Nestled amid a lush Mediterranean garden, the hotel is designed like a Provençal village with the property’s 27 rooms and suites distributed among six small houses named after some of the most famous denizens of the French Riviera during the interwar years: Ernest (Hemingway), Peggy (Guggenheim), Pablo (Picasso), Gabrielle (Chanel), Scott (Fitzgerald), and Sara (Murphy). Interestingly, the less well known of the five, Sara, is the most instrumental in French Riviera’s Jazz Era heyday. A wealthy American expat and art patron, Sara and her husband Gerald were responsible for ‘rebranding’ the region as a summer destination—before settling Villa America in Cap d’Antibes, Côte d’Azure had exclusively been a winter destination. What’s more, the couple regularly hosted luminaries like Gertrude Stein, Cole Porter, Rudolph Valentino, and Stravinsky, not to mention ‘Ernest’, ‘Pablo’ and ‘Scott’ (who based his protagonists in his book “Tender in the Night” on the couple). The six eponymous houses are centred around a dining terrace which takes on the role of the village square, while the adjoining swimming pool is a place of suave relaxation.

Underpinned by a fresh, summery palette of mint green, sunny yellow and pastel pink, and a profusion of seaside-inspired patterns, including stripes, corals and plants, Arrivetz’s convivial interior design evocatively captures the Côte d’ Azure’s holiday essence while establishing a warm and welcoming ambiance. Natural materials like wood, rattan and marble that embody the region’s craft heritage instil a sense of craftsmanship, as does a curated selection of vintage furniture and decorative objects meticulously sourced by Julie Barrau.

Featuring whitewashed ceiling beams and walls, the guest rooms, most of which open up onto private terraces, have been left pure and simple with splashes of luminous yellow, peach and coral injecting a sense of exuberance. Art Deco inspired rattan headboards custom designed by Notoire paired with brass-rimmed lamps, handcrafted wooden desks and framed drawings by Brazilian artist João Incerti add subtle stylistic flourishes, as do shell-shaped ceramic sconces and scalloped mirrors in the bathrooms.

Set underneath bamboo pergolas and fabric canopies, Saint-Amour restaurant conjures the Côtte d’ Azur 1920s spirit with rattan armchairs, travertine pedestal tables, terracotta-hued fabric upholstery, including custom embroidered coral motifs, and brass lighting. Open throughout the day, the restaurant offers tweaked Provençal dishes like crispy calamari with spicy mayonnaise, truffle crunch and tomatoes and basil leaf spaghetti, while come night-time celebrated Cambodian chef Maître Koy presents a fusion menu of Mediterranean and Asian flavours. Saint-Amour’s wistful elegance and summer colour palette is carried on to the adjacent pool area which is enveloped in lush vegetation and furnished with white-painted wooden daybeds with decorative crenelations and matching fringed umbrellas. Hand-painted graphics adorning the pool bar, also by João Incerti, further enhance the sense of nostalgic glamour.