With the spectacular Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes banning photography on its property, the world has been divided into two camps. There are the happy elites, royals, VIPs, and regulars who have been annoyed on several occasions by the influencer influx. The others are the despondent influencers who will no longer be able to use the azure expanse of the Mediterranean for their own benefit. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc’s restrictions covering unauthorized photo shoots and photography in particular shared spaces are not unwarranted.
It went as far as non-resident lunch visitors bringing bags of clothes and jewelry, executing multiple outfit changes to make the most of their time in the grand Napoleon III-style main mansion. It originally opened as the Grand Hôtel du Cap in 1870, and for decades has been like a holiday home to the Kennedys, Fitzgeralds, Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, and even Picasso.
From Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton immortalizing their romance here to, more recently, Lionel Richie’s daughter Sofia tying the knot here with Elliot Grainge in April 2023, the hotel remains an icon. What has changed, though, is the blatant disregard for the hotel’s history and guest’s privacy, transforming this upscale luxury hotel into a stage for hours-long shoots. When people went as far as booking tables without sitting down to eat and only indulging in these social media charades, regular guests complained.
Now, to combat the influencer photo plague, the hotel is taking the necessary steps to protect longstanding relationships by placing rules in guestrooms, publishing them online, and having staff make them clear during check-ins. The hotel is going as far as training employees to handle objections, including from VIPs. Still, it is not a complete ban on photography. Organized photo shoots can still capture important occasions and moments, but only after a request goes through the concierge, with authorization required before proceeding.
Sophie Volant, Hotel du Cap’s manager, told Travel Weekly, “We have a lot of loyal, repeat guests who don’t see this hotel as a hotel, they see Hotel du Cap as their summer home. And as much as they appreciate having people in the restaurants and in the bars, they also want their summer home to remain private. We had to think about a solution.” Volant said she got the idea of a photography ban after visiting a country club in L.A. that had a similar policy. The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has even been kind enough to provide an in-house photographer service for a fee.
The beautiful gem of a property is anchored by a historic structure surrounded by nine hectares of pristine, sun-dappled pine forests and meticulously manicured gardens. For the longest time, the famed hotel on the French Riviera in Antibes, France, has charmed visitors, and this policy only continues that timeless tradition, upheld for 156 years.
