Five Seas

For all the Riviera’s fame as a holiday destination, the boutique hotel revolution was a long time coming. Maybe it’s because the archetypal Cannes experience has always been about old-fashioned white-marble luxury. These days, however, the big old palaces are no longer the only game in town — smaller, more design-conscious hotels like the Five Seas Hotel Cannes are meeting the luxury hotels on their own terms.

It’s hard to see what exactly is lost, aside from a cavernous lobby and some neoclassical stonework. The Five Seas, though comprising just thirty rooms and fifteen suites, makes no compromises when it comes to creature comforts: the rooftop pool deck is a stylish oasis, the restaurant is overseen by Michelin-recognized chefs, and a variety of treatments are offered by the Spa by Phytomer, VIE Collection & Intraceuticals. There’s a private and very civilized beach club, in classic Cannes style, and if you wish to take the party out to sea, the Five Seas will happily reserve you one of its three yachts.

Rooms start out generously sized and just get bigger, up to the top suite with its enormous roof terrace and outdoor Jacuzzi. In all categories you’ll sleep in an immersive canopy bed, surrounded by all the technology you’ve come to expect from a high-end hotel. And when it’s time to roam you’re close by the Palais des Festivals, right off the Croisette, the quintessential Cannes experience at your feet.

Please note: The hotel closes seasonally from December 17 until January 30.