Four hotels, one word, and an official list
In Cannes, four hotels get called a "palace": the Carlton, the Martinez, the Majestic and the JW Marriott. All four are five-star hotels lined up along the same kilometre of boulevard, between number 10 and number 73 on the Croisette. But the word has an official meaning, and that meaning covers only one of them.
Since 2 June 2026, the Hôtel Martinez has held the Palace distinction awarded by Atout France. It is the first hotel in Cannes to receive it since the label was created in 2010, and the only one to date. The Carlton, the Majestic and the JW Marriott are not on the list: they are five-star hotels, which is hardly an insult. Our view is clear-cut: the label is a good marker, not a reason to choose. What really changes a stay is where the hotel sits on the boulevard and why you are coming.
A note on method. We have not slept in any of these four hotels. This comparison relies on their official websites, press releases and the trade press, checked in 2026. Each hotel has its own detailed entry on our site: the links are in the text.
The four grand hotels of the Croisette, compared
N° 01
The label
"Palace": what the word means in France
The French hotel classification stops at five stars. Above that, Atout France, the state tourism development agency, has since 2010 awarded a Palace distinction to five-star hotels judged exceptional for their history, location and service. The 2026 list counts 33 palaces across the country. In Cannes, just one: the Martinez, distinguished in June 2026. The practical consequence: if a comparison site sells you a "palace in Cannes" that is not at 73 boulevard de la Croisette, it is using the word in its everyday sense. That is not a lie, it is a usage. Just know which one you are paying for.
N° 02
Official Palace · 73 Croisette
73 boulevard de la Croisette, at the eastern end. Opened in 1929, it is the Art Deco address on the boulevard, operated by Hyatt under The Unbound Collection brand. Its June 2026 press release gives 410 rooms and suites. On site, according to the hotel: two restaurants, including La Palme d'Or, one Michelin star since 2025 under Jean Imbert, a garden with a pool named L'Oasis, a Carita spa and, across the road, La Plage du Martinez with its jetty. It is about one kilometre from the Palais des Festivals: far enough to escape the thick of the crowd, close enough to walk. A press report from June 2026 puts the deluxe room from around €840 a night before tax, to be confirmed for your dates.
N° 03
5 stars · 58 Croisette
58 boulevard de la Croisette. Opened in 1911, it is the façade with the two domes that everyone has in mind. The hotel, now under the Regent brand, reopened in March 2023 after two years closed for restoration, with 332 rooms and suites. The real change is at the back: two new wings frame a garden and a pool that did not exist before. For sleeping, we would ask for a garden-side room rather than one on the boulevard. Across the road, the hotel's beach has its own entry, the Carlton Beach Club. It is our choice for a big occasion for two: it says "Cannes" with no explanation needed.
N° 04
5 stars · 10 Croisette
10 boulevard de la Croisette, opposite the Palais des Festivals. Built between 1923 and 1926, it turns one hundred in 2026. The Barrière group lists 335 rooms and suites, an outdoor pool heated to 27 °C all year and a 450 m² spa. The beach became Ciro's Cannes in 2025. It is also the best organised for families: the Kid's Club takes children aged 4 to 12. Two things to know: 140 rooms have been redone in two years, so ask whether yours is one of them, and the buffet breakfast is listed at €50 per person if it is not included. For a congress week, crossing the street instead of crossing town is a real gain. For a quiet weekend, it is the most exposed spot on the boulevard.
N° 05
5 stars · 50 Croisette
50 boulevard de la Croisette, on the site of the former Palais des Festivals. The hotel has carried the JW Marriott name since 2011; it was previously called Palais Stéphanie. The regional tourism board's listings give it 261 or 262 rooms depending on the page. What sets it apart: an outdoor pool on the roof, a terrace facing the bay and an 820-seat theatre, inherited from the site. The façade is contemporary: if you are looking for a 1911 or 1929 setting, it is not here. It is the most predictable of the four, which for a working week is a quality. Check that the roof is open on your dates: it is seasonal.
N° 06
How to choose
Four questions, in this order
One. Why are you coming? For the Palais morning and evening: Majestic, then JW Marriott. For the hotel itself: Carlton or Martinez. Two. Where do you want to be on the boulevard? The numbers speak: 10 is opposite the Palais, 50 and 58 are in the middle, 73 is to the east and quieter. Three. Which pool? Heated all year at the Majestic, in a garden at the Carlton and the Martinez, on the roof at the JW Marriott. Four. Does the label matter to you? If so, the answer is the Martinez, and there is no other. In every case, have "sea view" written on the confirmation: none of the four has only bay-facing rooms.
What we avoid
What we avoid: paying for the word. An entry-level city-side room in any of these four hotels looks onto a street or a courtyard, not the Mediterranean. At that price, a four-star in the centre gives you a better room: see our central hotels one street from the Croisette.
What we also avoid: assuming the beach is included. Each of the grand hotels runs a beach across the road, but the sunbed is usually extra and has to be booked. At the Martinez, the press noted in 2026 a sunbed from €57 a day depending on the row. At the Majestic, the beach closes during certain congresses. Ask before you pay for the room.
Finally, we do not come in May or during a major trade show unless we have to. The four hotels then run to the rhythm of delegations, the ground floors are partly privatised and rates are multiplied by three to six. The same building, in November, finally lets itself be looked at.
When to go, and what to ask
The window we would choose: November to March, outside congresses. That is when a five-star on the Croisette falls into the €400 to €800 a night bracket of our hotel guide, and when the staff have time. The Majestic's pool is heated all year; rooftops and some beaches are seasonal. April, June outside Cannes Lions and September remain good months, at a higher price.
Before booking, check the Palais calendar. Rates at these four hotels follow the trade shows far more than the weather: our trade show and congress calendar gives the dates. Then ask four things in writing: the exact category, the orientation, whether the room has been renovated, and what is included (breakfast, pool, beach).
Cannes palace hotels: frequent questions
Which is the only official palace hotel in Cannes?
The Hôtel Martinez, 73 boulevard de la Croisette. Atout France awarded it the Palace distinction on 2 June 2026. It is the first Cannes hotel to receive it since the label was created in 2010, and the only one to date.
Is the Carlton in Cannes a palace?
In the everyday sense, yes: everyone calls it one. In the official sense, no: the Carlton is a five-star hotel and is not on Atout France's 2026 list of palaces. The same goes for the Majestic and the JW Marriott.
Which grand hotel on the Croisette is closest to the Palais des Festivals?
The Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, at 10 boulevard de la Croisette, is opposite the Palais. The JW Marriott (50) and the Carlton (58) are in the middle of the boulevard. The Martinez (73) is about one kilometre away.
How much does a night in a 5-star hotel on the Croisette cost?
Rates change daily. Our guide places a five-star on the Croisette between €400 and €800 or more a night off season, with prices multiplied by three to six during the Festival and Cannes Lions. For the Martinez, the press noted in June 2026 a deluxe room from around €840 before tax. Confirm on each hotel's website.
Which one for a weekend for two?
We would choose the Carlton for a big occasion, garden side, or the Martinez for the architecture and the relative calm of the eastern end of the boulevard. The Majestic and the JW Marriott make more sense for a stay tied to the Palais.
IT Digital entrepreneur · Cannes local
2026-10-10 · 7 min read
Prices, opening hours and addresses change. Spotted an error or something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
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