Hotel Imperial Garoupe Cap d’Antibes****
Cap d’Antibes, Cote d'Azur, France

The staff of the hotel act perfectly correctly if a bit distant and their smiles seem a bit forced. However, in the restaurant, quite the opposite is true with the big smile and warm welcome of lovely Chantal who is in charge of the dining room. In contrast, she projected that genuine good humor that marks the true professional who seems to love working with people and is adaptable to their whims and character. She worked for years at the "Auberge de Soleil" in Napa Valley, so Americans will feel right at home. With quiet efficiency and calm assurance, she directs the staff so that one's enjoyment of the meal progresses with no hick-ups; none that are apparent anyway. But with the exception of the dining staff, the hotel's general staff do not achieve the same level of charming welcome as that of the physical structure itself.

That aside, we enjoyed or stay and divided our time between the pool and strolling the lovely walk down the hotel's private flowery lane leading to their equally private beach side café and sunbathing spot with a small sandy beach. (The coastline here is mostly red rock with the occasional small sandy cove). The parasol pines that shade the "Cap" lend their heady fragrance that is one of the delights of the Riviera.

A small thing to note. While most mid and upscale hotels today offer a nice breakfast buffet, Hotel Garoupe only seems to do so during the high season. Our "continental" breakfast brought back memories of stingy 1970's fare and the waiter did not seem to understand the few additions we wanted to make nor did he explain what was included in the "continental" breakfast or not. Nor did he seem to care! A small thing but it threw a pawl over what otherwise was a lovely experience.

As mentioned above, the young and charming maitre d'hôtel, Chantal, who was in command of the restaurant was an added bonus to the very good food. Executive Chef Philip Jago who won “Meilleur Ouvrier de France" in 2000 and has worked in top kitchens from Alsace to restaurant La Tour d'Argent Paris then Tokyo before arriving on the shores of the Cote d'Azur at Hotel Imperial Garoupe. Our dinner was a superb blending of delicate tastes, a starter of mackerel with ratatouille and curried orange segments which was delicious. Peter enjoyed a delicate "veloute" of potato with contrasting frozen potato balls. Rich but different. Both my Daurade with a medley of spring vegetables and Peter's "Gambas" were perfectly prepared. Refreshing and light desserts made a perfect ending.

This year 2009, in fact this August as we go to press, the beach front second restaurant of La Garoup, "Le Pavillion Beach" restaurant, has just been opened offering what appears to be light cuisine with a Japanese influence certainly in its presentation (and chef Jago who did spend time at the "Tour d'Argent" in Tokyo) right on the hotel's private beach. You might have the smoked salmon crepe filled with a cream of apples, fresh herbs and salt cured lemon. Or Thai Sea Bream with citronnella, Ginger laquered veal ribs or Bailey's cream with peaches. A lovely shaded deck with a view out over the beach and the bay offers a break from the constant sun without having to go back to the hotel, as close as it is. In August, it is open for a romantic evening meal as you experience the sun set.

When owner and director Gilbert Irondelle discovered this beautiful private mansion set in a jewel-case of a garden with Mediterranean trees and shrubs, it was love at first sight. After a career in the world of de-luxe hotelry which led him to assume the management of establishments as prestigious as the Hôtel Crillon in Paris, La Réserve de Beaulieu near Nice and the Hôtel Mandarin Impérial in Hong Kong, he decided to return to his native shores, not far, in fact, from the Hôtel Eden Roc that his father had directed for 50 years.

He then transformed this old guest house into a ravishing palazzo, home to a 4-star de-luxe hotel. He refurbished and restored the structure and ground, in a manner to preserve its soul and the quintessence of its charm. He wanted to keep it small and intimate, more of a home away from home. Dictated by the heart, his vision enabled the Hôtel Impérial Garoupe to enter the very select club of Relais & Châteaux in 2006.

And it is just a short drive from Antibes, a fascinating ancient port town; try to overlap with the famous Jazz Festival and hear once again echoes of Sydney Bechet's famous tune "On the Straits of Antibes" as you wonder about this wonderful coastal town with its plethora of shops, restaurants and cafes both in the maze of village streets as well as along the sea front.

Please Note: We just received notice from the hotel public relations department that "the Imperial Garoupe was classified 5 stars according to the new standards of the Ministry of the French Tourism". Based on the other 4 star delux hotels we have covered that are far more luxurious and offer many more facilities and as lovely a hotel as it is, it cannot compare to any five star hotel we have covered, so we hold by our 4 star rating but want you to know that the Ministry of French Tourism has a different opinion.