Summertime in Cannes is magical : sunshine, the world’s largest yachts anchored in the Bay, magnificent creations of the fashion designers under the flash of photographers during the Cannes Film Festival… It feels like a special place, that’s why Cannes has a particular history with hospitality, intrinsically linked with Les Clefs d’Or. One of the oldest photograph of our profession has been taken here in 1909, before the most famous hotels bordering the Croisette were built. Some of these fellows already had the crossed keys on their uniforms. Lastly, impossible to forget that Cannes welcomed the first International Congress in 1952.
But all good things must come to an end, and so the summer does. Here we are now, in the lobby, in the middle of the low season, with empty beach restaurants and closed nightclubs, with a guest gently asking : “What can we do in winter ?” Far from its cliché, Cannes is a destination living all year long.
Have you even tasted Socca ? Of course not, if you’re not from Cannes, Antibes or Nice. Made from gram flour and olive oil, this traditional dish is the favorite snack of the locals. Where to find the best one ? At the Forville Market, of course. Replacing an old wood market, the current one was built in 1929 in the purest tradition of the Marché Provençal. Somewhere between vegetables, herbs and spices, you will meet Alex who will cook you a Socca, minute-maid.
After the snack, it is time to visit le Suquet and its picturesque streets, rich of a thousand year of history. If a stop in the gothic church Notre Dame d’Espérance is mandatory, the visit of the Musée des Explorations du Monde will be a journey along archeology, primitive art, ethnology and orientalism.
To continue with the local specialties, try a Pan Bagnat at Philcat, little kiosk but institution on the side of the Vieux Port : Because it is time to embark for the Saint-Honorat Island. If Sainte-Marguerite is famous for the Royal Fort, jail of the Man in the Iron Mask, its little sister welcomes a community of Cistercian monks since the fifth century. Their fortified Monastery is a beauty, and where you have monks, you find wine : 8 hectares of vineyard are cultivated on Saint-Honorat. Able to grow at this latitude thanks to the cooler maritime influences, their Pinot Noir is a must try !
Back on dry land, you need some fun : Rendez-vous in the residential district of the Palm Beach, at la Place de l’Etang. This is where the locals are meeting to play Pétanque, traditional game from the South where you pitch stainless steel balls to beat a cochonnet… Finish your day with a fish plate at Fred’s, on the square, the owner is a fisherman himself and will tell you the details of Cannes’ history. Finally, come back to your hotel for a well-deserved night’s sleep : Your concierge says you “Sweet Dreams !”
Pierre-Louis Rousseau is a member of Les Clefs d’Or France. This article has been published in its original form.
My meeting with the hospitality professions was, in 2015, a perfect coincidence. Studying for a degree in “Art, Culture & Heritage”, I was looking for a summer job, and have been hired as a luggage porter in a 5-stars establishment of my native Burgundy. At this time, I didn’t even knew what was a concierge. Ten years after, I have been lucky enough to work in Paris, the French Alps and the Riviera, discovering iconic places and learning how to guide people through the delights of these postcards destinations.
I am passionate about two things : Wine (you always come back where you belong) and History. I will always be thankful for this profession which allows me to share what I love with travelers from all over the world, inexhaustible source of cultural enrichment. For this, I am speaking for both guests and fellow Les Clefs d’Or members, always keen to tell a story or anecdote. One last thing to know about me ? I am completely unable to travel without tasting the local wine, for better or worse… Prepare your recommendations if I come to visit your country !
Inaugurated in 1929, Hôtel Martinez remains since then an icon of the French Riviera. The impressive Art-Deco style building offers an outstanding view on the Mediterranean sea, from the Lerins Islands to the Esterel. It wrote a part of the history of the Riviera, from favorite winter retreat of the aristocracy in the first half of the last century to the summer destination we know today, inextricably linked to the glitters of the Film Festival.
Largest hotel of the Croisette, Hôtel Martinez features 410 rooms and suites, including an exclusive penthouse of 1250m² on the 7th floor. But what would be hospitality without gastronomy ? Jean Imbert is the Chef of the three restaurants : Le Sud, La Plage, and of course La Palme d’Or, institution of the Croisette since 1985.
More than this, Hôtel Martinez is focusing on the French Art de Vivre, recreating in the establishment a heavenly 1800m² garden, L’Oasis du Martinez, disconnection bubble at a few meters of the effervescence of the beach clubs. After almost a century of history, Hôtel Martinez, first Green Globe certified hotel in France, is living up to the challenge of the future.
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/france/hotel-martinez/jcagh
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