Le Majestic looks straight at the steps of the Palais des Festivals, and inside the Palais is the Casino Barrière Cannes Croisette, the busiest gaming house on the Côte d’Azur. This is the most urban, most sociable pairing in the guide: film-festival glamour by day, roulette and poker by night.
Rooms and suites
Le Majestic was built by Théo Petit, the architect of Le Normandy, and opened in 1926 on the site of an older hotel and two villas. It was extended in 1928, gained two storeys in 1965, and had its façades rebuilt in their Art Deco spirit in 1990. Recent renovations have focused on the suites and the sea-facing rooms, which are now bright, contemporary and pleasingly uncluttered, with pale woods, cream fabrics and balconies over the Croisette.
The difference between sea view and city view is enormous here, and the premium is worth paying if you can. City-side rooms are comfortable but ordinary. Soundproofing is good, which matters during the film festival in May and on summer weekends, when the Croisette buzzes until the small hours.
Dining and bars
The line-up at the time of research included Beefbar Cannes and Ciro’s Cannes, plus a poolside terrace and the Bar du Majestic, whose deep armchairs are the natural rendezvous before an evening at the Palais. The cooking is confident and cosmopolitan rather than regional. Breakfast is excellent, and the private beach restaurant is a fine place for a long lunch with the islands in view.
Spa and wellness
The spa offers holistic treatments, a sauna, a hammam and a gym, and the heated outdoor pool is one of the most sought-after on the Croisette. The private beach, with one of the longest pontoons on the seafront, adds water sports. Facilities are good rather than exceptional; the real wellness asset is the sea.
Service
Service is quick, multilingual and well drilled for celebrity traffic, though it can become brisk when the hotel is full. The concierge knows the casino, the Palais calendar and every restaurant on the Croisette. Families are well looked after, with a children’s club themed around art and cinema, which keeps the hotel from feeling like an adults-only party.
The town
Cannes is compact and walkable: the Croisette for promenading, the Old Port and Le Suquet for restaurants, rue d’Antibes for shopping and the Lérins Islands for a morning boat trip. The Palais des Festivals is literally across the road, which makes this the easiest casino commute in the guide. The trade-off is that the town rarely sleeps in high season.
