Hollywood legends Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro make it their luxurious base whenever they’re in the city. French superstar Alain Delon shot a film here in the 60s, and everybody who’s anybody from Brad Pitt to Eva Longoria, Kate Beckinsale, Benicio del Toro and Zac Efron stay here during the Cannes Film Festival.
Welcome to Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, a five-star ‘palace’ on the Cote D’Azur where a fleet of Porsches, Ferraris and Aston Martins lined up outside the red awnings make it clear this is the place to rub shoulders with the very rich and famous.
Throw in the swimming pool at the front of the hotel – well you want to be seen, don’t you? –incredible views of the Mediterranean from the swanky suites, private beach, and three Michelin-star cuisine, and Le Majestic, as it’s known locally, is an address on the French Riviera with plenty of ooh la la.
It’s also my home away from home for the next three days and I plan to make the most of it. Getting a room here is an impossible dream for us mere mortals, after all. Usually, it’s wall to wall celebrities staying here whose ‘people’ have booked out the 23 individually designed suites and 305 rooms months in advance for the Film Festival in May.
In fact, it’s so hard to get a room here that when Hollywood legend Paul Newman showed up last minute for the 1983 festival without a booking, the late hotel owner Lucien Barrière put him up in his private apartment.
In fact, it’s so hard to get a room here that when Hollywood legend Paul Newman showed up last minute for the 1983 festival without a booking, the late hotel owner Lucien Barrière put him up in his private apartment.
Luckily, my room is ready and so beautiful it makes me gasp as I walk in. The marbled bathroom is bigger than most people’s living rooms and comes complete with Guerlain Eau Imperiale products and even a small bottle of the hotel’s signature Barrière Fugue a Paris scent. Within seconds I’ve spritzed, sprayed and soaked myself in the spicy fragrance. ‘It smells like money,’ I laugh to myself.
I walk over to the bed – one of the biggest I’ve ever seen – and the view is straight out of one of those films they show at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres just up the road.
Overlooking the ocean, in prime position on the Croisette, the promenade that snakes along the seafront, the hotel epitomes the glitz and the glamour of Cannes. Built during the Roaring Twenties, the Art Deco ‘palace’ became the meeting spot for international film stars, directors and media visiting the festival after it premiered in 1946.
Le Majestic has banned single-use plastics, it tracks and reduces its’ energy use every month and has a supplier ethics charter to check the values and practises of everyone along its supply chain.
Le Majestic has been associated with les ‘montée des marches’ – red-carpet premieres – ever since and while it’s impossible to wheedle anything out of the very discreet staff, the hallways boast more than 2,500 photos of Tinseltown’s finest who have been guests here. From Jean-Paul Belmondo to Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman and Kristin Scott Thomas, countless stars have gathered in the lobby before leaving to greet a sea of flashbulbs and excited fans.
Le Majestic is as sustainable as it is stylish with Green Globe certification which is only awarded to travel companies with an unwavering commitment to sustainable development, respect for cultural heritage and environmental preservation. Cannes is an official green city too after being certified as a Sustainable and Innovative destination.
But it’s not just lip service at the hotel with the usual ‘let us know if you want to keep your towels and not have your bed linen changed’ policy. Le Majestic has banned single-use plastics, it tracks and reduces its’ energy use every month and has a supplier ethics charter to check the values and practises of everyone along its supply chain.
Dining Cannes Style
There is a a kitchen garden on the roof, to make the most of the sunshine, along with a bee hive, with around 60,000 bees to produce honey that is used in drinks created by Chef Emanuele Balestra. Hopefully I can try out some shortly.
I’ve just arrived from Nice airport and am expected downstairs at Fouquet’s for lunch. The menu at the Cannes version of the Parisian brasserie-style restaurant has been designed by three Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire who uses locally sourced, organic ingredients.
I’m in foodie paradise. The tables are covered with crisp white table cloths, the waiters are extraordinary, and I’m getting whiplash trying to strain to see if any stars are in this afternoon
This responsible catering focuses on short supply chains and seasonal products from the area meaning everything is fresh and most guests will have travelled further than their food.
With plenty of vegan and vegetarian dishes such as Stracciatella aux pignons, velouté de courgettes a menthe (a mint zucchini soup with pine nuts and cheese), salade Croisette (lamb’s lettuce with black truffle, button mushrooms, parmesan and grilled country bread) I’m in foodie paradise. The tables are covered with crisp white table cloths, the waiters are extraordinary, and I’m getting whiplash trying to strain to see if any stars are in this afternoon.
Sadly the only celebrities I get to rub shoulders with today are the photos on the walls but there’s the view overlooking the pool to keep me entertained, and the mouth-watering dishes that look like art on a plate and are packed with flavour.
Next stop is the hotel’s Spa Diane Barriere for a massage using either Kos or Biologique Recherche luxury products. I leave an hour later feeling relaxed and rejuvenated with glowing skin. Now all I have to do is get ready for this evening: cocktails at Bar Fouquet’s and dinner courtesy of Pierre Gagnaire. This time I opt for Feta rotie (roasted feta cheese with beetroot and nuts) followed by pois chiches (chickpeas, red peppers and crushed tomatoes) and finish off with crepe Suzette. So French and oh so delicious. How do all the stars that stay here manage to fit into their red-carpet outfits?
Luckily after a healthy breakfast (lots of fruit, and only one freshly baked croissant!) we walk off the calories with a stroll into the centre of Cannes to Forville Market.
Selling everything from olives to cheese, and fruit and vegetables, the place is bustling with locals and tourists all eager to buy the freshest produce while taking in the sunshine and fresh sea air.
The History
It’s this coastal climate that put Cannes on the map long before it was a mecca for celebrities. The chancellor of England, Lord Brougham, settled here back in 1834 as one of his daughters was sick. Back then, people would traditionally travel to Italy for medicine and to recuperate but there was a cholera outbreak and so he stayed at the pretty French fishing village instead. Aristocracy from all over Europe followed and bought holiday homes here on the French Riviera, making Cannes the place to see and be seen.
It wasn’t until 1923 that Henri Ruhl came up with the idea to build a hotel on the promenade, and commissioned architect Théo Petit. The hotel opened in 1926 and Francois Andre took over with his nephew Lucien Barrière. The rest, as they say, is history.
Apart from a brief stint as a military hospital during WW II and an expansion from the original 150 rooms to the current 305, Le Majestic has been a timeless icon on the Croisette. Over almost a century guests have walked up the Carrara marble covered staircases, and admitted the reception rooms decorated by painter Francis Di Signori.
Europe’s Most Sumptuous Suites
Now the guestrooms and suites have been renovated by architect and interior designer Isabelle Stanislas who, inspired by the 30s, has revisited the Art Deco era to cleverly combine contemporary chic with timeless luxury.
As well as using touches of blue and orange, evocative of the shimmering Mediterranean, Isabella has created bespoke furniture with graphic motifs and geometry to bring a bold, yet modern touch.
The suites have always been show-stopping. The Majestic Suite is a lavish 650sq ft apartment with two bedrooms, a home cinema, gym, barber’s chair, private elevator, 11-metre swimming pool on the terrace and unparalleled views of the sea, and down to the famous steps of the Cannes Film festival and the Lérins Islands.
At 45,000 euros per night, it’s known as the most sumptuous suite in Europe and is booked out a year in advance for the festival with celebrities and Middle Eastern clients keen to snap it up.
For some Parisian chic the Christian Dior Suite is the place to stay. At 4250 sq ft, and with a price tag of 30,000 euros per night, the sixth-floor suite is inspired by Dior’s Paris headquarters. I almost squealed when I spotted a signed original design framed on the wall and the famed logo on the door.
Twelve movies have been filmed at Le Majestic including Mélodie En Sous-Sol (Any Number Can Win) starring Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. Their portraits decorate the walls of the Suite Melodie – a must stay surely for cinephiles and Hollywood;s finest heading to the Festival.
The Riviera Suite is my favourite as it has a nautical theme and a large outdoor area that’s an ‘ode to the sea’. As well as the crisp navy, white and beige coastal décor, it also offers panoramic views of the ocean and is a ‘snip’ at 25,000 euros per night.
I wouldn’t say no to sleeping in the suites that have hosted the likes of acting legends Kirk Douglas, Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas and Pierce Brosnan, but I’m rather attached to my room now. After languishing in the tub and using all those Guerlain products, I head downstairs for drinks and dinner.
The next day is my last before flying home. There’s just time for a Kos facial at the spa – beyond incredible – and lunch at BFire By Mauro Colagreco Majestic’s private beach. The three-Michelin star chef, who was born in Argentina but is from an Italian family, has created a menu that showcases seasonal products cooked over a wood fire. And with views across the golden sand and azure waves, this is a restaurant that will have the stars flocking to try the à la carte dining in the restaurant or beach menu from their sun loungers.
I feast on the sea view as I tucked into burrata, with fresh figs, and pistachios followed by pumpkin risotto and a dessert of lemon sorbet. I leave happy, full and still craning to see if any Bonafide celebrities are part of the crowds of beautiful people along the beach. Sadly not. I may not have seen Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts in the flesh but I’ve stayed at the sustainable hotel they call home every time they attend the Film Festival. Want to live like an A-lister even for a night – at Le Majestic you Cannes!
Getting There
Flights from Dubai to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport take approximately 6 hours and 45 minutes, with direct daily services available via Emirates.
A room at Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic starts from $500 to $3,536 per night, depending on season and room type. Book at hotelsbarriere.com
