A vast private home built by the property development firm run by British billionaire John Caudwell has gone up for sale on the French Riviera.
The property, named Domaine de la Belle Étoile, consists of three villas, two of which have been newly built from the ground up. The third has been restored and refurbished, having previously served as the tennis clubhouse of the nearby Hôtel Provençal.
Spear’s was among the very first media outlets invited to view Domaine de la Belle Étoile, which is set across a sprawling 3.65-acre plot. The property’s three separate villas are Villa Capella, Villa Céleste and Belle Étoile. The last of these serves as the main, six-bedroom residence and boasts 14,200 sq ft of living space.
While the list price for the entire estate is only available upon application, Spear’s understands it is expected to be in excess of €70 million.
The site has a glittering history: Villa Céleste was once the tennis clubhouse for the nearby Hôtel Provençal, a French Riviera retreat that was loved by John F. Kennedy, the Duke of Windsor, Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe in its glamorous heyday. The Art Deco hotel was bought by Caudwell in 2014 and is now in the process of being transformed into Le Provençal, a super-prime residential development with 39 residences that have a combined list price of €300 million.
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At Domaine de la belle Étoile it is easy to see why Caudwell, who invited Spear’s to stay onboard his superyacht Titania, is so enamoured by the property, which is the newest and the only new-build residential estate on the exclusive Cap d’Antibes.
Beyond a gated entrance and private driveway, guests are greeted by extensive gardens, which are zoned to include a rose garden, an olive grove with lavender planting, a hidden meditation area, vineyard, a chef’s garden, boules court, as well as space for a tennis court and helipad, subject to planning permission.
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‘If I was buying that, it would break my heart leaving it,’ says Caudwell of the property. ‘With those gardens, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d want to go to leave those gardens behind.’
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The primary villa, designed by Nice-based architectural practice Atelier Baraness + Cawker with interiors by Monaco-based design studio Casamanara, offers living across two floors.
The glass and colonnaded façade has a contemporary appeal, while the living spaces open on to covered loggias and outside terraces. The luxurious accommodation includes five reception rooms, six bedroom suites, a 75ft swimming pool, spa, cinema room, gym and staff quarters.
On the upper floor of the villa is the entrance foyer which has a cantilevered staircase to the garden floor below, with the dramatic space bordered by double-height windows on both sides offering views onto a courtyard garden and on the other aspect views, over the lawns towards the pool and bay. Belle Étoile is, as the name suggests, the jewel in the estate’s crown.
Its neighbouring villas, Celeste and Capella, are smaller but no less spectacular and have been designed to function as guest houses. A third villa, Villa Marguerite, is under construction and available via separate negotiation.
The entire estate offers sweeping views overlooking the Port de l’Olivette.
Caudwell is hopeful that Domaine de la Belle Étoile might appeal to a buyer who wants to spend significant time on the French Riviera, noting it has a greater feeling of permanence than the nearby Le Provençal.
He adds: ‘Even something as big and grand as Le Provençal can be used as a lock-and-go property whereas leaving Belle Étoile behind is heartbreaking.’
Domaine de la Belle Étoile is available for viewing by appointment, price in region of €70m.
