Hôtel Belles Rives

The Hôtel Belles Rives is a five-star hotel located in Juan-les-Pins, a town in the Antibes region on the French Riviera.^[1]

Built in 1903 by architect Paul Mouren for the Gilly family, Villa Saint Louis was designed in a neo-Norman style, quite different from the current Art Deco décor.

About a decade later, it was purchased by the Bouisson family and rented out after World War I.

In 1925, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald stayed at the villa, charmed by its appeal and private beach. Scott wrote fragments of The Great Gatsby and the opening pages of Tender Is the Night there, while socializing with Ernest Hemingway and attending the lavish jazz parties of the era.

In 1929, Boma Estène and his wife Simone acquired the villa and converted it into a hotel, creating the first “les pieds dans l’eau” (right on the water) establishment on the French Riviera.

From 1930 to 1931, architect César Cavallin added a floor and a wing, fully embracing the Art Deco style, with the same decorators and period lighting fixtures still visible today.

The hotel became a favored retreat for leading cultural figures of the time, such as Hemingway, Picasso, Valentino, and Mistinguett, as well as jazz musicians invited to the Juan-les-Pins festival, including Django Reinhardt and Ray Charles.

Water skiing was popularized there in the 1930s by Léo Roman, leading to the creation of the Belles Rives Water Ski Club, which remains active today.

Following Boma Estène’s death in 1970, his son Casimir took over the hotel, continuing the family legacy.

In 2001, Marianne Estène Chauvin, daughter of Georges Estène, succeeded her uncle. She modernized the establishment, secured its designation as a 20th-century heritage site, and opened the hotel year-round. She also founded the gourmet restaurant La Passagère, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2016.

In 2006, she acquired the neighboring Hôtel Juana, founded the Belles Rives Group, and developed the private beach as well as the Villa Rosa DJ evenings starting in 2009.

Since 2017, her son Antoine Chauvin Estène has joined the family business as director of the group. In 2023, he oversaw the renovation of the Fitzgerald Bar.

Hôtel Belles Rives features 41 rooms and suites, each designed to reflect the elegance of the Art Deco era. The hotel’s architecture and interior décor showcase authentic Art Deco elements, including period furnishings, geometric motifs, and luxurious materials, preserving the charm and glamour of the 1920s French Riviera.

The Hôtel Belles Rives features the restaurant La Passagère, which offers contemporary gourmet cuisine. The restaurant was awarded one Michelin star in 2016. It is led by renowned chefs who highlight local and seasonal ingredients in an elegant setting with sea views.

The Fitzgerald Bar, located at the hotel’s entrance, is listed among Europe’s historic and heritage cafés. It preserves its original Art Deco décor, including period furniture such as a moleskin bar counter, club chairs, and a piano bar. The bar is an iconic venue connected to the hotel’s literary history.

The Hôtel Belles Rives has a private beach equipped with comfortable facilities for its guests. The beach offers dining and wellness services as well as water sports activities. It is an integral part of the hotel’s premium seaside experience.

Hôtel Belles Rives offers a dedicated wellness area featuring a Beauty Corner that provides facial and body treatments using products from the brands Valmont and La Canopée. Guests can also enjoy massages performed on the hotel’s private beach. Additionally, access to the fitness and sauna facilities at the nearby Hôtel Juana is included for Hôtel Belles Rives guests.

The Fitzgerald Prize is a French literary award created in 2011 by Marianne Estène-Chauvin, president of the Francis Scott Fitzgerald Academy and owner of the Hôtel Belles Rives, in tribute to the American writer who stayed at the Villa Saint-Louis in the 1920s.

Each year, it rewards an author of a novel or short story published in French (or translated): the work must reflect the “elegance, wit, taste for style, and art of living” dear to Fitzgerald.

The ceremony is held in early or mid-June on the terrace of the Hôtel Belles Rives in Juan-les-Pins, in a festive setting overlooking the Mediterranean.

The jury is made up of journalists, writers, and cultural figures, traditionally chaired by Bertrand de Saint-Vincent, with members such as Daphné Roulier-de Caunes, Eric Neuhoff, Frédéric Beigbeder, Christophe Ono-dit-Biot, and Hélène Fillières.

• Official website

43°33′52″N 7°06′56″E / 43.56454°N 7.11547°E / 43.56454; 7.11547