Hôtel Belles Rives lets you hone your skiing skills in the lap of luxury

The first World Water Ski Championships were held in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera in 1949. It seems only fitting, then, that enthusiasts head to the chic coastal town to perfect the water sport. Hôtel Belles Rives is ready and waiting to assist with said training, too.

The five-star hotel, which is conveniently positioned above the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean, just launched a new ‘Water Ski Butler’ to help both beginners and pros improve their skiing chops. How very civilised.

“Water skiing is part of the hotel’s DNA,” François Gelly, director of sales and marketing at Belles Rives Group said in a statement. “More and more clients are coming to water ski, including those who are not staying at the hotel.”

A guest water skiing at the hotel. Photo by Hôtel Belles Rives

Working along Billionaires Bay in Antibes, the butler will prep travellers for a full day on the waves by assisting with stretching and suiting up. They will even get the skier psychologically prepared for the water.

“One of our repeated guests wasn’t sure that he was ready to water ski in Antibes as he had only skied on a calm lake in his hometown, so our butler detailed the history of the sport and encouraged him to watch an octogenarian skier every morning,” Gelly adds.

Belles Rives opened on the Riviera back in 1929 and has offered water sports since the very beginning. (The country’s first Water Ski Club even hosted demonstrations on the nearby bay.) In addition, the hotel has its own private beach, a beach club and waterside restaurant, a water sports club, and a jetty with a private boat dock.

The Zelda Suite. Photo by Hôtel Belles Rives

Away from the waves, the Art Deco gem offers 43 recently revamped rooms and suites. The decor strikes a perfect balance of luxe and cosy, with Hermes wallpaper and marble bathrooms juxtaposing traditional mosaics and wrought iron motifs. You can, of course, expect spectacular ocean views throughout.

The hotel is also home to a Michelin-starred Mediterranean restaurant called La Passagère and a swanky literary bar named after F. Scott Fitzgerald. (The American novelist penned Tender is the Night at the resort). To top it off, the beauty corner by Valmont offers a range of treatments to rejuvenate you after a day of skiing.

High-season room rates start at roughly US$1,070 per night.