Appropriately enough, considering how he built his empire, when John Caudwell takes on a project… people talk. They did when he embarked on turning a London parking complex and adjoining buildings into 1 Mayfair, anticipated to be one of the world’s most expensive residential addresses, and they certainly have as he’s shifted his attention to the French Riviera. The former Phones 4U billionaire doesn’t do things by halves – and his latest venture, the painstaking restoration of the long abandoned Hôtel Provençal in Cap d’Antibes, has been closely watched by both property insiders and Riviera regulars alike.
One of the pools at Domaine de la Belle Étoile, a separate villa set on 3.5 acres
Le Provençal isn’t just another luxury development. The site had sat silent and deteriorating since 1977 – a sleeping giant perched between Juan-les-Pins and Antibes, its Golden Age grandeur gradually slipping into disrepair beneath the Mediterranean sun. Once, it had been the Côte d’Azur’s most glamorous hotel, its guestbook reading like a who’s who of 20th century royalty and celebrity: Marilyn Monroe, Coco Chanel, Winston Churchill, Pablo Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Kennedys all passed through its grand salons and terraces. But after nearly 50 years shuttered, many doubted whether anyone could successfully bring it back to life.
When I mentioned I was visiting for its official unveiling, the reaction was near-universal: “Can he really pull it off?”
Now, the doors have reopened, it’s clear that he has indeed pulled off one of the Riviera’s most remarkable resurrections. After purchasing the site in 2014, Caudwell embarked on a decade-long, highly sensitive redevelopment, one that carefully balanced the site’s historic architectural status with the expectations of today’s UHNW buyer.
Caudwell hasn’t simply restored a building – he’s reopened a chapter in Riviera history
Top: The Ottoman-style Health Spa at Le Provençal. Bottom: Le Provençal boasts sweeping sea views
Originally built in 1926–27 by architect Lucien Stable for American millionaire Frank Jay Gould, the building’s original glamour has been restored with the help of Richard Martinet of Parisian firm Affine Design – known for their work on hotels like Hôtel de Crillon and Hôtel de Paris in Monaco. Every intricate detail of the façade – its French stonework, elegant mouldings and iconic balconies – has been preserved and, where necessary, carefully restored. Even the building’s iconic porte cochère and grand octagonal reception lobby have been recreated in exacting detail, now anchored by gold leaf domes, bronze sculptures and Art Deco chandeliers that wouldn’t look out of place in The Great Gatsby.
Interiors, meanwhile, have been entirely reimagined for 21st century luxury living. The public areas remain unapologetically theatrical: soaring ceilings, Nero Marquina marble columns, gilded rotundas and curved glass installations set the tone. Yet behind these showstopping communal spaces lie 41 private residences – a mixture of lateral apartments, penthouses and villas – designed to offer a more refined, understated elegance.
At the unveiling, Caudwell revealed the first fully furnished apartment, located on the 7th floor: a 2,242 sq ft four-bedroom home with an additional 495 sq ft of private terraces. The interiors strike a careful balance: luxurious without ostentation, modern but with subtle nods to Riviera design of the 1950s and 60s. Light oak and stone flooring are paired with bespoke cabinetry, curated ceramics, and iconic mid-century pieces like Le Corbusier armchairs. In the dining room, an oak table by Christophe Delcourt sits beneath a sculptural OCHRE light installation reminiscent of Calder’s mobiles, while the kitchen features Taj Mahal marble and integrated Gaggenau appliances.
Top: Sea views from a terrace at Domaine de La Belle Étoile. Bottom: Villa Celeste bedroom suite at Domaine de la Belle Étoile
Even the bedrooms blend comfort with quiet sophistication: upholstered leather headboards, Porta Romana lamps, Pierre Casenove ceramics, and dressing rooms lined with bespoke joinery. The principal bathroom, clad in white Volakas marble, adds further gravitas, its double vanity framed by brass detailing and Deco-inspired mirrors.
Beyond the apartments themselves, the amenities are designed to rival any world-class resort. Residents can enjoy a 16-seat cinema, children’s playroom, gym, private treatment rooms, and an extraordinary 2,155 sq ft health spa. The spa is particularly striking, with its Ottoman-style domed ceiling, mosaic-lined pools, saunas, Hammam, cold plunge, vitality pool, hydrotherapy jets, and hot stone benches – all accessed directly from residents’ apartments via private lifts.
Residents benefit from concierge, spa treatments, private fitness coaching, and full-service management provided by the adjacent Hôtel Belles Rives, alongside privileged reservation at the hotel’s restaurants, cocktail bar, spa and private beach club. A curated retail arcade is also in the works, adding further convenience to the already self-contained Riviera enclave.
Top: Le Provençal penthouse terrace and private pool. Bottom: Michelin starred restaurant La Passagere at Hôtel Belles Rives
While most of the residences range from €4.5 million to €8 million, marquee apartments – including the vast penthouses spanning up to 9,440 sq ft with private pools and panoramic views – are priced from €15 million, with detailed pricing on request. Along the Cap d’Antibes waterfront sits Domaine de la Belle Étoile, the former Hôtel Provençal Tennis Club, now a new private villa set on 3.65 acres, with sea views, its own tennis court, multiple pools, and an asking price rumoured to be €58.95 million.
In many ways, Le Provençal offers a rare hybrid: a Riviera address steeped in glamorous history, yet entirely rebuilt to meet the hyper-personalised demands of today’s UHNW clientele. Increasingly, wealth today is about more than just square footage or postcode. It’s about turnkey luxury – fully serviced, fully secure, and ready to walk into. In that sense, Le Provençal fits squarely into the global trend toward branded residences and ultra-prime serviced living.
And yet, unlike many gleaming modern towers or new-build compounds, Le Provençal stands apart precisely because of its soul. The Riviera has no shortage of luxury developments, but few can match this one for sheer heritage. Caudwell hasn’t simply restored a building – he’s reopened a chapter in Riviera history.
As one guest at the launch remarked, while gazing across the Bay of Golfe-Juan: “It’s like something out of Fitzgerald – only now with WiFi, Gaggenau and your own concierge.” In a world of ever-rising UHNW expectations, that may just be the ultimate luxury.
