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The Best Luxury Hotels
InterContinental Carlton Cannes (Western Riviera; tel. 04-93-06-40-06; www.ichotelsgroup.com): A World War II Allied commander issued orders to bombers to avoid hitting the Carlton "because it's such a good hotel." The 1912 hotel survived the attack and today is at its most frenzied during the annual film festival. Taste and subtlety aren't what the Carlton is about -- it's all glitter, glitterati, and glamour, the most splendid of the area's architectural "wedding cakes." The white-turreted doyenne presides over La Croisette like some permanent sand castle.
Hôtel du Cap-Eden Roc (Cap d'Antibes, Western Riviera; tel. 04-93-61-39-01; www.edenroc-hotel.fr): Looming large in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night, this is the most stylish of the Côte's palaces, standing at the tip of the Cap d'Antibes peninsula in its own manicured garden. The hotel reflects the opulence of a bygone era and has catered to the rich and famous since it opened in 1870.
Hôtel Negresco (Nice, Eastern Riviera; tel. 04-93-16-64-00; www.hotel-negresco-nice.com): An aging Lillie Langtry sitting alone in the lobby, her once-great beauty camouflaged by a black veil, is but one of the many memories of this nostalgic favorite. Self-made millionaires and wannabes rub shoulders at this 1906 landmark. We could write a book about the Negresco, but here we'll give only two interesting facts: The carpet in the lobby is the largest ever made by the Savonnerie factory (the cost was about one-tenth the cost of the hotel), and the main chandelier was commissioned from Baccarat by Tsar Nicholas II.
Grand Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat (St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Eastern Riviera; tel. 04-93-76-50-52; www.grand-hotel-cap-ferrat.com): The Grand Hôtel, built in 1908, competes with the Hôtel du Cap-Eden Roc as the Riviera's most opulent. Set in a well-manicured garden, it was once a winter haven for royalty. This pocket of posh has it all, including a private beach club with a heated seawater pool and a Michelin-starred restaurant utilizing market-fresh ingredients.
Hostellerie du Château de la Chèvre d'Or (Eze, Eastern Riviera; tel. 04-92-10-66-66; www.chevredor.com): In striking contrast to the palaces above, this gem lies in a medieval village 396m (1,300 ft.) above sea level. Following in the footsteps of former guests like Roger Moore and Elizabeth Taylor, you can stay in this artistically converted medieval château. All its elegant rooms open onto vistas of the Mediterranean. Everything here has a refreshingly rustic appeal rather than false glitter. As the paparazzi catch you sipping champagne by the pool, you'll know you've achieved Côte d'Azur chic.
Hôtel de Paris (Monte Carlo, Monaco, Eastern Riviera; tel. 92-16-30-00; www.montecarloresort.com): The 19th-century aristocracy flocked here, and though Onassis, Sinatra, and Churchill long ago checked out, today's movers and shakers still pull up in limousines. This luxury palace houses two Michelin-starred restaurants, the more celebrated of which is Le Louis XV, offering the sublime specialties of Alain Ducasse. Le Grill showcases Ligurian-Niçois cooking, a retractable roof, and a wraparound view of the sea.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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