This $76.5 Million Villa on the French Riviera Has Ties to Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy
Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Coco Chanel and Jackie Kennedy used to stay at the Hôtel Provençal in Cap d’Antibes when vacationing on the French Riviera. The glamorous Art Deco property, which opened in 1927, closed some 50 years later and in 2014, was purchased by British billionaire John Caudwell. While the developer is in the process of converting the resort into a luxury apartment complex, he’s transformed the former hotel’s tennis club into a palatial estate.
“La Belle Étoile is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for buyers in the Côte d’Azur and exceeds all expectations,” Caudwell said in a press statement. “The historical charm of the site as the former tennis club of the famous Hôtel Provençal, frequented by the rich and famous, has been preserved and reimagined for a new generation into a luxurious residential estate. We are proud to be setting a new benchmark for quality and design for the area.”
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The manicured compound, which just hit the market for a whopping $76.5 million, was three years in the making and is currently the largest and only newly built residential property on the Cap d’Antibes. Altogether, the elegant estate comprises a contemporary main villa dubbed La Belle Étoile, and a pair of guest houses known as Villa Céleste and Villa Capella. A potential third guest cottage, Villa Marguerite, is adjacent and remains under construction; it is available by separate negotiation.
The two-story main residence was designed by Nice-based architectural firm Atelier Baraness + Cawker, with Monaco-based design studio Casamanara tackling the interiors. The structure was built using local French stone and, from the outside, features a glass and colonnaded facade with covered loggias and terraces. Measuring 14,200 square feet, the sprawling mansion sports six bedroom suites, two kitchens, a study, a spa, a beauty salon, and a private gym. Most notably, the main living room, complete with a cocktail bar, is large enough that it can comfortably host up to 200 guests. Other highlights include the principal bedroom, which is decked out with its own terrace, two walk-in closets, and dual bathrooms, one finished in rose onyx and the other in Grigio Carnico marble.
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Villa Céleste, originally built as the tennis club at Hôtel Provençal, is the larger of the two guest houses and measures almost 1,300 square feet with two bedrooms. There are soaring 14-foot vaulted ceilings with restored beams and an open-plan living and dining area. The smaller Villa Capella has one bedroom.
The estate’s 3.6 acres of pristine grounds contain extensive rose gardens, emerald lawns, towering cypress trees, a small olive grove, a micro-vineyard, a glass-walled swimming pool, and parking for up to 16 cars.
“Located in a prime position in the sought-after Cap d’Antibes, Domaine de la Belle Étoile is ideal for enjoying nearby Monaco, Cannes, St Tropez, and the Alpes-Maritime to the north,” added Lars Christiaanse, group director of sales at Caudwell. “Buyers can arrive by helicopter, sportscar, or yacht, with easy access to luxury shopping, beach resorts, and skiing all within an hour’s distance.”
Click here to see more photos of Domaine de la Belle Étoile.
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