Inside Cannes itself, there is still room at the 5-star Palais Stéphanie (renovated only recently). You’re on the Croisette in total luxury, so expect to pay for that. There’s also a cheap new arrival, the Cannes Gallia. Great prices, but if I read the reviews properly, you’d be well advised to bring ear plugs (which if you think of it, are cheaper than staying at the Stéphanie).

Just outside town, the Avangani Resort is about a 20 minute-walk from the Palais. Walk along the seafront, it’s very invigorating in the morning. There are also regular buses for just €1.

To see the selection, visit our booking engine.

For groups, you might be better served in an apartment. Drop a message below and I’ll get back to you with ideas.

Here are our hotel tips for the Cannes Film festival. We’ve chosen central hotels within walking distance of the Croisette. There are other availabilities, either further down the Croisette or in outlying Cannes La Bocca and Juan-les-Pins. Check availability in our search engine at right >>.

• Anna Livia (1 room, very central). C
• Cavendish: 7-10 min walk to the Palais (2 rooms)
• Cezanne: 10 min walk, (2 rooms)
• Cannes Croisette Prestige residence: 5 min walk to Croisette (several rooms)
• Eden Hotel: 5 min walk (on Rue d’Antibes!). Listed as 4-star, I’d say 3-star (photo).

If you are travelling with two or more people, it might be worth considering a studio or apartment.

Why is this a good deal? You get very easy access to the Palais and Croisette for the duration of the festival in a comfortable hotel. Compared to standard rates, you are getting at least €300 in reduction, plus benefits.

What do I have to do to get it? Easy, just sign up for the Cannes or Bust newsletter (below). Your code will be included in the next issue!


The event is being held at the stylish Royal Casino, Av. Général de Gaulle 605 in Mandelieu. For details, visit Open de France. Our tip: if you’re playing, you’ll want to stay somewhere in Mandelieu. However, you might not necessarily want to book for the while time in advance unless you intend to stay the whole time!

So why get the news straight to your inbox as well ? Because Twitter is the instant media. Instantly there and gone just as fast. You miss things. You might want to get news about the apartments where you set the price (real offer). Or flash ticket sales from airlines. Or the apartment rental company that offered a free pass for every five people (real offer). Or last-minute hotel deals for Midem, MIPIM, MIPCOM or the festival. We don’t sell your address and you can opt-out at any time. The downside? There isn’t one! Sign up below.

]]> http://cannes-or-bust.com/2009/12/cannes-news-and-tips-to-your-desk/feed/ 1 http://cannes-or-bust.com/2009/10/the-majestic-new-wing/ http://cannes-or-bust.com/2009/10/the-majestic-new-wing/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:00:31 +0000 admin http://cannes-or-bust.com/?p=979 At a cost of some €70 million, the Hotel Majestic Barrière is in the process of completing a second wing in front of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. The idea is to build it in the style of the existing east wing, increasing the number of rooms to 350 (an extra 9,000m²). The current work involved placing a giant croissant-shaped mould to replicate that of the famous Presidential suite. It was lifted in by crane, (over the heads of striking workers).

The renovation will be completed in the spring. It’s worth noting that the hotel, which recently earned its fifth star, will be closed for renovations between December 18 and February 13.

If you just need a room for one or two people, check hotels for Mipcom 2009. Most of the inner-city hotels are pretty full, but there are great deals to be had in Cannes La Bocca, Juan-les-Pins and Antibes. Follow us on Twitter or via RSS for updates about deals for MIPCOM and MIDEM in January.

The 3-star Strelitizias Hotel is located behind a leafy park in Juan-les-Pins, just off the Boulevard Raymond Poincaré. We paid a special rate of just €90 for a two people, although the average rate of about €120 is still good value. The building is smart, with palm trees and a fountain out front. The reception is just off the large dining and breakfast room. The staff were helpful, speaking French and English where necessary.

The real surprise came in the room, which featured a small corridor with closets that led to a large bright bedroom. In our case, we had a view of the park, which was fine, although the sound of traffic was very clear when the windows were opened. Overall, the room was very comfortable with a feeble WiFi connection that was enough to check e-mail, etc. We skipped breakfast, which was pricy, as I also prefer grabbing breakfast over the market dailies inside the Palais each morning.

People that stay outside Cannes wonder about getting back at night. Les Strelitzias is about a 10-minute walk to the railway station of Juan-les-Pins, which lies on routes 03a ad 04r. During the day, there are trains roughly every 20 minutes. But it’s worth picking up a timetable in the station to make sure you allow enough time. Getting to the Palais from Cannes station takes about 10 minutes. The last train back to Juan-les-Pins is currently just before midnight.

What’s more, the hotel can be reached straight from Nice airport by bus n° 200, which continues on to Cannes. This is a great deal if you get in after 8pm and baulk at the idea of paying €90 or more for a taxi. Two downsides: it’s hard to know where to get off and this is the local bus. So it takes well over an hour to get to Juan-les-Pins. A timetable can be found at reception. The nearest bus stop is “Jardin Pauline” in front of a park, after “Régence”. Ask about the availability of night buses to and from Cannes.

OVERALL: If you’re willing to travel in the morning, Les Strelitzias is warmly recommended for a comfortable stay. In case you are wondering, a strelitiza is a South American flower (my first guess was an Austrian count).

Our advice for people feeling the pinch is obviously to leave the major hotels on the Croisette to people that are not paying their own way. What does that leave you with? Well, the very best deals are to be had in Cannes La Bocca and Golfe Juan/Juan-les-Pins. Both are easy to reach by bus (20 minutes) or train (about 7 minutes!) and have a range of 1-4 star hotels at much better rates.

We recently stayed at Les Strelitzias, a 3-star with large rooms for under €90 for two per night. Admittedly, this was a super-duper budget deal (current rate at just over €100 is still a good deal). Another option is to share with three to four people in the many “résidences”, or self-catering apartments. Most are not exactly luxury. But you’ll be spending all your time in town anyway, so who cares? We’ve stayed at Villa Francia and Cannes Beach (both in La Bocca) and have heard good things about France Résidence (Juan-les-Pins). Check this link for good hotel deals for Cannes Lions.

For specific questions, leave a comment.

A quick look at a few hotels, gave prices from €455 (Hotel Thomas) to €5200 (Villa Garbo – much closer, much nicer) for four nights. As ever, the best value is outside town in La Bocca, with the Residhotel Cannes Festival posting rates of €472. All prices are single, with only a few rooms left per hotel.

To check availability, check Cannes hotels for Mipim.