Some of author F Scott Fitzgerald’s favourite hotels popular with a growing tribe of book tourists …
A century on, Scott Fitzgerald’s most enigmatic creation Gatsby still inspires, as does the author’s life that plays out in glamorous hotels in the US, UK and Europe.
The Plaza Hotel, New York
Scott and his wife Zelda loved dining or staying in the Plaza and, if rumours are true, frolicking in the Pulitzer fountain in front of the hotel one night! Since neither liked to cook, the casual basement restaurant/speakeasy became a regular haunt, featured in his second novel, The Beautiful and the Damned in 1922 and The Great Gatsby in 1925. Fans can book the Gatsby Suite Experience with tickets to The Great Gatsby Musical on Broadway. Or try Afternoon Fitzgerald Tea in the Palm Court and Gatsby cocktail hours in the Rose Club lounge. www.fairmont.com
Oheka Castle, Long Island, New York
This stunning French chateau-style manor is believed to have inspired Gatsby’s mansion. When it was built in 1919, it was the second-largest private home in America and the setting for many a Gilded Age party. Today, it’s a posh hotel that hosts an annual spring garden party, A Great Gatsby Affair, and nightly Gatsby Hour in the historic bar. www.oheka.com
The Hamptons
Tour operator America As You Like It’s ten-night itinerary explores where Scott based West and East Egg in The Great Gatsby, with tastings along the Long Island wine country route and a stop in Saratoga to be immersed in the jazz scene. Discover history, culture and the architecture of the Gilded Age with visits to the Westbury Estate, Oheka Castle and Glenview. www.americaasyoulikeit.com
Claridge’s, London
The Fitzgeralds stayed at “the Art-Deco jewel of Mayfair” in 1921, originally created by interior architect Basil Ionides. Also referred to as the “annexe of Buckingham Palace” it’s a favourite with royals, celebs and luxury connoisseurs. When in London, I love popping in to the Fumoir to observe the clientele. Gatsby is based on the notorious Max Gerlach who never wore the same shirt twice, with Robert Redford’s shirts from Turnbull & Asser – worth a visit too – in the 1974 adaptation, for which costume designer Theoni V Aldredge won an Oscar.
Claridge’s newest bar The Painter’s Room is designed by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, with portraits in public areas by artist-in-residence David Downton. Pack a picnic from the new bakery that will see internationally acclaimed chef and baker Richard Hart serve up classics such as iced fingers, custard tarts, bloomers and Belgian buns to enjoy in one of London’s parks – my favourite is St James’. www.claridges.co.uk
For a flavour of Jazz Age style and Art-Deco glamour, have a drink in The Sidecar at The Westbury Dublin before an evening at the theatre. I recommend Youth’s The Season at the Abbey Theatre, written by a contemporary of his, Mary Manning. I love the fabulous costumes and witty dialogue in this startlingly modern coming-of-age satire on life for privileged young Irish people at the time. www.abbeytheatre.ie
Hôtel Belle Rives, Juan-les-Pins, France
Book tourists keen to follow in Scott’s footsteps will know he wrote The Great Gatsby while living on the French Riviera. Indeed, when Baz Luhrmann’s film version premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the story had in some ways come back to its spiritual home.
Meaning beautiful shores, this enviable position on the edge of the Cap d’Antibes peninsula has mesmeric views of the coastline towards Golfe-Juan and the Lérins islands. Scott stayed here with Zelda and their daughter Scottie in a rented seaside house called Villa Saint-Louis before it was transformed into the hotel in 1929. Since then, it’s been run by the Estène family; staying true to its Belle Époque roots. I love its mosaic floors, frescos and stained glass windows as well as colourful hand-blown glass from Biot. For any tablescaper, a visit to the nearby factory to pick up some bubbled stemware is a must.
Whether you stay in the hotel or not, if you’re visiting Antibes make time for an aperitif on its terrace overlooking the coastline, which he describes in both The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night. You can still see a small green lighthouse that may have been the model for the green light on the dock that many literary critics say symbolised Gatsby’s goal of belonging to the moneyed set. Every year, Hôtel Belles Rives hosts the Prix Fitzgerald, honouring a novel or short story that reflects the spirit of the American writer. www.bellesrives.com
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we run faster, stretch out our arms farther …”
Hotel du Cap Eden Roc
The Great Gatsby may have been set in America, but its themes of immense wealth and corrupted glamour were common to the social scene of the Cote d’Azur of the time as seen in Mary S Lowell’s riveting book The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society. Undoubtedly, Scott drew some inspiration for his masterpiece from those he mingled with on the Riviera. He stayed at Hotel du Cap in the summer of 1925, immortalised as Hôtel des Étrangers in his fourth and final novel, Tender is the Night, where it’s described as a glittering refuge. In fact, the hotel kept a wing open for the Fitzgeralds when the rest was officially closed.
Their friends, the Murphys, are credited with the birth of the Cap d’Antibes as a summer destination. They cleared the beach at La Garoupe of seaweed and rocks for their social circle to enjoy, including Picasso, Hemingway, Rudolph Valentino and Harpo Marx. The hotel remains an A-lister haunt, but civilians can lunch by the poolside Eden-Roc Grill. There’s also a Dior Spa in its manicured gardens, decorated in toile du Jouy, which also sells an exclusive Dior Eden Roc perfume. www.oetkercollection.com
“In the early morning the distant image of Cannes, the pink and cream of early fortifications, and the purple Alp that bounded Italy, were cast across the water and lay quavering in the ripples …”
Capri Tiberio Palace, Capri
Surprisingly, Scott didn’t like Rome and decamped to Capri where he wrote The Rich Boy and went over the draft of The Great Gatsby at Capri Tiberio Palace. No doubt he loved its central location steps from the legendary Piazzetta and trendy boutiques of Via Camerelle. The hotel is a blend of contemporary and retro design details where the idea of “la dolce vita” is made real. Must-dos are dining on the panoramic Terrazzo Tiberio or indulging in its luxe spa. www.capritiberiopalace.it
Paris
Once Gatsby was published in 1925, the couple lived in an apartment in Paris and joined what became known as “The Lost Generation” – a group of expat writers and artists including James Joyce, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. They frequented La Closerie des Lilas and Le Dôme cafes in Montparnasse, Harry’s Bar or the red-light district of Pigalle where a cabaret was owned by an American acquaintance.
For an immersive stay, the Hotel des Grands Voyageurs in the vibrant Left Bank has personalised touches throughout like in-suite vinyl record players and curated art pieces. Its signature brasserie tells the love affair between Paris and New York via modern dishes while the underground bar Poppy is an intimate lounge serving up inventive cocktails. www.hoteldesgrandsvoyageurs.com
Hôtel de la Paix, Lausanne, Switzerland
Zelda’s mental health deteriorated in 1930, leading to long-term hospitalisation at the Prangins Clinic on Lake Geneva. To be near her, Scott lived in Hôtel de la Paix, which is central and reasonably priced, set on a hilltop with sweeping views. Having lived and worked in Lausanne, I recommend this elegant city for a weekend break with Geneva airport an hour’s train journey away.
SEE MORE: 5 Top Places To Stay In Geneva
Visit the museum district, the promenade at Vevey or shopping in high-end department stores Globus and Manor. If you haven’t tried cold water swimming before Bainfroid hosts sessions at Plage de Vidy to teach swimmers how to take the plunge safely. Also renowned for its spa scene, one of the newest is the posh Guerlain Spa at the Beau-Rivage Palace. There’s also a swish pop-up sauna at Bains des Rives where travellers can relax in a lakeside yurt-style sauna made from reusable materials. www.hotelsone.com
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