The Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez

Inaugurated in 1929, the Hôtel Martinez de Cannes still resonates with the sounds of jazz and the merriment of the Roaring 20s. Built in an Art Deco style, the imposing building was inducted into the general inventory of cultural patrimony in 2001. The hotel has participated in the fairytale of the Cannes Film Festival right from the start. Situated on the famous Boulevard de la Croisette, the palace regularly hosts numerous personalities from the cinema and media worlds. It underwent a name change in 2013 to become the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez after being purchased by the American group. Just a few meters from the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, this is the mythic location where the Palme d’Or for Best Film is awarded each year. And let’s not forget the fabled stairway, the red carpet where the biggest film stars bump elbows. 

Its renown is also thanks to its 409 rooms of which 27 are suites, its private beach the Zplage, and its 2 Michelin-starred restaurant – La Palme d’Or –, the only one in Cannes. This restaurant, in accordance with tradition, hosts the members of the jury and their president each year on the night before the opening of the official competition. Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio, and other big names are all regulars at this starred establishment. In addition, the private outdoor pool and 900 m² Spa Martinez have rendered this place particularly in vogue with the stars during the festival.

Before the festival’s creation, the hotel was more frequented by intellectuals like Paul Valéry or industrials like André Citroën who would come to rest and rejuvenate. Nowadays, however, it has become more of a resort for Hollywood stars and muses of the 7th art with notably Liz Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, and, more recently, the likes of Scarlett Johansson or Monica Bellucci on the roster. Le Martinez is also a party spot. Take for instance the concert that Jamiroquaï gave festival-goers in 2011, ravishing them with a colorful show in the salons of the Martinez. The owners may be Qatari and the managers American, but there’s no doubt that a number of stars and other actors will still spend their festival in this iconic French location par excellence.