Last remaining symbol of traditional seaside tourism, the Métropole is but a shadow of its former self. Frequently renovated and enlarged, it no longer meets either the current demands of luxury tourism or the applicable norms; it has lost its former nobility, surviving only as a memory of a distant past.

And yet it enjoys an exceptional situation. On its magnificent wooded site in the very centre of Beaulieu, facing the sea, it possesses a unique view, an uninterrupted panorama of headland and sea.

The garden is in no better state. Although heavily wooded it possesses no real character. Planted with a variety of different species, it resembles a sort of Noah’s Ark of the botanical world.

A closer look reveals that several trees, unfortunately the oldest, are diseased and damaged and only have a few years to live before they succumb to the ravages of the next storm.

Only a project on a large scale could rekindle on this site the spirit and the splendours of the Belle Époque sea resort. An all-embracing project, for what was required was not just a face-lift but a total re-foundation of the hotel.

An ambitious project, since it involved recreating a luxury hotel in contemporary style, with omni-present service. A luxury hotel with its gastronomic restaurant, spa, fitness centre and pool, that would lead to the creation of about a hundred jobs and be the talk of every town, to the greater benefit of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and its population.