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Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel Vs. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, which is best? We recently reviewed Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel as we like to stay in this hotel at least once (ideally twice) per year, it’s honestly that good and yes it is worth the hefty price tag too. But how do these two hotels compare?
1. Best Location: Four Seasons Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat Vs. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Four Seasons Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat is situated on the tip of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, on the very edge of Nice and between Nice and Monaco. This is one of the most prestigious places to own a property in the world. As you drive up to this Four Seasons, you pass many gated mansions which belong to or have belonged to the world’s super rich and greatest stars like David Niven.
The hotel is right on the end of the peninsula, and as you walk towards the sea through the pine trees and exotic vegetation in the gardens here, you reach Club Dauphin, reached by a glass lift. This beach club houses the Four Seasons pool, a lovely restaurant, and lots of loungers and cabanas.
While you are unlikely to want to leave the heaven that is Four Seasons Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, St Jean is only about a kilometer walk away, and this village has loads of restaurants, a marina, a big supermarket, coffee shops, and so forth. Also worth mentioning, Monaco is fun once for a visit and is much closer to the Four Seasons Cap Ferrat than Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc which is located on the far side of Nice.
Hotel Eden Roc is on the more lively peninsula of Cap d’Antibes on the other side of Nice, but like Four Seasons, it is in a secluded location. The nearest restaurants are a decent walk away, so you will probably eat in the hotel.
We prefer the exclusive location of Four Seasons Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, which is walkable to St Jean and set by the ocean.
2. Exclusivity
Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, has the edge on exclusivity. When we first went there, anyone could rock up and have a drink in the bar. This was a problem because the bar could become busy, and guests staying in the hotel had to wait for a seat. Now, you have to prebook your visit to the hotel, and your name is checked at the gate, which means there isn’t a problem getting a seat anymore. The gated nature of the hotel also makes it feel very exclusive.
3. Best Pool
The Four Seasons pool is amazing and has recently been refurbished. This infinity pool is excellent, and the area is bordered by the rocks that edge the peninsula and then the sea, so you have a front-row seat to watch the boats sailing between Nice and Monaco and the helicopters flying above from Nice airport.
The Eden Roc pool is also very good and situated on the rocks in front of the hotel, but we prefer the pool at Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel.
If you have the budget, you can book a room with its own private pool at Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel. These rooms are stunning, and the pool is large enough for a short swim.
4. Best Beach
There is no beach at either Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel or. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has just a pool and access to the sea through the rocks. There are three small beaches on Cap Ferrat and some great walks on quiet footpaths around the edge of the peninsula with excellent views, but neither hotel has a beach in front of them.
5. Best Style
Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, had a major redesign by Pierre Yves Rochon and offers understated elegance. The rooms and communal areas are gorgeous, with loads of marble and chandeliers in the foyer and restaurant. You can see more in our review. The gardens are perfect, as is the pool. This place is as close to perfection as I have found in a hotel, and listening to live Jazz in the evening on the terrace in front of the hotel… well, I don’t believe life gets any better.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has also been refurbished, but the decor errs towards chintz. While this hotel remains a wonderful hotel choice, and if you are choosing between these hotels, you are blessed to be able to afford either, I far prefer the decor at Four Seasons.
6. Best Service
If you have previously stayed at a Four Seasons hotel, you will know that their service is superb, and the service at Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, should surpass your expectations. In fact, my husband and I laugh that we should test the brilliance of the service here by dropping a glass and seeing if the team catches it before it hits the ground. You know, I think they would!
7. Best Restaurant
Four Seasons Le Cap restaurant is the setting for extraordinary, maritime-influenced cuisine from Michelin-starred Chef Yoric Tièche, who reinvents Provençal and Mediterranean dishes using the freshest of ingredients, some from the Hotel’s gardens. Accompany your dish of choice with a grand cru from the Grand Hotel’s list of 600 wines from France’s top vineyards. This is an excellent restaurant.
Louroc Restuarant at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has One Michelin Star. Eric Frechon and Sébastien Broda have created a menu that expresses an authentic dialog between the Mediterranean and Provence for the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant. The two territories meld in a cuisine that is close to nature, drawn directly from the source. This is also an excellent restaurant, so there is no winner here.
8. Best Best Bar
I love the terrace in front of Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel. This multilayered terrace houses the bar and two restaurants in the summer, and you can sit under magical trees looking out over the gardens and to the distant sea beyond. I love this terrace, and no bar anywhere else in the world matches up, in my opinion.
9. Best Rooms
Rooms at Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, are either in the main historic building with views out to sea or back inland towards the pine woods or in a newer building that must have been modeled on the Thunderbirds house. The latter, more modern rooms, offer marvelous large balconies but lack the history.
The historic rooms in the main building have wooden floors, white walls with pelmet detailing, and large marble bathrooms. Both rooms and suites have a similar crisp white finish with a touch of mint in the soft furnishings. They form the perfect backdrop to the immense views; the blue sky, the grounds, and the deep blue sea.
Balconies in the main building are mainly Romeo and Juliette except for the suites, which offer a terrace. As day turns to night, the sea view rooms are perfectly positioned to absorb the live band’s sound, which plays on the patio below. There is something very special about getting ready for a night out with the window swung open and jazz wafting in on the breeze.
Their more modern Thunderbirds building is a mix of crazy curves and glass lifts hidden beneath the pines. This is where you will find modern but equally stunning rooms with either a large balcony or their own private swimming pool. It is worth noting that these pools are large enough to swim in, and each pool is set among rocky outcrops with an infinity view at the end, looking out to the horizon. Inside, these rooms have a white marble finish, although the feel is definitely modern instead of historic.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has more traditional rooms with flowery bedspreads and curtains. I’m sorry, but these are not really to my taste and lack the stylish feel of the hotel rooms at Four Seasons. Plus, I love a Four Seasons bed. So comfortable. So Four Seasons wins.
10. Club Lounge
Neither hotel has a club lounge.
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