A former hotel on the French Riviera that attracted the great and good of politics, Hollywood and high society will be given a new lease of life as a super-prime residential development.
Le Provençal will occupy the 10-storey Art Deco masterpiece that was once Hôtel Provençal, which was built by an American millionaire in late 1920s as the gateway to Cap d’Antibes.
After falling out of favour, the hotel sat abandoned for decades before being bought by luxury property developer Caudwell, which has shared the first details of the £300 million scheme exclusively with Spear’s.
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Le Provençal will offer 39 residences, including lateral apartments, garden villas and three triplex penthouses boasting their own private pools.
‘Le Provençal is a magnificent Art Deco palace with an illustrious heritage,’ explains John Caudwell, the British billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Caudwell. ‘Our restoration project is transforming this Côte d’Azur landmark into one of the most sought after ultra-prime residential schemes on the French Riviera, securing the future of this important historic building and creating a legacy for Cap d’Antibes.’
Gilded history of Hôtel Provençal
Hôtel Provençal was built by American millionaire Frank Jay Gould, who grew the fortune he inherited from his railroad tycoon father by purchasing a portfolio of hotels and casinos on the French Riviera.
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The hotel became a favourite of le beau monde, with guests including Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Sir Winston Churchill and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
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In 1977, Hôtel Provençal, then a faded shadow of its former star-studded self, closed for refurbishment but never reopened. A number of interested parties tried to acquire the site before it was successfully bought by Caudwell in 2014.
The property developer has partnered with Parisian design house Affine Design to transform the 256,000 sq.ft. main building and landscaped gardens, with the view of opening in 2025.
The grand façade is being refurbished, with the existing balconies extended and generously sized loggias and terraces created for alfresco living and entertaining. The restoration of the opulent interiors includes original Art Deco features such as sculptured wall panels with bas-relief, painted frescoes and ceilings with stepped borders.
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The jewels in the crown are the three triplex penthouses which each boast a private swimming pool and panoramic views of the coastline towards Nice, Cannes and Monaco.
On site, there will be ‘five-star lifestyle amenities’, including a cinema, health spa, restaurant, swimming pool and playroom.
The first apartments are priced between $4.4 – $8.8 million, with marquee residents starting from $16.5 million.
Lars Christiaanse, Group Director of Sales at Caudwell adds: ‘As a place to live Le Provençal is the ideal luxury waterfront address offering easy access to the beautiful bays of Cap d’Antibes, Monaco, Cannes, St Tropez and the Alpes-Maritime.’
