cboris

Hi all,

I've been studying the hotels in Cannes on La Croisette and can't decide what to do.

Le Grand Hotel gets great reviews on trip advisor, but there are very few reviews compared to other hotels. There's almost no mention of it on the fodors boards at all. Can anyone recommend it?

The other hotel that seems most appealing is the Martinez, but we hoped for a water view and only the largest executive suites offer that. Are the other views nice? I think the website mentions hill view or city view. Is the Martinez so much nicer than Le Grand that it's worth giving up the water view?

I'm so torn! Le Grand looks like a hotel I would love to stay in if I were in Manhattan, but the decor doesn't scream cote d'azur to me. I feel like the Martinez might give us more of a classic Cannes experience, but I just wish I could get the water view.

I did look briefly at the Majestic, but it seemed to have a lot of negative reviews on trip advisor.

Should I reconsider the Carlton too? Some of the trip advisor reviews said the rooms needed to be renovated and that scared me off.

Quickly, what we're looking for is a hotel in Cannes, walking distance to beach, with a beach restaurant. It's a celebratory trip so we're willing to splurge. Ocean view with a balcony would be nice! We'll be using our rental car to explore outside of Cannes, but in Cannes we want to focus on the beach.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks in advance,
Christine

traveller1959

The Carlton, Majestic and Martinez are the three grand luxury hotels in Cannes. The location is practically identical. The main difference is style. The Carlton is most popular among celebrities, while the Majestic is somewhat sterner and more popular among business travellers. Some say, the Martinez is the best of the three. It is mostly a matter of taste.

Regarding the reviews on tripadvisor:

I am a heavy user of tripadvisor and I have contributed 236 reviews. From these experiences, I know that some 20% of the reviews are completely off the track. Sometimes I have the impression, a guest arrives at the hotel, has a personal problem with a receptionist or someone and everything will be bad in the hotel.

This explains why 80% of the reviews give 5 points and 20% one point and nothing in between.

The kernel of truth is that French hotels are indeed different from American business hotels. Even among luxury hotels, many have rooms that need renovation - especially if you book at bargain rates and via consolidators.

We once stayed at a wonderful hotel that used to be a private residence of the Rothschild family. Of course, the rooms were historic, with some patina and a little crack here and there. Family members from South Africa heavily complained that this was not Hilton standard. IMO, it was far superior, but it depends on your styles and tastes.

lemidi

The Carlton is a tiny bit more central in this petite city of Cannes but just by a few blocks. I stayed at the MArtinez several years ago and loved the little outdoor pool overlooking the Croisette and courtyard area but I would have rather stayed at the more majesctic Carlton hotel. AT the time I stayed at the Martinez because it was less expensive. Mr firends stayed at the Carlton in 2004 and it was a dream come true for her with no complaints.

Does anyone know what the Grand Hotel is? Was that the Noga Hilton or the Gray D'Albion? If so don't like either one's stark modernity.

cboris

Hi lemidi,

The only thing I can tell you about the Grand Hotel is that it was renovated in 2006 and I think it has some permanent residences (apartments, I guess?) attached somehow.

http://www.grand-hotel-cannes.com/

It's at 45 La Croisette.

Can I ask if you live in or near Cannes, or do you just travel there often? If you live there and haven't heard of it, that might concern me a little!

I think the Noga Hilton is/was at 50 La Croisette, so I think that's different. And I think the Gray D'Albion is on Rue des Serbes.

So I'm not sure if the Grand used to have another name!

I know that's not much help, but that's all I know.

Thanks so much the opinions offered thus far! I'm really going to reconsider the Carlton.

Christine

USNR

If you think the beach at Cannes is broad, sandy, and comfortable -- think again. The beach is pebbled, narrow, and hardly any sand at all. If the choice were mine to make, I'd stay somewhere else. Perhaps up in the hills above Cannes, but not in Grasse. Too crowded and noisy. But, then, so is Cannes.

SeaUrchin

Maybe it depends on the room but I loved The Carlton. It would be my first choice again too.

I do like the beach at Cannes, you can rent loungechairs in the private cabana areas too.

kerouac

The Noga Hilton has changed hands and changed names.

traveller1959

>>>If you think the beach at Cannes is broad, sandy, and comfortable -- think again. The beach is pebbled, narrow, and hardly any sand at all.<<<

This poster has probably mistaken Cannes for Nice.

The beach of Cannes is wide and sandy - fine sand, to be exact. The big hotels have their "private" beach sections and bathing islands (although all beaches in France are in fact public - if you do not need a chair, just lie down on your towel whereever you want).

There ARE nicer beaches in the area (e.g. Juan-les-Pins or some small bays on the peninsulas), but Cannes beach is one the better ones.

lemidi

HI Christine
I did some looking up to figure out where the Grande is. I know where it is but did not realize that it had a hotel. I always knew it as very prestigous apartments. I don't live in Cannes but used to live in Biot and Antibes for many years. I knew the whole area pretty well but over time some of these hotel's names have changed.

I saw that the Noga Hilton is now the Palais Stephanie or something like that. The site of this hotel is where the old Palais des Festival was and was the hub of the Cannes film festival. Now the Palais des Festival is a few blocks away in a new building.

I will repeat what others have said, USNR is wrong. The beach in Cannes is sandy and pretty much as wide as it gets in this area. Don't rethink things. This is the best location for all your needs and won't disappoint. I would go for the Carlton mnyself even hearing about the need for some room renovation. The Carlton is the essence of Cannes to me.

SusanMata

Hi Chirstine,
I am planning a trip to Cannes and was considering Le Grande Hotel for my stay. Out of curiosity, where did you stay in Cannes and would you still recommend Le Grand Hotel?

Thanks so much,
Susan

stanleys

You did not mention when you are going and for how long?

If you are staying for a week or more there is a wonderful apartment building on the croisette that rents apartments by the week.

The Grand Hotel is as someone said primarily a residence with a small hotel area. The Grand Hotel Garden is on the Croisette but the Hotel rooms are set back 5o meters or so. Grand Hotel has good parking behind.

If you are interested in the apartment i can give you the website.

My preference is always the Carlton if not the apartment. Its in the center of things and if you will be there for July 14 the fete on the beach is wonderful.

Cannes is wonderful and you must go to La Pizza.

SusanMata

I will be in Cannes for 5 nights begining the 22 of May. The Carlton was my first choice but the last time I checked it was fully booked. Can you kindly send me the link for the apartments? Thanks so much!

stanleys

The apartment website is -
lareine.com

Underhill

The Carlton would be fine IF you splurge for a sea-front room; those at the back are smaller, and when we were there they were quite dated. The Martinez is known for its Art Deco style, quite unlike the other Cannes hotels.

La Pizza is down at the end of La Croisette, by the marina. The pizza there has to be one of the best in the world.

traveller1959

>>>Should I reconsider the Carlton too? Some of the trip advisor reviews said the rooms needed to be renovated and that scared me off.<<<

>>>Mr firends stayed at the Carlton in 2004 and it was a dream come true for her with no complaints.<<<

Many of the old luxury hotels have a couple of rooms which are surprisingly bad. These rooms are intended to accomodate the staff of the celebrities who should stay at the same hotel but not enjoy luxury.

As a regular traveller, there is a chance that you land in one of those substandard rooms, especially

- if you book via expedia or priceline or some other consolidator,

- if the hotel is otherwise sold out and you have to be lucky to get one of the leftovers (we more than once asked for a room and the reception said that they were fully booked and finally, under lots of apologies, they gave us such a substandard room and said that they normally do not rent this room, except when booked via expedia),

- if you appear for check-in and the receptionist assesses you as not worthy of the hotel.

This explains why the reviews on TA are so mixed. The Carlton, the Majestic, the Martinez are designed for millionaires who neither write nor read reviews on TA. If someone books via expedia and gets a substandard room and writes a negative review, so what?

When I get a bargain rate, I have no reason to complain. However, I get really angry when I book a superior room for a higher rate and then get a substandard room (this happened once at the Eden Palace in Montreux to us).

Tulips

The Grand is very close to the Carlton; in between Carlton and Martinez I think. I would definitely go for a seaview room at the Grand over a back view at another hotel, as the sea view in Cannes is really spectacular. The rooms in the back will overlook the railway (at Martinez at least). I did see that it was renovated completely, but have not been inside.

The Noga Hilton is still the Noga Hilton (at least it was last summer), also close to the Carlton on the Croisette; awful building, very standard, small rooms.

I would go for the sea view at the Grand; great location, the middle of the Croisette.

Wherever you stay, do have a meal at Mantel, Rue Antoine.