Cannes Film Festival is back! After cancellation in 2020 because of the pandemic, the event has been postponed this year from it’s usual May date to July 6-17. For this period, Cannes will become a center of attraction for the movie stars, filmmakers, photographers and journalists from all around the world. Are you excited? I should admit, I’m really looking forward to it !
Which hotel to choose for your stay in Cannes during the festival? A legendary one of course! Barrière Le Majestic is located next to the Palais des Festivals et de Congrès, the official venue for the Cannes Festival, and many of its rooms has a view on the famous red carpet. Celebrities often choose Barrière Le Majestic when they come to the festival which means you will probably have a chance to cross one of them in the corridor…
Together with Diane, author of the blog petiteinparis.com, we had a opportunity to stay at Barrière Le Majestic a couple of weeks ago and to imagine ourselves the movie stars !
After leaving the car key to the voiturier of Barrière (who carefully parked my humble Mini cooper next to the red Ferrari), we entered the gorgeous lobby of Le Majestic, checked-in and got escorted to our luxurious Junior Suite with a front sea view. The room was impressive : 40 m2 completed by an enormous terrace overlooking the famous La Croisette ! A king-size bed, marble bathroom and huge dressing immediately got our full approval and admiration.
Our stay coincided with my birthday and we were agreeably surprised to find a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne. This attention from the hotel was very touching ! Going forward, I should say that I was spoiled at Barrière Le Majestic for my birthday and even got two birthday cakes ! The staff made everything to make our stay unforgettable and I feel very grateful to celebrate my birthday in such a unique place.
What makes the hotel Barrière Le Majestic so special? First of all, it’s its rich history which is tightly connected with the history Cannes Film Festival. The hotel opened it’s doors in 1926 (means in five years this splendid establishment will celebrate its 100 years anniversary!) and has been many times renovated, always keeping though its iconic Art Deco style. After having acquired the premises of the Cannes branch Banque de France, Barrière Le Majestic has recently been extended and added 70 new rooms in the left wing.
Several movies were filmed in the hotel. In the corridors, the walls are covered with the photos of the actors and filmmakers, which adds a stylish retro touch to the interiors.
We had a privilege to visit the most famous suites of Barrière Le Majestic, the ones that host the movie stars during Cannes Film Festival and become their dressing-rooms, beauty salons and interview rooms at the same time. One of these suites is the elegant Dior Suite which was designed in collaboration with the fashion house. Fully decorated with all shades of grey, a signature color of Dior, this suite is a quintessence of luxury. Its walls are decorated with the photos of the Dior’s ambassadors such as Grace Kelly and Charlize Theron. The selection of the textiles and furniture pays homage to the High Couture style of the fashion house.
The Dior Suite at Barrière Le Majestic has not only a living room and two bedrooms (each one with a private bathroom) but also dressing rooms and a huge terrace overlooking the Mediterranean !
Staying in the Dior Suite would be definitely a dreams-come-true experience for any Dior lover.
Another exceptional suite at Barrière Le Majestic is the penthouse Suite Majestic featuring a private rooftop swimming pool, a massage room and a private gym.
Even if our Junior Suite was more modest, we felt ourselves like movie stars waking up in the enormous (and incredibly comfortable) bed to the beautiful sunrise over the sea. On the terrace we had two chaise-longues and a table with the chairs, so if we didn’t want to leave the room, we could easily spend the whole day inside getting tan and sipping champagne ! We were too curious though to explore the hotel knowing that it had a heated swimming pool, a spa and a private beach… But first of all – breakfast !
There’s no secret a good breakfast is a big part of pleasure when staying at the luxury hotel. At Barrière La Majestic we enjoyed an excellent selection of freshly cooked classic breakfast dishes such as pancakes, waffles, eggs Benedict, scrumbled eggs… All of our forever favorites ! Fruit salad, freshly squeezed juices, smoked salmon, ham and cheese assortment and yoghurts completed our happiness.
In order to ensure the safety of the guests during the pandemic, the distance between the tables was increased, hand sanitizer was available on each table and there was no free access to the buffet – the guests were served one by one which was very well organized and efficient.
The swimming pool looked tempting but since Barrière Le Majestic is located on the seaside, we decided to have a dip in the sea and headed to the private beach La Plage Barrière Le Majestic. The place is very beautiful : decorated with all whites, with a long elegant pontoon and comfortable beach beds. An exquisite place to spend the day with a book in one hand and a cocktail in another!
The beach restaurant BFire at Barrière Le Majestic is remarkable. The menu is created for Barrière by Marco Colagreco, the famous chef-owner of 3-Michelin-stars restaurant Mirazur, and based on the dishes cooked in the wood fire oven. “Once mastered, the fire element will reveal the shades and flavors of meat, fish, vegetable and fruits”, explains the chef. Indeed, a unique, slightly smoky flavor of the wood-cooked food is inimitable ! The grilled octopus I ordered was one of the best I’ve ever tried in my life and Diane’s fish was just a masterpiece. We also couldn’t resist Barrière’s signature cocktails made with the aromatic herbs which the barman grows himself. At the end of the meal, I was surprised with a birthday cake the recipe of which was created especially for me. What a treat!
I won’t exaggerate if I say that at Barrière Le Majestic we were given a welcome worthy of the stars ! I can understand why so many celebrities choose this hotel during Cannes Film Festival. If you decide to attend this mythical event in July and to stay at Barrière Le Majestic, make sure you book a room with a view on the Palace of Festivals and the red carpet 😉 See you in Cannes !
10, La Croisette, 06407 Cannes, France
Love your article!! I love revisiting these fun times! Such an unforgettable experience, hopefully we can go back again soon!!
Best,
Diane
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Hopefully next year for Cannes Film Festival ;))
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