Worth Traveling For
Some hotels are just built for the spotlight; their names — and clientele — dazzling in front of flashing lights and mile-long camera lenses. Cannes’ Hôtel Martinez, on the French Riviera, is one of them.
A few doors down from my Art Deco-inspired suite overlooking the Mediterranean, Heidi Klum is mid-photoshoot, posing for L’Oréal as preparations for the Cannes Film Festival unfold. Above me, Chopard, the Swiss luxury house known for its high-end jewelry and watches, has taken over the rooftop penthouse. And outside the hotel’s entrance, behind blue-velvet ropes, hordes of paparazzi await the arrival of Demi Moore.
I have my own fleeting brush with fame when, stepping out of a white Moke in front of the hotel, I’m briefly mistaken for Laura Dern (apologies, Laura), who is in town filming season four of The White Lotus.
And so it goes at the Martinez.
Hotel Highlights
Since its inception in 1929, this Art Deco hotel, known for its glamorous white façade facing La Croisette, Cannes’ famous waterfront promenade, has been cinematic. Built by visionary Emmanuel Martinez, whose portrait hangs in the hotel lobby, it quickly became a Riviera icon.
Nearly a century later, the legacy continues. Each May, actors, directors, producers, and fashion houses descend on the hotel during the Cannes Film Festival, filling its suites, terraces, and beach club. And every year, the festival’s Jury Dinner takes place at the Michelin-starred La Palme d’Or, which itself feels like a movie set.
Designed by Rémi Tessier in collaboration with Chef Jean Imbert, La Palme d’Or evokes the golden age of luxury yachting, with its polished mahogany, lacquered wood paneling, curved lines, and gleaming brass details. At its center, a dramatic long table, known as the Jury Table, sits beneath a gilded palm-tree chandelier. Menus arrive in the form of movie scripts, complete with handwritten annotations, while illustrated storyboards accompany each course. Yet it is the collection of film memorabilia that steals the spotlight: highlights include pages from the original screenplays of E.T. and Titanic.
The hotel’s other dining venues offer a more relaxed version of Riviera glamour. At Le Sud, which spills onto a leafy garden terrace, Chef Imbert’s menu includes Mamie’s Sea Bream, inspired by his grandmother’s 1962 recipe. La Plage du Martinez, the beach club, serves dramatic whole-fish platters while paying tribute to the film industry with its director-style chairs bearing the names of screen legends, from Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn to Margot Robbie.
Rooms and Experiences
Rooms and suites are eloquently tranquil. Mine, overlooking the Croisette and sea, features white lacquer furnishings, a palette of powder blues and crisp whites, plush velvets, a marble bath, fashion-inspired artwork, and a collection of glossy coffee-table books. The interiors were reimagined in 2018 by architect and designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, whose vision was to recapture the glamour of the hotel’s 1929 Art Deco origins while making them feel lighter and more connected to the Riviera.
That ambience extends into L’Oasis Spa by Carita, the brand’s first spa outside of Paris. Featuring seven treatment rooms, halotherapy, a hammam (indoors), and an outdoor pool, the spa is located in the hotel’s new Oasis section, a haven of lush greenery. The signature treatment is the Cristal Morphologic Remodeling facial, which combines the energy of crystals with deep facial sculpting techniques. For an hour or so, my therapist works on me, customizing the facial and incorporating a lot of massage. “Carita is famous for this facial,” she tells me. And I can see why. My skin looks immediately glowy and clean — the secret to French beauty revealed.
What to Know Before You Book
La Compagnie, the all-business-class French airline, now flies direct from Newark to Nice during the summer and offers an easy connection via Paris throughout the year. Seats are arranged in pairs, convert into fully flat beds, and feature the same Riviera powder-blue-and-white palette.
Once settled into the hotel, sleep with the shades open and rise, at least one morning, with the sun. The Croisette is surprisingly peaceful at sunrise. Grab a coffee and walk the promenade before the beach clubs and boutiques come to life. You’ll pass joggers, locals walking their dogs, and who knows, maybe even Laura Dern.
Address: 73 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
Closest Airport: Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE), is a 40-minute ride
Feature image by JF Romero, courtesy Hôtel Martinez. Travel Curator may earn a commission from booking links on this page.
