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Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

Christine Drinan, Founder

5 months ago

Now, here’s a hotel where even owning a half-billion-dollar boat is not enough to guarantee you a reservation. That’s how you know it is pretty darned special. So, in the spirit of #goals this week, this is the review of the famed Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. And yes, we will let you know whether it lives up to the hype.

A Lay of the Land

There are some places that create a superficial demand to book, whether it’s a restaurant or in the rare case a hotel. The Hotel du Cap, which is part of the Oetker Collection, however, is not one of those places. It really is near impossible to book a room because over 80% of their business year in, and year out, are the same people. You know a place is pretty darned special when individuals with effectively unlimited resources choose to return every year. In many cases, guests are generations of families who learned early on Hotel du Cap is where to be in the South of France.

The Reservation Process

If you’re a first-timer at the Hotel du Cap, it means that you’ll need to wait until the regulars firm up their dates. Timing wise that means that you’re relegated to what’s leftover around the late February to April timeframe. When you do get the slot, you essentially agree to pay whatever rate is available. This year, it was a minimum of around 4200 euros/night. They confirm the actual room rate based on availability when you arrive.

So if you are counting thousands or telling yourself that no room could be worth that price, this is probably not for you. If you’re trying to game the system or think you should have a mansion for the nightly room rate, this is probably not for you. If you think that people should suck up to you because you’re super important, surprisingly this is not for you either. However, if you place value on having the best experience that life can offer, then Hotel du Cap should hit the spot.

Atmosphere

With all that said on the lay of the land, what you find is nothing short of serene and elegant when you arrive. I’ve been going to the Hotel du Cap for the past 14 years, and it’s the only place that immediately relaxes me. Driving through the wrought-iron gates that slowly open to reveal a utopia of a place does not get old. I am immediately reminded why I work my arse off all year. The vibe is so serene that all the noise and even work that I love fades far away. Few experiences do this for me, but I am present and enjoying the moment. This is the only place I will also put my out-of-office mode on and stow my computer for the week.

Those Surreal Views

I am normally into a modern aesthetic but everything about Hotel du Cap is elegantly classic. It’s just darned pretty, and while the decor is clearly traditional, they’ve added contemporary aspects to make it feel fresh. There are iconic spots throughout the grounds. Whether you’re looking out your bathroom window, or walking through the art installations, it’s like every corner feels like a painting. For me, one of the most notable is the beauty of glimpsing the Grande Allée. This is the famed long garden corridor that extends from the main house to the Mediterranean. Looking at this view and taking those same photos every year just does not get old.

About the People

For a place that at any given point during the summer will house more billionaires than millionaires, people could not be friendlier. I’ll get to the team that runs the Hotel du Cap later when I talk service. However, for a place that could be overbearing and stuffy, none of that exists at the Hotel du Cap. While there’s always the exception, this place just brings out the best in people. I know for sure that I’m the very best version of myself here. I also meet the most interesting people when I am at the Hotel du Cap, including some lifelong friends.

Rooms

The beauty of the Hotel du Cap is that there’s nothing over the top. Everything is tastefully done. Yes there are crystal chandeliers, marble baths, brocade curtains, and traditional prints throughout. However, they’ve made the atmosphere fresh and light. I’ve stayed in places that are far more expensive, expansive in size, and lavish than the rooms at the Hotel du Cap. However, there is something that just feels like home in the rooms here. Even if your aesthetic is modern, (like mine is) there’s an appreciation for the classic decor of the rooms. If there’s a better-kept 130-year-old hotel, I’ve yet to discover it.

Food + Beverage

My intermittent fasting goes completely out the window when I’m at the Hotel du Cap. I start every morning at the breakfast buffet with cheese, bread, cornichons, croissants, and a custom egg white omelet. Normally I get up early anyway. However, I’m especially motivated to get a table that’s right at the railing to sip my green tea and start my day. I also get my name in for a first-row lounger at the pool.

Lunch + Lazy Days

For other meals, I know that I have to go to Cannes with friends to dance on a table at Baoili. There’s now a Nammos in Cannes too. Guerite is always fun for a day, as is the helicopter to shop in St. Tropez. There are a dozen places that are renowned for food within an hour and a half of the Hotel du Cap. However, my favorite is just staying at the hotel and eating all my meals there.

The Restaurants

For lunch, I love The Grill and gorge myself on sushi, King Crab, French fries, and salads. Sometimes for lunch, I’ll go to the restaurant upstairs from The Grill which requires a change out of my bathing suit to eat at the buffet.

Evening Dining

There is nothing like sunset at the Hotel du Cap. I normally go to the second-floor terrace for Champagne and caviar to watch the sun fade into black over the Med. For dinner, they transform The Grill into an evening restaurant. This is normally on my schedule when I want to keep it chill and easy. I always have a formal dinner though at Louroc which is a tasting menu and maybe only second to Mirazur in Menton. Additionally, there’s a new al fresco Italian dinner spot, Giovanni’s, this year, that is only open for hotel guests.

Service

Any other place with everything that Hotel du Cap has going for it would be pretentious as heck. That is not the case with the Hotel du Cap. The team has achieved a unique balance of flawless polished service, with warmth and sincerity. They know how to genuinely treat people well. I’ve experienced Hotel du Cap both before I started my company Galavante and obviously after. I have not met a better team at any hotel, from housekeeping all the way to the GM. No one here is kissing your a** or sucking up to you. Instead, they treat you with genuine kindness and hospitality, which is a rare balance to achieve.

Life of Leisure

There’s a reason why on my last visit I barely left the hotel. Days are spent on the pool deck, alternating among your lounger, the pool, and jumping into the Med. Then you rinse and repeat. When hunger hits like I mentioned above, The Grill is a few steps away as they don’t serve food on the pool deck. If you’re ambitious maybe you’ll play on the clay courts early in the morning, or in the evening when it’s not so hot. Dior took over the spa in recent years. Although the Hotel du Cap is not owned by LVMH, with Dior, they leveled up even that experience.

The point is, that after having done the highlights of the surrounding area, I’m at the stage in my Hotel du Cap relationship where I don’t leave. All I want to do is veg out and relax on the property. That is not to say that I don’t pick up a lifelong friend or two every year I go to the Hotel du Cap.

Overall: 9.5/10

I don’t think I’ll ever give a higher rating to a hotel. Every aspect of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc for me personally is perfection. When you put the whole experience together, that is why people return year after year.

FAQs

Q: Where is the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc located?

A: Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc is located in the South of France in the Mediterranean town of Antibes. It is about 40-45 minutes from the Nice International Airport. The address of the Hotel du Cap is 167-165 Bd J. F. Kennedy, 06160 Antibes, France.

Q: Is the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc open all year round?

A: The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc is open from about May to October when they close for the season.

Q: Can you eat at the restaurants at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc?

A: You can eat at most of the restaurants at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, except for the new Italian concept, Giovanni’s. Giovanni’s is for hotel guests only.