Opened as the latest member of La Clé Group, Hotel Belle Plage owes its architecture and blue-white-sand design to Raphael Navot, and its Mediterranean restaurant – perched on a rooftop facing the palm trees and the sea – to Israeli star chef Eyal Shani. A spa specialising in holistic treatments.

Situated in the calm and central Le Suquet neighbourhood of Cannes, the former seaside hotel from the 1930s has been entirely renovated by La Clé Group – already at the helm of Hôtel Bachaumont and Hôtel National des Arts et Métiers in Paris – with a design that pays homage to the location while adding modern touches.

Behind its futuristic façade, the property was entirely conceptualised by designer Raphael Navot – of Hôtel National des Arts et Métiers, Le 39V and Silencio fame – and Faar Architects. The scheme is an elegant interpretation of the French Riviera, with a focus on natural materials such as wood, stone and terrazzo. Plaster, a steadfast, century-old staple of coastal hotels, also makes a generous appearance throughout.

The site is intended to blend in with the landscape and colours of the area, which is more untamed than the Croisette. Between land, sea and sky, the red- and rust-toned brick roof brings to mind the fiery shades of the Esterel mountain range. The 50 rooms and 10 private residences, including one penthouse, are adorned in deep blue like the sea, along with pale organic sand hues. Entirely custom-made for the hotel, the furniture fits effortlessly into the different spaces: the bookcase with its ocean coral shape, the linen-covered beds, the cane work chairs, the woven rugs, the dark wood nightstands, and the minimalist lighting fixtures carefully selected with Florian Duet, delicately positioned on the walls. There is also a Mediterranean garden filled with palm and pine trees, orchestrated by landscaper Gwenaëlle Grandjean and the Saint-Lazare agency.

Crowing the hotel is the Bella restaurant, where chef Eyal Shani – the mastermind behind Miznon in Paris – is set to dream up a menu showcasing vegetables and regional products. A star in Israel, he has already worked his magic from Ibiza to New York by way of Tel Aviv and won people over with his artistic approach to Mediterranean cuisine, which is more like a life philosophy than the execution of precise recipes. As with all his other restaurants, Shanj decided to anchor the menu directly in the region. Dishes are reinvented each day, depending on morning market finds and the latest seasonal treasures unearthed at small-scale local producers. Provençal vegetables, fresh-caught fish and sun-drenched fruit serve as the base for his creations.

By elevating these simple and carefully sourced flavours, the “naked food” as Shanj calls it, he goes back to basics, while championing a beneficial eco-responsible approach. A nod to cucina povera from Southern Italy, which celebrates inexpensive transalpine food, or generous Middle Eastern eateries that exalt mezze, the ultimate recipes by Eastern grandmothers, a true joy to eat. The restaurant is also the place to be for bespoke cocktails, which are served at nightfall alongside a festive playlist that pumps up once the sun goes down.

The property is also home to the largest spa in Cannes. Stretched over 800m², the treatment rooms open onto lush vegetation, while the green scents of the garden perfume the air. Benefiting from beauty expertise drawing from the latest innovations, guests can enjoy anti-aging procedures, detox scrubs and reflexology.