Three favorite legendary hotels that are popular with the Cannes Film Festival’s high-profile guests.

Since 1946, the Cannes Film Festival has been considered one of the five most prestigious film festivals worldwide, offering all the glitz and glamor that the crème de la crème of international cinema has to offer. Every year during the festival, the French Riviera’s legendary palatial hotels are buzzing with personalities and VIPs who flock to its most sophisticated seaside resorts. Here are three favorite hotels during the 2021 festival.

Hôtel Martinez

Here’s a jewel of a hotel from the roaring 20s. Renovated just a couple of years ago, Hôtel Martinez is one of these historic Southern France hotels that, by belonging to the exclusive Unbound Collection by Hyatt, gets to keep all that makes it special yet offers the upscale services and facilities that Hyatt’s finest properties represent.

Respecting its heritage, the hotel has done up its rooms in an art-deco theme yet married it with lighter colors that match with the today’s aesthetic standards and the Mediterranean vibe of the iconic Promenade de la Croisette. All the interiors, from the circular staircase to the lobby ceilings, are works of art that pay homage to this enchanting era.

Spellbinding features of the hotel include suave outdoor terraces with wrought-iron railings, stunning sea views with palm trees in the foreground, and an aptly named restaurant with two Michelin stars, called La Palme d’Or after the highest prize given at the film festival. Needless to say, the food and beverage offerings at the Martinez will impress, not least because of award-winning head chef Christian Sinicropi who has earned all the accolades and prizes to prove it. Do ask for signature cocktails and make a reservation at La Plage du Martinez for lunch by the sea.

www.hotel-martinez.com

Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes

There are many reasons why the Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes belongs to The Leading Hotels of the World, whether it’s the gourmet element, fine service, rich heritage or impressive awards. In late 2020 Conde Nast Traveler even put the property in its Top 10 Hotels in France, while Travel & Leisure had listed it in its Top 5 France Resort Hotels. Its claim to fame is bolstered by being right across from the Palais des Festivals in Cannes and also on the famous promenade, La Croisette.

The enchantment of this hotel begins with its palace-like property built at end of France’s Belle Epoque, the period in the late 1800s and early 1900s known for its art, entertainment and joie de vivre. There certainly is an art-deco 1920s element as well, which can be witnessed at Fouquet’s Cannes, the esteemed sister restaurant of Fouquet’s in Paris. The restaurant’s Gallery Bar is a must for afternoon tea accompanied by mouthwatering pastries or for champagne and cocktails with amuse-bouches.

There’s a great surprise awaiting those of visit the hotel’s BFire By Mauro Colagreco, the specialty restaurant where Italian meets Argentinian, with dishes served booth indoors and right by the beach at your lounge chair. If you’re there in summer, you must try some of France’s best champagnes in the property’s gardens, and particularly at the Rotonde Veuve Cliquot. Don’t forget to make a reservation at the hotel’s Spa Diane Barrière where the ayurvedic and hot stone treatments can do miracles to the body while soothing the soul.

www.hotelsbarriere.com

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

If you want to enjoy the vibe of the Cannes Film Festival yet prefer more secluded accommodation, you’re going to love the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. About half an hour by car from Cannes and set on a gorgeous green peninsula known as Cap d’Antibes, the property has been one of the French Riviera’s finest for over 150 years. Set on a private bay that will impress any visitor, the hotel began its history with the European and the Russian aristocracy which coveted Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc as their summer getaway.

It is clear to see why the hotel is part of the Oetker Collection, whose properties “are true masterpieces located in the world’s most desirable destinations”. In this particular property, you’ll be welcomed by France’s luxuriously classical splendor along with the personal attention, yet with all the high-tech comforts and conveniences of the modern world. The rooms are designed in a classically elegant French theme, where fine fabrics with floral prints are juxtaposed against gorgeous sea views and verdant landscapes.

No effort has been spared on the culinary front, where Le Bristol Paris’s three-Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon, also consulting chef at the hotel), teamed up with the property’s executive chef Arnaud Poette to present Mediterranean and Provençal cuisine with a modern take. You can sample the results at the one-star Michelin Louroc Restaurant, at the Eden Roc Grill and all across the property’s food and beverage outlets.

Here’s a little tip: the hotel’s legendary Cognac-based cocktail, Eden-Roc Splash, has been updated with a hint of raspberry and is a must for fine palates. Bar lovers will be spoiled for choice, whether it’s Bar La Rotonde indoors yet with gorgeous sunset views, the lobby’s Bar Bellini for its exquisite wines and tapa-like dishes, or the Eden-Roc Champagne Lounge by the sea where the choice of Champagnes – accompanied of course by sublime hors d’œuvres – will delight every amateur and connoisseur alike.

www.oetkercollection.com

With gratitude, T.