Hotel of the Week: A Riviera Icon Recaptures the Glamour of Its Jazz Age Heyday
At Nice’s legendary Hôtel Palais de la Méditerranée, designer Linda Boronkay channels the Côte d’Azur’s golden age through sumptuous Art Deco–inspired interiors and a dazzling collection of contemporary art
A glamorous fixture of the Côte d’Azur during its golden age, Hôtel Palais de la Méditerranée counted F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, and Maurice Chevalier among its illustrious guests. Occupying a prime position on Nice’s palm-lined Promenade des Anglais overlooking the Mediterranean, the landmark debuted in 1929 as an extravagant casino and entertainment destination catering to wealthy Europeans who flocked to the French Riviera for its balmy climate and fashionable social scene. Conceived by father-and-son architects Charles and Marcel Dalmas, the lavish property boasted dramatic staircases, stained-glass windows, and glittering crystal chandeliers. Its crowning glory, though, was a magnificent Art Deco facade adorned with sculptural reliefs by Antoine Sartorio depicting sirens and seahorses.
Decades of financial turmoil eventually led to the property’s closure and near-total demolition in 1990, although preservation efforts spared its historic facades. The reconstructed hotel now sparkles anew as the latest entry in Hyatt’s Unbound Collection portfolio following a sweeping transformation by Hungarian designer Linda Boronkay, who conducted extensive archival research into its Jazz Age heyday to reimagine the public spaces, 145 guest rooms, and 28 suites. “Palais de la Méditerranée was never conceived simply as a hotel, but as a stage for Riviera life,” notes Boronkay, the former design director of Soho Home who now leads a sought-after interiors studio based in London. “It was a place of extraordinary glamour, music, performance, and social encounters, where people came to see and be seen.”
Boronkay evoked that enchanting history through mosaics, colored glass, and sculptural lighting that evoke the enthusiasm of the Roaring Twenties. She also found inspiration in the Côte d’Azur’s remarkable luminosity, which famously captivated Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, and Marc Chagall. “We became fascinated by this duality: the theatrical energy of the Jazz Age alongside the relaxed, sun-drenched elegance of the Côte d’Azur,” explains Boronkay, who looked to the Impressionists’ dreamy interpretations of the Mediterranean to inform her palette of soft seafoam greens, powdery blues, warm terracottas, ochre, and golden accents. “Their work encouraged us to approach the interiors with a more painterly sensibility.”
An ambitious program of artist commissions further enriches the sumptuous interiors. “Art has always been inseparable from the identity of the French Riviera,” Boronkay notes. “I’ve always believed that the most compelling interiors feel as though they’ve evolved organically over time, with different creative voices contributing to their character. The challenge was not to preserve the building as a memory, but to allow it to continue evolving.” She sought to make artwork key to the guest experience, ladening unexpected discoveries throughout the property.
To honor the sweeping stained-glass windows that graced the original hotel, she enlisted artist Marion Flament to fashion bespoke glass installations that filter sunlight into luminous washes of emerald and amber. At Zouzou Riviera, the Mediterranean restaurant, artist Garance Dupont crafted a 59-foot-long mosaic bar front depicting an underwater tableau of swirling currents and delicate sea creatures in tiny tiles of ivory and sandy brown—a playful homage to the nearby Baie des Anges. Olivia Cognet contributed abstract ceramic sculptures to the guest rooms; Gergei Erdei painted a classical-inspired mural in the lobby. Works by Pablo Grand Mourcel, Charlotte Colt, Jean-Baptiste Bernadet, and Benoît Barbagli Vautier, all sourced in collaboration with curator and art advisor Antoine Py, round out the impressive trove of pieces on display.
Together, the artwork complements the Art Deco ornamentation and lends the interiors a sense of warmth that gives way to serenity in the guest rooms. Oriented toward the Mediterranean, the accommodations feature stylish furnishings marked by gentle curves mimicking the movement of water and the contours of the coastline. Throughout, natural stone and warm woods mingle with stainless steel and tactile fabrics, while bespoke rugs in earthy tones lend softness.
For Boronkay, the transformation celebrates the distinctive character that continues to draw culture-hungry globetrotters to Nice. “The Italian influences, the French elegance, the extraordinary artistic heritage, and the effortless, slightly mischievous spirit of Riviera life,” she muses. “The Palais de la Méditerranée was once at the heart of that cultural energy, and I’d love to see it reclaim its place as somewhere people come not only to stay, but to experience, discover, and connect.” With its dazzling interiors and exceptional collection of contemporary art, the Palais once again embodies the radiant mystique of the Riviera’s golden age.