floor), each with six bedroom suites, all have a private mosaic-lined swimming pool and offer panoramic views along the French Riviera including views of Cap d’Antibes, Nice, Monaco, Cannes and the Alps.
The apartments are priced from €4.5 million ($4.82m US Dollars) up to €8 million ($8.57m), with marquee residences priced from €15 million ($16.1m). Detailed pricing is available on application.
For more information:
www.leprovencal.com | +33 (0)4 93 65 53 36 | lars.christiaanse@caudwell.com
READ ALSO: John Caudwell’s dream becomes reality on the Riviera.
