Carlton Cannes Is The Belle Epoque Grand Dame Of The French Riviera / By Susan Gough Henly

Sea View Suite – 67sqm – From 1800 euros per night (around AUD$3012)

Why stay here

The beautifully reimagined Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, part of IHG Hotels and Resorts, reopened in May 2023 for the Cannes Film Festival. With its majestic façade, which glows like a wedding cake in the famous Cote d’Azur light, and perfect location overlooking the grand beachfront Promenade de la Croissette across from the sparkling blue Med, it remains the classic Belle Epoque Grande Dame of the Riviera.

Design

Historic renovation specialist Cannes architect Richard Lavelle and Paris-based interior designer Tristan Auer (who also restored the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris) oversaw the multi-year renovation project, which preserved the hotel’s exquisite historic features, including its legendary façade, whilst also creating a subtle modern aesthetic.

The hotel’s dusky colour palette – cinder rose, muted grey, ochre and oatmeal white – exudes an understated elegance.  Pale pink Murano chandeliers give a contemporary gleam to the spacious lobby, which is anchored by the original, intricately patterned marble stucco columns. Two striking new wings, home to luxury residences, envelop the rear of the property, creating a 2000 square-metre enclosed garden oasis with the largest hotel infinity pool in Cannes.

There are 332 rooms and suites, 72 of which overlook the water, including my luminous beige and white Sea View Suite. Its spacious living room and bedroom both have alcoves with floor-to-ceiling French doors that open to embrace the soft light and sea breezes. The bedroom alcove’s curvaceous loveseat, custom-designed by Mobil Project Italy, is a seductive cocoon for sublime window gazing.

The king bed is enveloped in white cloud-like bedding from French company, Garnier-Thiebaut. Geometric ochre accents enliven the soft cream carpet, referencing the 1926 Tennis Match of the Century played on the Carlton Cannes’ court of crushed terracotta pots.

This was the first official use of the clay courts that are now the signature of the French Open.

Dining

There are six dining and drinking options, but a highlight is breakfast in our Sea View Suite soaking up THAT view.

The Belle Epoque Riviera Restaurant serves breakfast, then transforms into a Mediterranean brasserie for lunch and dinner, which is best enjoyed on its raised terrace, ideal for watching the passing parade.

The buzzy Rüya restaurant offers a delicious sampling of Anatolian dishes, while the classy yellow-and-white-striped waterfront Carlton Beach Club, just across the Promenade de la Croissette, is the place to savour local seafood and pale Provençal rose. You can also rent sun loungers here, for the beach or pontoon.

The Camélia Tea Lounge, in the airy lobby, has an encyclopedic range of teas and Bar 58, with its serene garden terrace, is the place to order an aperitif made with Brad Pitt’s just-released The Gardener Gin.

Spa & wellness

The spacious fitness centre has a wide range of cardio and weight training equipment and even a boxing ring. I enjoyed a sublime facial with Barbara Sturm’s Molecular Cosmetics skin care range at Le C Club Fitness & Spa, which also offers facial treatments from Dr Burgener Switzerland, and Swissline. Balinese, Ayurvedic, hot stone and Swedish are some of the grab bag of global massages on offer.