The Château de Madrid: A Riviera Castle Built on Fantasy, Light, and Forgotten Glamour

 

Perched high on the Saint-Michel plateau above Beaulieu-sur-Mer, the Château de Madrid is one of those Riviera landmarks that feels half-real, half-myth. It looks like a medieval fortress, yet it was born in 1931. It seems ancient, yet its story is firmly tied to the modern age of luxury tourism. And though many people admire it from afar, few know the strange and shimmering history behind its stone façade.

To understand the Château de Madrid, you have to return to a moment when the French Riviera was reinventing itself—when imagination, extravagance, and sunlight were the region’s unofficial currencies.

A Region Dreaming in Grand Hotels

At the turn of the 20th century, the Côte d’Azur was becoming Europe’s most fashionable playground. Aristocrats wintered here. Writers chased the light. Royalty mingled with millionaires. And everywhere—from Cannes to Menton—grand hotels sprung up like opulent mirages.

Several dazzling hotel projects were drawn up, some ambitious enough to rival the Carlton in Cannes or the Le Negresco in Nice. But one by one, these Riviera fantasies were abandoned, their blueprints left to gather dust.

Then, finally, one dream became reality.

1931: The Château de Madrid Rises

Completed in 1931, the Château de Madrid was deliberately theatrical—a pastiche medieval castle designed to charm, impress, and indulge the romantic fantasies of its guests. With crenellated towers, stone walls, and dramatic vistas in every direction, it traded historical accuracy for atmosphere.

From its terraces, visitors could take in both the Beaulieu harbor and the deep, luminous curve of the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula—views so expansive they seemed painted onto the horizon.

The hotel was expanded several times, modified to follow shifting tastes, and updated to meet the expectations of wealthier and more cosmopolitan travelers. But even as it evolved, it never lost its whimsical soul.

Guests Drawn to Sunlight, Solitude, and Secrets

While the Château de Madrid never reached the fame of the Riviera’s grandest hotels, it attracted a quiet and intriguing clientele—people who preferred discretion over glitter.

 The Incognito Novelist

In the 1930s, a well-known English novelist stayed at the Château under a pseudonym. He claimed the view from his suite made the Mediterranean look “as if it were listening,” and he drafted an entire chapter of a future bestseller from the terrace overlooking Cap-Ferrat.

The Escaping Heiresses

In the 1950s, two scandal-struck American heiresses fled New York society and hid at the Château for nearly a month. Staff recalled hearing them dancing barefoot late into the night, gramophone echoing down the stone corridors—determined to forget the headlines waiting for them back home.

The Painters Who Chased the Light

Several painters, attracted by the region’s unparalleled winter luminosity, set up small temporary studios inside the hotel.

These stories—half-whispered, half-documented—give the Château de Madrid the air of a place that kept its guests’ secrets safe.

Architectural Curiosities and Hidden Corners

 

The Château de Madrid also belongs to a unique architectural tradition on the French Riviera: buildings designed not simply to function, but to astonish. Like Villa Kérylos or the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, it blurs the line between art, and spectacle.

Secret Internal Stairways

The hotel contained several narrow service staircases, built so staff could move unseen. One hidden passage connected directly from the upper floors to a private garden terrace. Another is rumored—though never confirmed—to have once led toward a villa farther down the hill.

Vaulted Stone Cellars

Beneath the Château lie vaulted storage rooms shaped like medieval armories. During World War II, these cellars sheltered local families during air raids, quietly echoing the building’s “castle” identity.

From Grand Hotel to Private Residence

Over the decades, changing travel habits reshaped the Riviera, and the Château eventually retired from life as a hotel. It was converted into a private residence, its towers and terraces now quiet, its corridors no longer echoing with gramophones or typewriters or whispered dramas.

Yet the building endures—an elegant sentinel watching over two harbors, a reminder of a time when imagination ruled architecture and the Riviera treated fantasy as a design principle.

The Château de Madrid stands today as a tribute to what the region once dreamed of becoming—and to the people who came searching for light, reinvention, or simply a place to disappear for a while.

Princess Charlene Brings Christmas Spectacular to Monaco

 

Monaco will set the stage for a dazzling Christmas production at the Fontvieille Big Top on 22nd and 23rd December, with all proceeds going to charities supported by Princess Charlene, who serves as the event’s High Patron.

Monaco Under the Stars was conceived after a meeting between Princess Charlene and Hassan El Hajjami, the internationally acclaimed choreographer and former artistic director at Cirque du Soleil. The Princess launched the initiative with the goal of giving children a magical, dream-inspired experience for the holiday season.

Created by Compagnie HASPOP and directed by El Hajjami—known globally as Haspop—the show blends hip-hop dance, visual poetry and contemporary storytelling in a fantastical world brought to life by international performers. The narrative follows young Elliott, led by a mysterious music box, on an enchanting journey through time as Monaco glows with festive magic. The production delivers a timeless message of generosity and unity, making it a captivating experience for audiences of all ages.

All proceeds support Princess Charlene’s charitable causes

All ticket revenue will be shared between two organisations close to Princess Charlene. The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, dedicated to drowning prevention, education through sport and child protection, will receive half. The remaining proceeds will support the Animal Protection Society of Monaco, where the Princess serves as President.

International dance star brings unique vision

Hassan El Hajjami, a leading figure in contemporary performance art, has left his mark on the world’s major stages. A standout performer in Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles LOVE show and a finalist on America’s Got Talent, he later became a choreographer for Star Academy and spent over 15 years as artistic director at Cirque du Soleil. In 2020, he founded Compagnie HASPOP | Cirque du Grand Lyon, now known for its innovative shows worldwide.

His signature style—merging urban dance with contemporary circus arts—gives Monaco Under the Stars a vibrant, modern identity that remains accessible to audiences of all ages.

Performance details

The 60-minute show is suitable for children aged three and up. Three performances will take place at the Fontvieille Big Top:

• 22 December at 4pm

• 23 December at 11am

• 23 December at 4pm

North American vs France Real Estate

 

For many of our North American real estate clients, the biggest misunderstanding they bring to France is assuming the MLS system exists here. It doesn’t. In the U.S., you open a platform, see every listing, track days on market, request viewings, and information flows seamlessly.

In France, you step into a landscape with no central database. Listings overlap, disappear, reappear, or remain exclusive to a single agency. Transparency is limited, and exclusivity is fiercely protected.

So if you’re an American buyer expecting MLS-style clarity, prepare for frustration. You can bring your purchasing power—just not your data culture.

Last year, Americans purchased nearly €1 billion worth of French property, representing roughly 8–10% of all foreign acquisitions and making them the largest non-European buyer group. That’s extraordinary considering how complex the process is here.

And while overall transaction volumes dipped, U.S. demand certainly didn’t. It has grown by about 5% year-on-year since 2021 and, as we predicted, accelerated further following the election. The reasons are consistent: politics, currency, certainty, and lifestyle.

Even as the dollar softens, French real estate maintains its appeal as a stable asset—and lifestyle, not speculation, remains the driving force, especially among our clients.

When French buyers step back, North Americans quietly keep the market moving.

Now, for the agents already working in France, this is the part worth hearing: we don’t view agencies as competitors—only as potential collaborators.

American clients expect frequent communication, transparent reporting, and branding that feels truly global. They won’t tolerate “call back after lunch or contact us when you arrive in France.” strange office hours or a listing with one poorly lit photo. When a U.S.-level service standard enters a market, it resets expectations. We’ve seen this clearly across the French Riviera over the last decade.

If your agency isn’t communicating in English, explaining transaction costs upfront, or presenting listings with proper digital staging, that gap widens fast.

Being Canadian myself, I understand exactly what North American clients expect: clarity, responsiveness, and consistent service. When agencies fail to provide that, I avoid working with them—because if the process frustrates me, it will absolutely frustrate my clients.

Ultimately, France and America view property through two very different lenses. For the French, real estate is something to preserve and steward. For Americans, it’s a form of freedom—a tool for designing a different kind of life. When those two mindsets meet, markets shift, standards rise, and the entire landscape evolves.

And right now, despite price corrections and fewer transactions, this is one of the most interesting moments in a generation to be working in French real estate. Look beyond the headlines and you’ll see a new kind of demand emerging—strategic, intentional, and refreshingly honest.

Now is the perfect time of year to begin searching for your primary, secondary, or retirement property. As the Côte d’Azur settles into its quieter season, the region returns to the locals—making it an ideal moment to explore neighbourhoods and view properties without the summer rush.

With the Christmas season upon us, many of our clients are already planning visits and scouting trips for the start of the new year, taking their next step toward life on the Riviera.

Feel free to get in touch and start the journey with us.

France and the Shared Economy: A North American Perspective on Collaboration

 

When I first visited France—more specifically the French Riviera—in 1990, one of the immediate things that struck me was how businesses operated. The culture was unmistakably different, and nowhere was this more evident than in real estate.

A Fragmented Market: How French Real Estate Worked in the 1990s

Back then, real estate in France functioned in a far more fragmented, protective, and independent environment than what most North Americans are accustomed to. Collaboration did exist, but it was limited, reserved, and nowhere near the structured cooperation found in the United States or Canada.

Most agencies were small, locally run, often family businesses. Each agency guarded its own portfolio of listings, treating them as proprietary assets. Sharing meant risking a lost client or splitting commissions—two things many agencies had no interest in doing.

Daily Life, Bureaucracy, and the Early Observations

Years later, after moving permanently to the region, the pattern became even clearer. The feedback I frequently heard—from both locals and visitors—was often about how long day-to-day tasks took. Bureaucracy, confusion, or sometimes simply being brushed off because someone didn’t understand your request were recurring themes.

I experienced it firsthand through the few villa rental listings I handled early on while trying to get things done for clients. Concierge services existed, and many still do, but those early years were eye-opening. A surprising number of individuals in that space were more interested in image than service—social climbers with few real connections, charging excessive fees or inventing steep commissions. Sociologically interesting to observe, yes—but not sustainable. Many disappeared as quickly as they arrived.

Learning the Landscape—and Seeing an Opportunity

Coming from North America, I was accustomed to a “shared economy” mindset where collaboration serves the long game and benefits everyone involved. That idea stayed with me. So I decided to introduce the concept here—slowly, carefully, and with plenty of patience.

It wasn’t easy. Many individuals and businesses struggled to grasp the idea at first. Some even thought it was a scam. But my long-term observation of the region had revealed something important: when France—and particularly the Côte d’Azur—thrives, everyone feels it. But in times of recession, the impact is immediately visible, even walking through a city such as Nice. Tourism drops, businesses strain, and the city’s energy changes.

That contrast reinforced my belief that collaboration wasn’t just helpful—it was necessary.

Building a Culture of Collaboration

So I pushed forward. During the quiet winter months, I would approach businesses and explain how partnerships could serve them—especially by anticipating what North Americans and other international visitors might want or need during their stay or relocation.

I also emphasized social media and cross-promotion. Visibility matters now more than ever, and once people see something they like, they expect immediate access to information.

My passion for the region has always guided me. In my early days of writing about the area—its experiences, events, and history—the first places I turned to were the local tourism agencies. I shared their press releases, news, and announcements, and many of those partnerships remain strong to this day.

From those early connections, new collaborations formed naturally.

Becoming a “Liaison Advisor”

In my first year or two, people began calling me a Liaison Advisor. It seemed to come naturally to direct clients to the right businesses or individuals for virtually anything they needed—no matter how unusual. Just last week I was asked where to get Botox, where to buy mattresses, how to navigate the health-care system, where to get keys cut and how to secure insurance for specialty windows.

Being so immersed in the region, I tend to know exactly who to call. Some have even suggested I should charge for this service—maybe one day.

Real Estate and Villa Rentals: My Core Focus

My main focus remains villa rentals and luxury real estate sales—both of which tend to come with additional questions and logistical needs. And I’m happy to help wherever I can.

When Experience The French Riviera launched nearly 15 years ago, my first priority was forming strong relationships with real estate agencies. Beyond my own listings, I wanted a curated collection of excellent properties across the region, tailored to different tastes and budgets.

I’ve been fortunate to partner with a tight, select group of top agencies who understand my client base—or are willing to learn. They share my values of transparency, communication, and proactive service.

Protecting Clients—and Raising Standards

I often hear from clients frustrated by certain agencies that refuse to provide information until the client physically arrives in France. While I understand the concern about unserious inquiries—there are plenty of “online dreamers”—withholding information doesn’t help serious buyers plan properly and just asking a few more questions can go a long way.

My advice to clients is always the same:

If you see a property you like, or are in search of a specific one tell me. I’ll do the search and obtain the details and arrange the viewing for when you arrive.Chances are, I know the agency, the agents, or even the property’s history well enough to move things forward quickly.

I am protective of both my clients and the agency partners I work with. That trust is essential.

Here to Help

So, if you’re planning a summer villa rental or exploring the idea of purchasing property in France, I’m here to help you navigate the process smoothly. Let me take on the tasks, open the right doors, and connect you with the people who will make your experience easier.

Because when collaboration works, everyone benefits—and on the Côte d’Azur, it makes all the difference.