The British house has dressed the Riviera’s most literary address, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s former home in Antibes, in a custom blue check, with branded experiences along the bay where waterskiing is said to have been invented.
Burberry has landed on the Côte d’Azur for a season-long takeover of Hôtel Belles Rives, the storied Antibes hotel that was once F. Scott Fitzgerald’s home. Running from now until 30 September 2026, the partnership sees the British house reinterpret the hotel’s Art Deco glamour through its own lens, with a custom recolouring of the signature Burberry check in the distinctive blue of Belles Rives unfurled across the property’s terraces, beach club and jetty.
A literary address, a maritime heritage
Few hotels on the Riviera boast the cultural kudos of Belles Rives. The villa was Fitzgerald’s residence in the late 1920s, the place where he began work on Tender is the Night, the 1934 novel whose protagonist, fittingly, wears a Burberry coat. Hemingway and Gertrude Stein passed through its salons, and the bay outside is widely credited as the birthplace of waterskiing. The pairing with Burberry is a considered convergence of two storied 20th-century narratives.
Burberry’s own affinity with the water’s edge runs deep. Founder Thomas Burberry was known for designing for the outdoors in all weathers, and in the early decades of the last century, the house produced specialist yachting apparel, tailoring for those who spent their summers on or near the sea. The Burberry High Summer 2026 collection feels purpose-built for the setting with check swimwear and coastal motifs, all the kind of pieces that look perfectly at home on a teak deck.
Blue check, from the lift to the jetty
The recoloured check has been threaded through the hotel from arrival onwards, including the original 1920s lift, and custom Burberry logos appear on the doors of the beach club and along the private jetty. Guests can cool off with Burberry-branded ice lollies on the famous waterfront terrace or take in the long Riviera sunsets from The Fitzgerald Bar.
A programme of Burberry experiences runs throughout the summer, including waterskiing sessions in the very bay where the sport is said to have been born. This is a neat closing of the loop between the brand’s coastal heritage and the hotel’s place in the leisure history of the Côte d’Azur.
Cross-sector collaborations
We’ve seen leading hotel names, such as Eden Rock St-Barth, the Ritz Paris, Les Airelles, and Aman, launch their own fashion collections, and vice versa, with iconic fashion designers such as Versace, Dior, Missoni, and Bulgari extending their presence beyond the catwalk by opening hotels in desirable destinations. And the Hôtel Belles Rives and Burberry partnership is another perfect example, where haute-couture fashion and high-end hospitality strategically come together in a way that feels so natural and perfectly fitting for the clientele they both serve.
Image credits: Burberry
Contact Information
Hôtel Belles Rives | 33 Boulevard Édouard Baudoin, Antibes | www.bellesrives.com
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