One of them will even appear in season 4 of White Lotus.
This week, the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival opens on the sparkling Côte d’Azur. The French Riviera is getting ready to see celebrities, directors and cinema figures from all over the world parade, as the city hosts this prestigious international meeting that it has been organizing since the 1950s.
In Cannes, everything seems to have come out of a James Bond film. The city – like the festival itself – has this mixture of glamour, excess and sophistication worthy of the diamonds that stream down the stars as they climb the famous red steps of the Palais des Festivals. While celebrities flock to attend galas and premieres of films in competition for the coveted Palme d’Or, they will also set down their suitcases in some of the most legendary hotels in Cannes.
These establishments have been welcoming the Hollywood elite for decades and regularly serve as a setting for the festival’s emblematic evenings and events. This year, one of them will even be transformed into a setting for season 4 of White Lotusjust a few days after the end of the festival. “During Cannes, anything can happen,” confides Gilles Bastonichef concierge of l’Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic à ELLE. “This unpredictability, this excitement, these last minute surprises… that’s exactly what we love about these two extraordinary weeks. » Here are the hotels where the stars will sleep, party and enjoy the sun between two red carpets this May in Cannes.
Hotel Martinez
If you see a photo this month of Bella Hadid waving from a gilded wrought-iron balcony or posing on a majestic blue velvet staircase on Instagram, there’s a good chance she’s at the Martinez Hotel. Since its opening in 1929, the palace has become a must-see for the rich, powerful and famous. Its emblematic facade, made up of a succession of honeycomb balconies, dominates the famous Promenade de la Croisette, the legendary boulevard of the Cannes seafront. Paparazzi and fans regularly gather in front of the hotel entrance, to the point of sometimes blocking access to the lobby.
The establishment is also home to the famous La Palme d’Or restaurant, named in homage to the festival’s top prize. “Every year, the Cannes Film Festival brings an incomparable energy to the Martinez Hotel,” explains Michel Cottraygeneral director of the establishment, ELLE. “Between welcoming international guests and the prestigious festival jury dinner, we are proud to play such an important role in one of the biggest events in world cinema. » The links between the hotel and the festival are so close that the producer Mike White has chosen the establishment as one of two filming locations for the next season of White Lotus. According to Varietythis new season will take place during the Cannes Film Festival – even if filming will only begin once the stars have left the Croisette.
The Carlton Cannes
It is one of the oldest palaces in Cannes and an emblematic address since the beginning of the festival. The Carlton Cannes is the kind of glamorous and timeless institution that one imagines perfectly in a movie.Alfred Hitchcock. And for good reason: the hotel appears in several scenes of his 1955 film The Hand in the Collarwith Grace Kelly et Cary Grant.
Where many hotels on the Croisette focus on Art Deco, The Carlton displays neo-Renaissance and Belle Époque architecture, faithful to the style in vogue when it opened in 1911. Its textured white facade and its two famous domes — which would have been inspired by the curves of a Belle Époque dancer and actress — are almost reminiscent of a sandcastle, making the palace one of the most recognizable buildings on the entire French Riviera.
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Close your eyes and imagine a huge seaside castle, spectacular enough to inspire F. Scott Fitzgerald when he talks about “Gausse’s Hotel des Étrangers” in his novel Tender is the night published in 1934. Voila l’Hôtel of Cape Eden Rock. Everything about this place is a myth: its history, its interiors and its legendary evenings. Long before becoming the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the property was known as Villa Soleil, a writers’ retreat built in 1869 by the French journalist and founder of the Figaro, Hippolyte de Villemessant. L’hôtelier Antoine Sella then bought the estate in 1887 and transformed it into a glamorous Riviera institution, frequented by Kennedy, Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and many others.
Even today, this luxury palace remains one of the must-see addresses of the Cannes Film Festival. Located in Antibes, about 30 minutes by car from the Palais des Festivals, the estate extends over five buildings facing the Mediterranean. Most guests stay in the majestic main chateau-style Napoleon IIIwhich houses more than 100 suites decorated by the owner House Oetker. In addition to welcoming celebrities like Katy Perry, Jessica Chastain or Will Smiththe hotel also serves as the setting for several major festival events, including the annual amfAR gala and the famous evening organized each year by Graydon Carterwhich he will co-host this year with Dario AmodeiPDG d’Anthropic.
Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic
Known simply as “Le Majestic”, this hotel is located in the heart of Cannes, just opposite the Palais des Festivals. Built in 1926, the establishment was recently renovated by the designer and architect Isabelle Stanislas in 2025. The redesigned rooms and suites now combine Art Deco heritage and a palette inspired by the marine world to create sophisticated interiors – perfect for welcoming guests like Kristen Stewart or Dakota Johnson.
“The hotel is celebrating its 100th anniversary, while the Festival is in its 79th edition. The two institutions have grown and evolved together for decades,” explains Gilles Bastoni. The position of concierge at the Majestic is almost a family affair for him: his father already held this position before him. “This will be my 20th Cannes Film Festival, and like every year, I am incredibly excited. » A little advice for guests staying there during the festival: pay attention to the ringing phones in the lobby. They play the main theme of Contes d’Hoffmann (1881) Jacques Offenbach.
Autrice :Â Megan Wahn
This article was translated into French and adapted for Switzerland after initially being published on elledecor.com. Find all the other articles in this edition on the official website.
