When thinking about Cannes, the glitz of the French city’s iconic May-time film festival comes to mind immediately. That said, Cannes is much more than just screenings and celebrities strutting the red carpet in designer-hemmed accouterments. While the town is undeniably made for sybarites, it offers a sweeping variety of activities: Oceanfront promenade Boulevard de la Croisette hosts every luxe brand under the sun, the boat-ride-away Île Saint-Honorat’s wooded landscape plus medieval abbey invoke pure Côte d’Azur beauty, and medieval neighborhood Le Suquet’s steeped cobbled alleys and seafaring viewpoints enchant forthcoming visitants (if you ask us, the resident Musée de la Castre is our favorite vantage point here).
BOOK WITH US FOR PERKS
Those looking to experience the South of France’s glamorous provenance naturally should elect to stay somewhere hyper-luxe — and with that in mind, let us propose Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes. Ever since the iconic accommodation first opened in 1926, worldwide elite have flocked here in droves.
Enter the lobby, and it’s love at first sight, with its refurbished décor that takes cues of inspiration from iconic 1920s Art Deco designer Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann. A light color scheme comprising cream, ivory, plus beige, artfully contrasts gilded statues and columns wearing smooth wood. Ritzy curtains and drapery evoke escapism.
Branching off from the lobby, restaurant, bar, and terrace, Fouquet’s serves Chef Pierre Gagniare-led French fare amidst an elegant setting brimming with gold, red, and taupe. A testament to its high-profile clientele, storied images of celebrities dress the walls.
The hotel’s beachside restaurant BFire, serves a Mediterranean-style menu under the culinary talents of Chef Maulo Colagreco (you’re in the “finest of hands” here — he also oversees three-Michelin-star fine-dining establishment, Mirazur, in Menton).
And the restaurant options keep coming: Paradiso Nicole & Pierre, a Mediterranean brasserie, sits alongside the hotel’s front-yard pool. Here, Chef Pierre Gagnaire and Nicole Rubi serve Mediterranean dishes across a three-floor terrace — come evenings, dinner and drinks pair harmoniously with a DJ spinning soothing beats.
Bar-wise, next to the pool at Le Majestic (taking a dip here come summertime is pure vacation goals), there is a terrace bar called Terrasse Piscine bar, which serves a menu of snacks and drinks. Inside the hotel itslef, there’s Bar Galerie du Fouquet’s Cannes, which guests walk through on their way to Fouquet’s restaurant.
The five-star hotel hosts 350 rooms and suites across seven floors. When it comes to accommodations, The Christian Dior Suite seduces those with a penchant for French fashion with its imbuement of the designer’s illustrious style and taste: a Louis XVI-era table, Hungarian herringbone floors, and Dior-designed red sofa cushions in a shade Christian himself invented in 1947 are a taste of what’s inside.
Glamour and wellness couple up perfectly here. And, if you ask us, the best way to embrace these concomitants starts with a trip to Le Majestic’s Spa Diane Barrière, which boasts treatments using top-of-the-line French skincare brand Biologique Recherche (seriously, a Biologique Recherche facial is one of the best facials we’ve ever had).
If you can’t get a room at Le Majestic, the hotel’s sister property, Le Gray D’Albion, is next door. If you ask us, it’s just as stylish, but just with a more modernist-type look.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
Location: Cannes, France
The Vibe: A luxe stay that imbues the ritz of the Cannes Film Festival 365 days a year.
Food + Drink: The hotel’s restaurant and bar game are robust: There’s Fouquet’s, which serves Chef Pierre Gagnaire-led French cuisine in an elegant setting; BFire, La Majestic’s strand-side Mediterranean restaurant with an upbeat atmosphere; and Paradiso Nicole & Pierre, a Mediterranean brasserie fringing the hotel’s iconic pool (expect dinner with a tasteful DJ here). When it comes to bars, there is the poolside Terrasse Piscine bar and Bar Galerie du Fouquet’s Cannes, which marks the entrance to Fouquet’s
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: If we had to pick one splendor, it would be the spa and all their Biologique Recherche treatments (seriously, this is the French skincare brand you need in your life).
Any Personal Neighborhood Recs?: Yes, there are a smattering of can-only-be-found-in-France chic boutiques lining Rue des Antibes (keep in mind this is a few streets more inland than Boulevard de la Croisette — the latter, in comparison to Rue des Antibes, is where you will find bigger brands such as Chanel, Gucci, and Prada, among others). Then, for dinner, head to LUIGI, a supper club and piano bar that’s exceedingly debonair: 1950s-style, moody lighting, lots of burgundy, and a nightly performer singing jazz ballots are what to expect.
Closest Airport: Nice Côte D’Azur (12.2 miles away)
Pricing: In winter, you can snag a room for $174 (keep in mind this is off-season). Come summer, peak-season, starting nightly rates stand at around $360.
Other articles you may like:
