For ten days, brands and celebrities will occupy the biggest hotels in Cannes. Carlton, Majestic, Martinez, Marriott… If all these names evoke prestige, it is the result of meticulous preparation work.
Everything has to be perfect for the big day. The palaces of Cannes have a reputation to maintain. Luxury and discretion are the watchwords of these sumptuous hotels that line the Croisette.
At the Carlton, the 2023 edition of the Cannes Film Festival is special. Closed for two years for renovation, the Cannes palace, built in 1911, is once again welcoming the most big red carpet stars and their luxury sponsors.
The colossal work carried out on the Carlton is estimated at more than 300 million euross. Everything had to be rethought. This is the case, for example, of the “Alfred Hitchcock suite”. “The Hitchcock suite has been completely modified, but has kept its spirit of yesteryear as the facade is classified as a historical monument“, details Michel Bertrand, employee at the hotel.
This sequel has a particular resonance, when we know that the master of suspense stayed and even shot a film – The Hand at the Collar in 1955 – in which we see the Carlton.
At the Majestic too, the rooms are being given a facelift for the Festival. The private suite located at the very top of the palace is estimated at 40,000 euros per nudeit (with private pool all the same).
But for the Festival, it will be rented completely empty!
Sophie Bouche, Director of Facilities and Head Housekeeper of the Hotel Majestic Barrière explains:
Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton… Everything luxury is here. When they rent a suite, I turn everything upside down. I remove everything, I leave absolutely nothing to welcome the new decorators who will change from floor to ceiling.
Sophie Bouche, head housekeeper of the Majestic Barrière hotel.
Of the Majestic’s 53 suites, 52 are emptied, repainted and refurbished in showrooms for jewelers or haute couture houses.
And all this little world, it must be fed! In the kitchen, we think, we design, we test creations specially designed for the Festival. Pierrick Cizeron, executive chef of the Majestic tastes the dishes after having prepared them forensure their quality. “We really work a lot upstream so that during the festival period everything is set up”, he explains. He adds : “We only have seasonal products that are as local as possible.”
Those who have no choice but to go “in season” in palaces are the florists. Less known than chefs, florists have to go through this to embellish the sumptuous entrance halls of Cannes palaces.
Since two months, six florists work full time at the Carlton Hotel.
“Every two days the flowers are renewed”, explains Laëtitia Delonglee, director of the “flower” workshop at the Carlton. “Arrived the day before, the flowers are peeled, treated and put in the fridge in clean water so that they remain pretty as long as possible in the hotel”she explains. A cold room is dedicated to the conversation of flowers.
“We must have finished working before 7 a.m. every day, so that the hotel is perfect for the arrival of customers”, says Rose, florist at the Carlton. An almost military discipline for an irreproachable top-of-the-range standing.