Maison Numéro 20 unveils Le Soleia

On the very chic Avenue Victor Hugo, in the very heart of Nice, Le Soleia rises like an ode to light, the sea, and the Mediterranean art of living. This new 4-star hotel by Inwood Hotels, entrusted to interior design studio Maison Numéro 20 and its founder Oscar Lucien Ono, celebrates the radiant and sensual spirit of the Riviera with a sense of effortless, joyful elegance.

A soft yet brilliant presence, the sun is the soul of Le Soleia. It inspires the hotel’s curves, materials, and colours — from marble in ochre hues to the pastel shades of traditional Niçois shutters. Omnipresent, it warms the spaces, highlights the textures, and infuses every detail with a simple, sun-drenched joy. More than just a source of light, it is an invitation to slowness, to Southern beauty, to escape.

THE WARM COLOURS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

From the moment you step through the Art Deco façade, the tone is set: generous volumes, natural materials, and enveloping softness. The earthy, pinkish, ochre and beige tones of the walls evoke the sunlit façades of Mediterranean architecture — those time-worn walls in pigments of ochre, sand, and coral, where the sun leaves its mark even on the stone.

Throughout the hotel, subtle yet evocative nods appear: the soft pale green of Provençal shutters, the faded pastels of old window frames, the wrought-iron balconies, the gentle shadows cast by louvred blinds… Le Soleia captures these nuances and transforms them into a sensory, glowing experience.

In the light-filled lobby, a plaster amphora by artist Thibault Perrigne sits in conversation with a globe-shaped floor lamp, while a sculpted sun watches over the space. The gesture is sculptural, almost mythological. The décor envisioned by Oscar Lucien Ono blends organic lines and artistic references: turned wood, waves, ceramics, wicker, sheer fabrics — everything recalls nature and the touch of the artisan.

THE MEDITERRANEAN’S ARTISTIC HERITAGE

A passionate admirer of classical art, Oscar Lucien Ono offers Le Soleia a subtle tribute to the Villa Kérylos, a Mediterranean gem in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The hotel’s graphic universe draws freely from it: textile waves, mural frescoes, and spiral trimmings by Houles evoke antique curves, while Thibault Perrigne’s amphora adds a sculptural dimension. These subtle touches create an atmosphere that is at once timeless and contemporary.

Le Soleia is not merely a hotel: it is an open-air narrative, where art weaves an intimate connection with space. On the walls, frescoes by artist Raphael Schmitt — stylised palm trees and sketched suns — bring a discreet poetry, like a warm breeze brushing the skin.

A CELESTIAL CEILING FRESCO

As though from a dream, Oscar Lucien Ono imagined and designed a ceiling fresco. Sculpted from laser-cut painted wood and floating overhead, it evokes celestial bodies, the sun, and the breath of the wind. The lines form a fluid, almost organic motion — at once ethereal and calming.

This indoor sky, both graphic and contemplative, imparts a sense of freshness and lightness. A discreet yet vibrant artwork, it invites the gaze to rise and the mind to wander.

THE RESTAURANT, IN THE SHADE OF THE PALMS

Like a garden suspended between sea and sky, the restaurant is dressed in shades of green — from the softest to the most intense. This botanical palette envelops guests in a tranquil interior landscape, reminiscent of a sun-drenched palm grove. Glass screens create plays of light and transparency, echoing the Mediterranean vegetation filtering the sun.

A wall-mounted plaster sun completes the scene, like a benevolent star hanging over the day.

THE BEDROOMS: COCOONS OPEN TO THE SEA

The 46 rooms and suites — 32 of which have terraces — are gentle, light-filled havens designed as Mediterranean cocoons. Three palettes, inspired by the Niçois landscape, adorn the interiors: the golden ochre of sun-warmed façades, terracotta shades evoking the earth and tiled rooftops, and the soft blues and sea greens of the nearby coastline.

Texture takes centre stage: wave-like headboards, crumpled C&C Milano fabrics reminiscent of waves against warm sand, seashells placed like talismans, vintage ceramics, and sun motifs by Maison Paradis. Blonde wood, woven wicker, and natural textiles compose a serene, organic harmony. Here, every detail is intended to evoke a sense of calm and simple beauty — in an atmosphere that encourages rest and escape.

THE RIVIERA UNVEILED: OPEN AND TIMELESS

Le Soleia offers a contemporary, liberated take on the Mediterranean. Through its materials, light, soft forms, and coastal-inspired motifs, Oscar Lucien Ono envisions a place that breathes sea air, sunshine, and joie de vivre. Stylised waves, subtle stripes, pastel and sun- washed tones move throughout the hotel like a visual symphony.

It is a place to slow down, find inspiration, reconnect. A tribute to the South — to its effortless beauty and quiet energy. A luminous and sensitive interlude, where every room, corridor, and detail tells the story of a Riviera that is free, vibrant, and timeless.

ABOUT OSCAR LUCIEN ONO

Following an initial career between Paris and London, Oscar Lucien Ono founded Maison Numéro 20 in 2014, an interior architecture and decoration studio based in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. In line with the tradition of “ensembliers décorateurs”, he merges interior design with the decorative arts, combining artisanal craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.

Deeply attached to a certain vision of French chic, Oscar undertakes projects both in France and abroad, including private residences, hotels, restaurants, and boutiques. His style, both refined and sensorial, creates a dialogue between eras and materials. With a degree in art history, he approaches each space as a story, where every detail contributes to a subtle narrative. With particular attention to contrast and finishing, Oscar treats light like a painter, playing with chiaroscuro and transparency to bring out the materials and volumes. “What moves me is creating places that tell a story — where one feels the imprint of the hand, the passage of time, and the presence of beauty.”