Originally designed as an elite palace on the shores of the Mediterranean, Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat today draws celebrities and discerning travelers alike to its breathtaking location. We spent most afternoons at the private Club Dauphin beach club, just a funicular train ride away. I could spend hours just sitting next to the infinity-edge pool, gazing out to sea. The Provencal cuisine at Le Cap restaurant was simply sublime - ask for a table on the outdoor terrace for the best views. For the more active at heart, there's a coastal path for walking or jogging, as well as tennis courts.

THE GRAND-HOTEL DU CAP-FERRAT CELEBRATES 100 YEARS WITH AN EXTENSIVE EXPANSION PROJECT BY DESIGNER PIERRE-YVES ROCHON.

Housed in a pristine white mansion, a grand palace on the Côte D’Azur, on the tip of the peninsula of Cap-Ferrat, amidst 17 acres of lushly landscaped gardens with panoramic views of the Mediterranean, the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat has welcomed into its halls throughout the past 100 years those in search of exquisite beauty, world-class cuisine, a passion for sunshine, sea breeze and endless blue water.

Many of these are the great personalities of each era: aristocrats, film stars, politicians, artists and writers to whom the Grand-Hotel is a peaceful refuge of paradise on earth. Beauty: unpretentious and pure. Service: friendly and impeccable.

Throughout the past century, while trends in world travel have come and gone, the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat has remained relatively unchanged and continues to offer the simple pleasures of unparalleled beauty and a unique experience of luxury and elegance in a rare and exquisite seaside retreat of paradise on the Côte D’Azur.

The Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat opens the 2009 summer season with an extensive expansion project that respects the grandeur of the past and celebrates the beginning of a new era. Internationally acclaimed designer Pierre-Yves Rochon’s new design includes all public areas, guest rooms and suites and the interior design of The Residence – a new sea-front wing that features eight new suites: each with its own private swimming pool and spacious 30m2 terrace overlooking the sea and sixteen deluxe sea view rooms with private terraces. With the addition of this new wing: The hotel now features 73 rooms and suites (49 rooms and 24 suites). The Grand-Hotel also introduces a new restaurant and a spacious Spa and sea-view Spa Garden.

Throughout the eras, the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat has consistently been ahead of its time in offering the most luxurious facilities and innovative services to its guests. The motivating philosophy behind the re-opening is to continue to offer guests an enhanced experience and to maintain the identity of the Grand- Hotel whilst adapting to provide the experience of state-of-the-art technology and contemporary elements designed to suit the needs of modern travellers.

The original Rotunda was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel in 1909 and is located adjacent to the main lobby with large bay windows overlooking the sea. The soaring and unforgettably beautiful lobby features a crystal table by Lalique and a baroque chandelier made by Tisserant (whose other lighting projects include the Palace of Versailles) of crystal doves enclosed within a silver lantern that hangs from the ceiling and reflects light into the room from the rotunda. The most prominent design elements are intended to provide guests with the experience of living in a well appointed home rather than that of staying in a tra03 ditional hotel. The use of beige Persian marble and white Calcutta Cream marble throughout rooms and public spaces in addition to exquisite fabrics of white linen, natural silks in pastels and tones of beige and white maximise the effect of an abundance of sunlight and spectacular views of the sea and surrounding gardens. Many elements have been custom designed for the Grand-Hotel and artwork includes an original tapestry designed by Fernand Léger entitled, “Oiseaux dans les fleurs.”

The new sea view suites in The Residence with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that open onto terraces with their own private infinity swimming pools are unique in France. These sleek and modern all white suites feature paintings by the contemporary artist Elisabeth Stein, reproductions of artwork by Matisse and white marble furniture custom-designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon.

In addition to the introduction of a new wing of sea view rooms and suites: many existing guest rooms in the historical building have been transformed into larger suites in order to offer guests an even more comfortable experience for extended visits. Rooms are spacious, light and feature reproductions of artwork from French artists, many of whom were local to the area and regular guests at the Grand-Hotel, including Picasso, Cocteau, Matisse, Chagall, Modigliani and Rodin.

Le Spa is a spacious 750 m2 (8,000 square foot) spa with facilities that include an indoor swimming pool and six lavishly appointed treatment rooms including a 65m² spa suite with a private balneo, men’s and women’s private steam rooms and saunas, a sensorial shower, Gyrotonic by Excellence des Sens and a gym with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment. Le Spa offers a wide range of therapeutic and beauty treatments for face and body with products by Comfort Zone and French beauty specialist: Carita.

features outdoor sundecks for relaxing and soaking in the sun before and after treatments as well as five outdoor treatment pavilions and a sea-front outdoor gymnasium and exercise area.

Award-winning Executive Chef Didier Aniès, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2000, oversees all three restaurants. Aniès’ cuisine is simple and delicious, unpretentious and elegant. He uses the best ingredients and his creations are inventive and influenced by the Provence region.

The new La Véranda restaurant offers creative and authentic Mediterranean cuisine in a relaxed and elegant environment with views of the sea and surrounding gardens. La Véranda is a third dining option for casual and lighter meals to compliment Michelin star Restaurant Le Cap for elegant gastronomic dinners and Club Dauphin for pool and sea-side daytime meals.

A unique indoor experience with a garden theme takes advantage of large bay windows with magnificent views of the Mediterranean Sea across the tops of Aleppo Pines from the terrace below. Outdoor dining on the terrace is available during the summer months. Green Murano glass chandeliers hang from high, palatial moulded ceilings. Tiled floors and silk, floral sofas echo a garden theme. Porcelain tableware in a white and pale green, Matisse-inspired floral motif has been custom designed for La Véranda by Pierre-Yves Rochon and produced by the legendary French porcelain house Raynaud.

The new bar is situated adjacent to La Véranda and is a glamorous and sophisticated area that is the perfect spot for a drink and quiet conversation. A light food menu is also available.

Restaurant Le Cap (1* Michelin 2009) has also been re-designed and has a new location on the garden level to offer an indoor and outdoor dining experience opening onto a terrace of breathtaking sea views. The terrace at Le Cap is the perfect place to dine alfresco while enjoying the warm ocean breeze under the shade of Aleppo pines. The interior of Restaurant Le Cap features a mural inspired by the artistic style of Jean Cocteau and painted on-site by the artist Michèle Letang. Pierre-Yves Rochon has custom designed porcelain tableware for Restaurant Le Cap in a gold and white ‘gods of the sea’ theme produced by Haviland with Poseidon: god of the sea, Helios: god of sun, Aeolus: god of air and Venus: goddess of love and beauty.

The new Salon des Collections holds one of the world’s most spectacular wine collections including 141 vintage bottles of Château D’Yquem dating back to 1854 and 33 bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild crus wines dating back to 1799. The Salon des Collections is an ideal place for private dinners with up to eight guests. Wine weekends featuring France’s greatest Châteaux are organised on a regular basis and wine tastings with our expert sommelier are available throughout the year upon request.

Cooking classes with award-winning Executive Chef Didier Aniès and awardwinning Head Pastry Chef Luc Debove are offered throughout the year by special appointment for individuals and small groups.

Club Dauphin, situated on the rocky shoreline and accessible by a private funicular, features a 360m2 Olympic sized heated seawater infinity pool. Originally built in 1939 and revolutionary since its day, the beautifully designed pool with a brilliant blue backdrop of the Mediterranean, is an ideal place to enjoy the sunshine and breathtaking views. Club Dauphin serves a lunch-time menu with Mediterranean flavours. In addition to the menu, a buffet is available during the summer months. Private seaside cabins of white cotton situated along the shoreline and overlooking the pool and sea are available for those who wish to spend a day in peace and tranquility.

The pool at the Grand Hotel is synonymous with Pierre Gruneberg, resident swimming instructor, who has been teaching hotel guests to swim since 1950. Famous for his ‘salad bowl’ method, Pierre Gruneberg taught Charlie Chaplin’s children how to swim along with countless other hotel guests throughout the years. Grand Hotel guests Picasso and Jean Cocteau, while they did not take part in swimming lessons, sketched souvenir portraits of Pierre that he has saved in his book of Grand Hotel memoirs: “Le Livre D’Or” .

The Grand-Hotel is an ideal destination for luxury family travel. In addition to Les Petits Dauphins children’s pool; Michelin star chef Didier Aniés offers pastry cooking classes for children and a special children’s’ menu. Summer 2009 will see the opening of The Kids’ Club located outdoors with a diverse offering of activities for children of all ages.

Seventeen acres of verdant, blossoming and flawlessly manicured sea front gardens that extend from the entrance to the hotel grounds down to the rocky sea shore are the work of famed landscape designer Jean Mus, whose project marked the beginning of the hotel’s 20-month-long reformation in October 2007.

Features include terraced gardens with water cascading through ornamental ponds and richly-fragranced flowers blooming in shades of soft pastels along winding walkways that lead down to the sea.

Renowned interior designer and architect, Alberto Pinto, designed the Penthouse Suite and the Villa Rose Pierre. The Penthouse is a lavishly appointed 220 square meter apartment located on the 4th floor with two large outdoor terraces, hammam and outdoor jacuzzi and outstanding panoramic views of the Mediterranean and surrounding gardens.

Elegantly located in 2.5 acres of pine forest, surrounded by scented gardens, is the 550 square meter, elegantly furnished Villa Rose-Pierre boasting beautiful terraces. This magnificent property, a haven of peace and tranquility, overlooking the sea, has its own private pool and tennis court and remains hidden from the outside world.

The Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, traditionally open 10 months of the year, will now be open year-round.

The Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat is a member of Leading Small Hotels of the World.

• “Gold List” Condé Nast Traveler (January 2009) – “Best Location in Europe”
• Five Star Diamond Award: 9 consecutive years from 2000 – 2009
• “Among the Top 500 of the World’s Best Hotels” – Travel + Leisure (January 2008)
• Head Chef, Didier Aniés, Michelin Star awarded March 2008 and 2009
• Club Dauphin awarded “3rd Best Swimming Pool” in the world by National Geographic (2008)
• Forbes Traveller – “World’s Best Hotels” 2008
• “Top Hotels for Service: No 1 in Europe and No 2 Worldwide” Travel + Leisure (May 2006)
• “No 1 European Resort Hotel” Departures (January 2003)

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