The Best Luxury Hotels in Cannes, Honestly Ranked
Four grande dames on one boulevard, a film festival that triples the rates, and the quieter addresses locals actually book.
By Biirdee Travel, Luxury Travel Concierge · Updated October 29, 2026
Cannes plays a different game from the rest of the French Riviera. Where Cap d'Antibes and Cap Ferrat trade in seclusion, Cannes trades in spectacle: four large grande dames lined along the Croisette, each with a private beach across the road, each built for being seen in. Nobody comes here for intimacy. They come for the boulevard, the beach clubs, the festival and the yachts in the Vieux Port.
That makes the choice unusually legible. You are picking a position on one street, a room category, and, critically, a week of the year. Get the week wrong and you pay triple for the same room.
The Short Answers
- Best overall: Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, the 1913 landmark reborn in 2023 with two new wings, a garden pool courtyard and 332 rooms.
- Best dining and Palace status: Hôtel Martinez, the 1929 Art Deco icon, Michelin-starred La Palme d'Or, and in June 2026 the first Cannes hotel ever awarded France's Palace distinction.
- Best for the festival: Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, directly opposite the Palais des Festivals, which during May is worth more than any room feature.
- Best value on the Croisette: Le Grand Hôtel; set back in its own gardens, mid-century modernist, quieter and consistently cheaper than its neighbours.
- Best small hotel: Five Seas, a boutique alternative off the boulevard with a rooftop pool, for travellers who find the grande dames too big.
- The week is the whole budget: film festival (May) and the yacht show (September) can triple rates. June and late September are the sweet spots.
The Croisette Grande Dames
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel
La Croisette, centre
9.4Excellent · 663 guest reviewsThe 1913 protected monument, reopened March 2023 after its first true overhaul: Tristan Auer interiors, two new garden wings, a courtyard pool and 332 rooms, 72 of them sea-facing
Guests praiseExceptional hospitalityDelicious food
from ~€700–1,200/night in season
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
from ~€700–1,200/night in season
Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes
La Croisette, opposite the Palais
9.0Excellent · 1,902 guest reviewsThe 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Guests praiseExcellent locationFriendly and professional staffHigh-quality amenities
from ~€600–1,100/night in season
Le Grand Hôtel
La Croisette, set back in gardens
The 1960s modernist outlier: low-rise, screened by its own park, the only Croisette hotel with real garden distance from the traffic; consistently the value play
from ~€400–700/night in season
Beyond the Grande Dames
Lower rates than the Carlton, the Martinez and the Majestic: the boutique Five Seas a block back, the JW Marriott on the Croisette and the Belle Plage in Le Suquet.
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
from ~€350–600/night in season
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
from ~€400–700/night in season
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
from ~€300–500/night in season
Rooftop pools in Cannes
The hotels we rank in Cannes whose pool is on the roof or on a high floor with an open view.
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
Rooftop pool
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
Rooftop pool
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Cannes for couples
The hotels we book in Cannes for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a weekend for two.
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
Spa
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
Rooftop pool
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
Cannes with children
The hotels we book in Cannes for a stay with children.
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Cannes on your own
The hotels we recommend in Cannes to a traveler on their own.
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Cannes on business
The hotels our business travelers book in Cannes.
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes
La Croisette, opposite the Palais
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Near the Croisette
The hotels we rank within a twenty-minute walk of the Croisette, with the walk from the door.
The 1913 protected monument, reopened March 2023 after its first true overhaul: Tristan Auer interiors, two new garden wings, a courtyard pool and 332 rooms, 72 of them sea-facing
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
1 min walk
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
1 min walk
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
1 min walk
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
12 min walk
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Near the Palais des Festivals
The hotels we rank within a twenty-minute walk of the Palais des Festivals, with the walk from the door.
The 1913 protected monument, reopened March 2023 after its first true overhaul: Tristan Auer interiors, two new garden wings, a courtyard pool and 332 rooms, 72 of them sea-facing
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
18 min walk
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
2 min walk
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
10 min walk
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
14 min walk
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Near Rue d'Antibes
The hotels we rank within a twenty-minute walk of Rue d'Antibes, with the walk from the door.
The 1913 protected monument, reopened March 2023 after its first true overhaul: Tristan Auer interiors, two new garden wings, a courtyard pool and 332 rooms, 72 of them sea-facing
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
6 min walk
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
1 min walk
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
4 min walk
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
12 min walk
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Near Cannes train station
The hotels we rank within a twenty-minute walk of Cannes train station, with the walk from the door.
The 1913 protected monument, reopened March 2023 after its first true overhaul: Tristan Auer interiors, two new garden wings, a courtyard pool and 332 rooms, 72 of them sea-facing
Hôtel Martinez
La Croisette, eastern end
18 min walk
The 1929 Art Deco grande dame: awarded France's Palace distinction in June 2026, the first Cannes hotel ever to hold it; La Palme d'Or holds one Michelin star, and this is the Croisette's most serious kitchen
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
4 min walk
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
10 min walk
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
18 min walk
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Near Notre-Dame-d'Espérance in Le Suquet
The hotels we rank within a twenty-minute walk of Notre-Dame-d'Espérance in Le Suquet, with the walk from the door.
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
12 min walk
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
20 min walk
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
4 min walk
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Near the Lérins Islands ferry
The hotels we rank within a twenty-minute walk of the Lérins Islands ferry, with the walk from the door.
The 1913 protected monument, reopened March 2023 after its first true overhaul: Tristan Auer interiors, two new garden wings, a courtyard pool and 332 rooms, 72 of them sea-facing
The 1926 Barrière flagship directly across from the Palais des Festivals: the festival hotel, with the industry's deal-making terrace and two private beaches; LHW member
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
11 min walk
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
18 min walk
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
6 min walk
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Under $500 a night
The hotels we rank in Cannes whose entry rate was under $500 a night when we last checked, in US dollars at Oct 2026 exchange rates.
Le Grand Hôtel
La Croisette, set back in gardens
about $460 a night
The 1960s modernist outlier: low-rise, screened by its own park, the only Croisette hotel with real garden distance from the traffic; consistently the value play
Five Seas Hotel
Rue Notre-Dame, one block back
about $410 a night
The boutique answer, around 45 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar over the old town, and a spa that punches above the hotel's size
JW Marriott Cannes
La Croisette, near the Carlton
about $460 a night
The big-brand Croisette option: rooftop pool, dependable rooms, and the best points-redemption value on the boulevard
Hôtel Belle Plage
Le Suquet, on the seafront west of the old port
about $350 a night
The old-town choice: reopened after a full renovation, an eighth-floor rooftop restaurant and bar facing the sea, walking distance to the Suquet's restaurants rather than the beach clubs
Cannes by neighborhood
Where the hotels we rank in Cannes sit, neighborhood by neighborhood.
| Neighborhood | Hotels |
|---|---|
| La Croisette | Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, Hôtel Martinez, Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes, JW Marriott Cannes |
How to Choose, and When to Come
If this is your only Riviera stop and you want the Cannes of the postcards, book the Carlton or the Martinez and pay for a sea view; the Croisette rooms are the product. If you are here for the festival or a Palais event, the Majestic's position opposite the entrance is worth more than any upgrade elsewhere. If you want to be in Cannes but not of it, Le Grand Hôtel's gardens or the Five Seas' rooftop will suit better, and both cost meaningfully less. For a couple, the Martinez and Five Seas: the Martinez for dinner at La Palme d'Or, its Michelin-starred restaurant, and its Carita spa; Five Seas for its rooftop infinity pool and Sothys spa. With children, the Majestic runs a kids club, Le Studio by Petit VIP, and offers babysitting, and the JW Marriott runs a kids club in July and August, with a heated pool on the roof. On your own, Five Seas keeps to 45 rooms a block from the Croisette, with its Lounge Bar and Le Roof restaurant up on the roof, and Belle Plage, in Le Suquet, has its bar on the eighth-floor rooftop and the old town's restaurants a short walk away. On business, the Majestic faces the Palais des Festivals, the town's convention center, and the Martinez has twelve meeting rooms, among them its ballroom, Le Festival.
Timing decides everything. The film festival (mid-May) and the Yachting Festival (September) are the two weeks the whole town reprices around: minimum-stay requirements, rates two to three times normal, and rooms gone six months out. June and the second half of September deliver the identical coast, warm water and no scrum. And Cannes makes a natural base for the wider coast: Antibes and Cap d'Antibes are 20 minutes east, Saint-Tropez about 90 minutes west by road.
Cannes Hotel FAQs
What is the best hotel in Cannes?
The Carlton after its 2023 rebuild is the most complete hotel on the Croisette, and the Martinez is the one with Palace distinction and the best kitchen. Pick the Carlton for the rooms and the courtyard, the Martinez for dining and the Art Deco theatre of the place. Note that Cannes had no Palace hotel at all until the Martinez was awarded one in June 2026; see the Riviera's Palace hotels explained.
Where should I stay during the Cannes Film Festival?
The Majestic, opposite the Palais des Festivals, if you can get it; proximity is the amenity in May. Book six to twelve months ahead, expect minimum-stay rules and rates two to three times normal, and consider staying in Antibes or Nice and driving in if the budget will not stretch.
How much do Cannes hotels cost?
Croisette grande dames generally run about €600–1,200 a night in summer, with the smaller and set-back hotels from roughly €300–700. Festival and yacht-show weeks break those ranges entirely.
Do Cannes hotels have private beaches?
Yes. The Croisette hotels each run a private beach club across the road, with loungers, service and a restaurant. Access is usually a paid extra rather than included, so ask what your rate covers before you arrive.
Which hotels in Cannes have a rooftop pool?
Five Seas Hotel and JW Marriott Cannes have a pool on the roof or on a high floor with an open view.
Which hotels in Cannes are best for couples?
For a couple we book Hôtel Martinez and Five Seas Hotel.
Where should a family stay in Cannes?
With children we book Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes and JW Marriott Cannes. Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes has a kids club and offers babysitting.
Which hotels in Cannes suit a solo traveler?
On your own, we book Five Seas Hotel and Hôtel Belle Plage.
Which hotels in Cannes are best for a business trip?
On business we book Hôtel Martinez and Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes.
Which hotels are near the Croisette?
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel (1 min walk), Hôtel Martinez (1 min walk), Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes (1 min walk), Five Seas Hotel (1 min walk), JW Marriott Cannes (1 min walk) and Hôtel Belle Plage (12 min walk) are within a twenty-minute walk of the Croisette.
Which hotels are near the Palais des Festivals?
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel (12 min walk), Hôtel Martinez (18 min walk), Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes (3 min walk), Five Seas Hotel (2 min walk), JW Marriott Cannes (10 min walk) and Hôtel Belle Plage (14 min walk) are within a twenty-minute walk of the Palais des Festivals.
Which hotels are near Rue d'Antibes?
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel (4 min walk), Hôtel Martinez (6 min walk), Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes (3 min walk), Five Seas Hotel (1 min walk), JW Marriott Cannes (4 min walk) and Hôtel Belle Plage (12 min walk) are within a twenty-minute walk of Rue d'Antibes.
Which hotels are near Cannes train station?
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel (12 min walk), Hôtel Martinez (18 min walk), Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes (6 min walk), Five Seas Hotel (4 min walk), JW Marriott Cannes (10 min walk) and Hôtel Belle Plage (18 min walk) are within a twenty-minute walk of Cannes train station.
Which hotels are near Notre-Dame-d'Espérance in Le Suquet?
Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes (13 min walk), Five Seas Hotel (12 min walk), JW Marriott Cannes (20 min walk) and Hôtel Belle Plage (4 min walk) are within a twenty-minute walk of Notre-Dame-d'Espérance in Le Suquet.
Which hotels are near the Lérins Islands ferry?
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel (20 min walk), Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes (12 min walk), Five Seas Hotel (11 min walk), JW Marriott Cannes (18 min walk) and Hôtel Belle Plage (6 min walk) are within a twenty-minute walk of the Lérins Islands ferry.
What does a luxury hotel in Cannes cost a night?
Four of the hotels we rank in Cannes start under $500 a night: Le Grand Hôtel from about $460, Five Seas Hotel from about $410, JW Marriott Cannes from about $460 and Hôtel Belle Plage from about $350 (US dollars at Oct 2026 exchange rates).
Which neighborhood in Cannes should I stay in?
Of the hotels we rank in Cannes, La Croisette has Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, Hôtel Martinez, Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes and JW Marriott Cannes.
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