An iconic French Riviera hotel bought by a Swiss group, a reopening date brought forward

It had been nothing more than an empty shell for years. The iconic La Voile d'Or hotel will finally reopen after being transferred to the Swiss flag. The 5-star hotel located above the port of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has just been acquired by the Grand Metropolitan Hotels group, which operates establishments in Switzerland and Africa.

For an undisclosed sum, its founder and president, Martin R. Smura, has acquired "The Collection, Voile d'Or Hotels & Resorts," which includes hotels and villas in London, Paris, New York, Saint-Barthélemy, and Courchevel.

The legendary Saint-Jean establishment was acquired in 2019 by Russian Kirill Pisarev, who had planned to replace it with a luxurious contemporary building. A building permit was filed and an architectural plan drawn up; all of this was approved by the administrative authorities. But the Covid epidemic and then Russia's invasion of Ukraine scuppered his plan.

"Reopening in 2029"

Since the furniture was auctioned, the building has been unoccupied. "The reopening of this jewel is essential for the town and local businesses," said Mayor Jean-François Dieterich. "Grand Metropolitan Hotels has experience managing large hotels and the reliability of the world-renowned Swiss hotel industry. According to the buyers, La Voile d'Or is scheduled to reopen in 2029."

It remains to be seen whether the new buyer will retain the plans for the old project or will want to draw up new ones. If so, the processing time could delay the opening by eight to ten months.