A Blissful Stay At Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes

Visiting the French Riviera has always been at the top of my travel bucket list. It was a destination that was so high up, but I knew I would only get the chance to visit when I had “made it”. Especially, as the region drips in luxury from start to end, each of the towns attracts the same kind of luxury travellers. You can spot Gucci and Chanel on every street corner as if it were the fashion-alternative of Pret in London. Beyond the luxurious stores, you will find some of the most luxe hotels known to man, especially in Cannes, residing along the famous Croisette, overlooking the multi-shade blue waters and the many multi-million pounds superyachts. Not forgetting the annual Cannes Film Festival that attracts many celebrities and high-profilers to the red carpet, taking Cannes to the next level. If you’re a traveller that loves a bit of glitz and glamour, Cannes is definitely the perfect destination for you.

Being invited to experience Cannes for myself was a total pinch-me moment, and better yet, stay at one of Cannes most sort after five-star luxury hotels, Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes. Want to know why it’s the hotspot of the coastal town? Let’s find out.

First impressions

Arriving into the hotel driveway via our airport transfer from Nice Airport, I was greeted with a modern, white-washed facade, that instantly screamed luxury, or maybe it was the number of supercars parked out in the front, ready for their valet parking spot. The five-star service began from the minute we stepped out of the car, with multiple bellboys at hand to help, and take care of our luggage.

Stepping into the hotel, you got a real glimpse of the true opulence at Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes – low hanging lights, gleaming marble floors and well turned out receptionists ready to assist with check-in.

Bedrooms

I was kindly given a junior suite with a sea view room, with a panoramic perspective of Cannes for miles. The room was enormous, with a super-king size bed (what did I say, everything in Cannes needs a “super” in front, as they don’t half do things there) which was large enough to fit four adults.

To the left of my bed, was the balcony doors that house a duo of sun loungers and a breakfast table, perfect for room-service breakfast and a private spot to lounge, with direct sunlight hitting the balcony throughout the day.

The room was well equipped with a large flat screen television, desk with various bar snacks and other amenities to make our even more comfortable. The hotel had kindly left us a welcome gift of a portable charger and a beach towel in their very own branded denim beach bag – so chic.

If that wasn’t enough of a welcome, they even left us a couple of freshly baked cakes, a plate of strawberries, a selection of water bottles and a bottle of fruit pulp. Glorious.

Moving onto the bathroom, I was completely blown away. I’m a sucker for a luxurious bathroom, especially one that is the size of an average central London apartment. Glistening black marble surrounded the bathroom, with a large vanity mirror that perfectly covered the whole wall, with two sinks below. To the left, there was a full-length mirror (perfect for outfit shots, if you get my vibe) followed by a spacious built-in cubicle style shower and a large bathtub. You can say goodbye to taking in turns to shower, with two sinks and shower options, two people can shower at the same time.

If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for a celebrity too.

Spa & Gym

The gorgeous Spa Diane Barrière is a small slice of heaven within the hotel. It’s the perfect opportunity to escape and get some “me time” in an extremely zen and luxurious setting. The treatments here go beyond any ordinary treatment, as each therapy is tailored to what you need.

In my case, I required a treatment that would help me feel calm and revitalised. I was recommended a full body massage, with a focus on back, shoulders and lower legs as main action points.

During my treatment consultation, I was given the opportunity to take charge of my treatment with a choice of four massage oils to use. I opted for coconut as it provided deep skin nourishment for my naturally dehydrated skin.

The second choice was what lotion I wanted — this was used to provide a relaxing scent pre-treatment and used the pressure point procedure. I opted for the lily scent, giving a fresh floral scent to my treatment. I would definitely recommend trying a spa treatment at Spa Diane Barrière when staying in Cannes.

If spa treatments aren’t your thing, but a quick endorphin boost is more up your street, Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes has a well-furnished gym, with an array of weight machines, cardio machines and on-site personal trainers available for private or group sessions. What more could you want?

Outdoor Facilities

A visit to Cannes would not be complete without a dip in the sea of lounging around by the pool. Luckily Hotel Barrière Le Majestic has a gorgeous full-length pool, with numerous sun loungers enabling you to get your sun-kissed glow.

If you’re not one for sharing, the hotel’s most prestigious suite, the Majestic suite has it’s very own rooftop full-length pool, but it may set you back by 45,000 euros per night.

If you prefer to be at one with nature instead, you can dive into the deep blue Meditteranean sea, or feel the golden sand under feet, there is the option to spend the day out on the hotel’s private beach.

Dining: From Dusk to Dawn

Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes takes pride in using locally sourced ingredients in all the food produced within the kitchens. A lot of the vegetable produce comes from the local producers at “Marché Forville” which we had the opportunity to visit. Their produce is sun-drenched to perfection, where you can find some of the freshest and sweetest fruit known to man. There are also fishmongers selling their morning catch. The fish is so fresh, you can often find it still trying to catch it’s last few breaths on the crushed-ice filled tables.

If you get the opportunity to visit, make sure you try a few of the local delicacies, such as Socca which is a type of thin, unleavened crêpe made using a chickpea flour, before being roasted in a clay oven.

As a part of our experience, we had a cooking masterclass with the head chef, Antoine using ingredients sourced from the local market. We prepared asparagus and smoked grapefruit salad with citric greek yoghurt with a touch of mint. Step by step, Chef Antoine took us through the whole experience, from various cooking techniques such as reducing the bitterness of the asparagus, and the blanching process. Eventually leaving us with a lemon vinaigrette, mention citrus yoghurt, sliced green apple and chargrilled white & green asparagus to create a refreshing salad, with a sweet and tangy twist.

It’s safe to say i’m not going to be a food stylist anytime soon, but it tasted so good nonetheless!

The hotel itself has three main outlets to dine, all of which serves lunch and dinner:

Fouquet’s Cannes

Fouquet’s offers a Parisian style brasserie atmosphere, but with a luxurious twist. You can find some typical French dishes, such as Foie Gras, a selection of fresh fishes, beef tartare and some of the best selections of meats in Cannes. Fouquet’s has both indoor and outdoor seating, which makes it perfect if you want a post-swim lunch, acting as a poolside restaurant too.

I would recommend the burrata for starters, lemon sole for mains and tiramisu for dessert.

Fouquet’s is also where breakfast is served. There is a full buffet with cooked breakfast selections right through to a large selection of fruit, cakes, cereals and even a selection of champagnes to start your day with a mimosa or two.

If you prefer having breakfast in the privacy of your room, sitting out on the balcony with the sun on your face and a gorgeous view of the Croisette, I would recommend it. The room-service breakfast menu is substantial, with a range of set breakfast menus, through to a la carte options.

La Petit Maison de Nicole

La Petit Maison de Nicole offers a different kind of dining experience with more of a focus on Mediterranean cuisine, with rich flavours and fantastic aromas. You can expect fine-dining but in sublime comfort, a selection of colourful plates and a touch of live music by the hotel’s rotating live bands — leaving you a night to remember, swaying to some of your favourite tunes.

I would recommend sharing a range of different starters, before moving onto the individual dishes. I’m not a huge fan of prawns or seafood generally, but the warm prawns, olive oil, lemon and basil are really good. I would also recommend trying the purple artichoke salad with anchovies, tomatoes & rocket, Burrata with tomatoes, basil and olive oil, zucchini flower fritters with tomato and basil sauce and the veal stuffed vegetables, tomato and basil sauce.

For the mains, I went for the black Angus beef tenderloin with pepper sauce, with a side of asparagus and their silky mashed potato. So delicious!

BFire by Mauro Colagreco

BFire represents the concept of the restaurant and of course the Barrière brand. The “Fire” part links to how everything is cooked, by wood fire. Mauro Colagreco brings a piece of his Argentinian roots to Cannes using seasonal ingredients and grilling everything to perfection. You can find gourmet food, with the comfort of the private beach being a few steps away. It’s the next best thing to a romantic dinner for two by the water.

When you’re out in the sun, sometimes you just want a glass of ice-cold rosé and a bowl of pasta. And, that’s exactly what I had. The spaghetti arrabiata was second to none, with so much flavour. I would also recommend the lemon tart and strawberries & cream for dessert if you’re feeling something sweet.

The overall experience at Hotel Barrière Le Majestic

From the beginning to the end, my stay at Le Majestic was exactly that. Majestic. They went above and beyond to make me feel like a royal guest at their hotel. From the small touches such as leaving a small biscuit on my pillow every night to allowing me to order breakfast to my room instead for no extra charge, to acquiring a balloon for my blog’s sixth birthday in less than ten minutes of my request. They really know how to look after their guests. The food in all their restaurants are fantastic, the views are spectacular, my bed was one of the comfiest hotel beds I have ever slept on too. I would happily stay at Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cannes.