The British House Brings Its Signature Check and Coastal Heritage to the French Riviera
Burberry is bringing its signature British sensibility to the Côte d’Azur this summer through a takeover of Hôtel Belles Rives, transforming the storied Riviera destination into a seasonal expression of the house’s High Summer 2026 world.
Located in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera, Hôtel Belles Rives occupies a unique place in cultural history. Once the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the property became a gathering place for writers, artists, and socialites throughout the early 20th century, hosting figures including Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein. Fitzgerald notably began writing Tender Is the Night there — a novel that itself references a Burberry coat.
For the summer season, Burberry has reimagined the hotel’s iconic beach club and terraces through the lens of its coastal-inspired High Summer 2026 collection. The activation merges the hotel’s Art Deco atmosphere with the house’s longstanding relationship to outdoor leisure and waterside dressing.
Central to the takeover is a reinterpretation of Burberry’s signature check in a custom blue palette inspired by Hôtel Belles Rives and the Mediterranean coastline. The pattern appears across loungers, parasols, furnishings, and beach club interiors, extending even to details such as the hotel’s original 1920s elevator. Custom Burberry branding has also been installed on the private jetty and beach club entrances.
The project builds on Burberry’s historic ties to outdoor adventure and nautical dressing. During the early 20th century, the house designed yachting apparel and tailored garments intended for life by the sea, a heritage echoed in the High Summer 2026 collection through check swimwear and maritime-inspired motifs.
Beyond the visual transformation, Burberry is extending the experience through a series of branded summer activities. Guests can enjoy Burberry ice lollies on the hotel terrace, sunset cocktails at The Fitzgerald Bar, and waterskiing experiences in the bay — a nod to the Riviera’s claim as the birthplace of the sport.
As luxury brands continue to expand into hospitality and destination experiences, Burberry’s Riviera residency positions the brand within a lifestyle narrative that blends fashion, travel, and cultural nostalgia, using one of the French Riviera’s most cinematic addresses as its backdrop.
