In life, there are hotels. And then, there are legendary hotels. The ones that don’t only stand the test of time, but continually set a new standard; equally as likely to be the setting for a Fitzgerald or Steinbeck novel as they are a glitzy Dior ad or celebrity gala.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, and Belmond Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy, are two of the grand dames of European hotels — each with a history as long as its roster of A-list devotees.
For my honeymoon last September, I visited the two storied establishments.
First up was Hotel du Cap (from $615), the perfect mix of old school formality and South of France joie de vivre.
It’s also home to some of the Cannes Film Festival’s most opulent parties, including one so jam-packed that Leonardo DiCaprio had to climb over the rocky walls surrounding the hotel’s famed pool to get out.
Guests spend their days doing laps around the perfectly manicured 22-acre property populated by Riviera palms and towering pines, and jumping off a diving board nailed into the seaside cliff while the nautically-dressed staff attend to their glasses of rosé (sunbathers be warned: buying suntan lotion on site costs a hefty $60).
Braver ones may attempt to tackle the rope course high above the Mediterranean.
Originally built as a private mansion, du Cap opened as a hotel in 1870.
It’s comprised of three buildings: the main hotel, the original Villa Soleil, a Napolean III chateau and the most formal and historic of the residences; The Eden-Roc, which sits right at the sea; and Les Deux Fontaines Residence.
Each room — a comely mix of pinks and greens and blues, pattern upon pattern — is individually decorated by owner Maja Oetker, freshly done in 2011 thanks to a $67 million renovation. It’s chateau style for the sophisticate.
My husband and I were greeted at our Med-front room with champagne, plums and a box of chocolates from their in-house chocolate atelier. Yep, that’s right. They have a chocolate atelier.
The food is as impeccable as the décor. The complimentary breakfast, which goes until noon, can be taken sitting on the terrace of Villa Soleil, or buffet style by the water. While it’s tempting to fill up on complimentary croissants (especially since the food at the hotel can be quite expensive: a Caesar salad for lunch is 42 euros), save room for an afternoon snack of surprisingly delicious sushi at the grill or try a fresh smoothie at the hotel’s new juice bar. If you’re going to splurge, do it at du Cap’s formal restaurant, a true gastronomic delight and rightly famed for its signature sea bass, roasted with basil and served with fennel mousseline and tomatoes.
The hotel is located in the heart of the Cote d’Azur, which means easy access to Cannes (a 15-minute ride), St. Tropez (for a mere 1,350 euros the hotel will arrange for a half-day trip there by boat) and Nice (a must-try is Le Petite Maison Nice for dinner, a vivacious restaurant with a roving band and beautiful people for days).
Go a little farther, and you’ll hit Belmond Hotel Splendido (from $561). It’s a short three-hour drive from Antibes (or five, if you fear for your life on the treacherous mountain roads).
The former monastery, which opened as a hotel in 1904 and sits high on a mountaintop, oozes old world glamour. The look has lured everyone from Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Taylor to Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
Every morning, guests dine on the sea-facing terrace dripping with wisteria and every night at the Chuflay Bar, Splendido’s famed piano player and “the singing waiter” have the crowd shaking tambourines — easily one of the highlights of the establishment. La Dolce Vita, indeed!
Skip the complimentary car to town and stroll down through the gardens and past the Dolce & Gabbana mansion.
There, tiny local shops mix with high-end brands like Pucci and megayachts the size of small countries infiltrate the dock. The multi-colored buildings decorating the port look straight out of a postcard.
As for food, I hope you like pesto pasta. Because that — and grilled fish — are about the only two items available on any restaurant menu. One does it better than the rest, though: Puny, a favorite of Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister of Italy, who serenaded the crowd one night on a whim (his voice is lovely).
If you want to burn off the pasta, you can spend a day hiking through some of the villages of the Cinque Terre, but for those crunched for time — and wary of tourist overload — ferry to San Fruttuoso, a nearby seashore monastery that’s only accessible via foot or boat. There, at a charming beach shack named Da Laura, an old Italian lady cooked up the local specialty, pesto lasagna, on a hot plate. A 90-minute hike back to the hotel is laced with breathtaking views.
Back at the Splendido, get an outdoor massage, relax by the infinity pool, order a glass of prosecco and indulge in a small pizza pie said by some to be the best pizza in Italy (try the mushroom). Order a second one. You’ll want it.
Make sure to ask for the renovated rooms; we were upgraded to a modern suite that made the treacherous drive totally worth it.