One bay, six districts, six stays
Cannes reads from west to east along the bay: La Bocca, Le Suquet and the Vieux Port, the centre around the rue d'Antibes, the Croisette, then the Pointe Croisette and the Palm Beach. Above, to the east, the hill of La Californie. Six districts, six different stays, and price gaps that sometimes come down to a single street.
Our view is clear-cut: for a first stay, sleep in the centre, between the rue d'Antibes and the Croisette. Everything is on foot, the station included, and you are not paying for the façade. The Croisette is a budget choice more than a location choice: one street back, you are in the same place. The other districts are chosen for a specific reason, which we give each time.
A note on method. We have not slept in any of the hotels mentioned. Addresses, categories and facilities come from the official websites or, where stated, from the regional tourism board's listings, checked in October 2026. This guide is the way in by district; to weigh up hotel, rental and home exchange, see our article on where to stay in Cannes.
Where to stay in Cannes, district by district
N° 01
Seafront · the most expensive
The boulevard lines up the town's four big five-stars: the Majestic at number 10, opposite the Palais des Festivals, the JW Marriott at 50, the Carlton at 58 and the Martinez at 73, the only hotel in Cannes to hold the official Palace distinction. Between them, smaller addresses such as the Mondrian, at 45, which lists 75 rooms. You choose a hotel on the Croisette in Cannes for the hotel's beach across the road and for the view over the bay, provided you have it written on the confirmation: many rooms face the city side. Avoid it if you are looking for quiet in May or August. Our comparison of the grand hotels of the Croisette covers all four.
N° 02
Everything on foot · our choice
Between the rue d'Antibes and the Croisette, the grid of streets locals call the Carré d'Or puts the station, the beaches, the Palais and the restaurants less than a quarter of an hour's walk away. This is where the three and four-stars with the best location-to-price ratio are found: Hôtel Molière and its 23 rooms at 5 rue Molière, Hôtel America at 16 rue Notre-Dame, Le Cristal Hôtel & Spa on the rond-point Duboys d'Angers, or OKKO Hotels at the foot of the station. The downside: lower floors on the street hear the traffic and the morning deliveries. Ask for a high floor or a courtyard room. See our selection of central hotels and the portrait of the rue d'Antibes.
N° 03
Old town · facing the port
West of the Palais, the Vieux Port and the hill of Le Suquet form the oldest Cannes, that of the Forville market and the sloping lanes. The hotels are at the bottom, not in the old town itself. Hôtel Splendid, 4 rue Félix Faure, lists 49 rooms facing the port and the Palais, with a published range of €88 to €280 (noted October 2026, to be confirmed). Hôtel & Spa Belle Plage, a five-star at 2 rue Brougham, gives its distance as 100 metres from the beach. Canopy by Hilton, 2 boulevard Jean Hibert, has 129 rooms according to the regional tourism board's listing. This is the district we would choose for a weekend for two, with restaurants on foot. The guide to Le Suquet and the old port describes the rest.
N° 04
Quiet · free beaches
At the end of the boulevard, past the Port Canto, the Croisette finishes on a residential cape. Allow about thirty minutes on foot from the Palais. A useful clarification: the Palm Beach is a complex of restaurants, beach and casino, not a hotel. You cannot sleep there. The area is made up of apartment buildings and rentals, with few hotels. The main one is Hôtel Juliana Cannes, 14 avenue de Madrid: a four-star with 165 rooms, an outdoor pool and a solarium, 400 metres from the Croisette according to the regional tourism board's listing. The public beaches of the boulevard Gazagnaire are just below. Few shops, few mid-range tables: this is the district for those who come for the sea and accept walking. The portrait of Palm Beach and Pointe Croisette says more.
N° 05
Families · small budgets
To the west, about four kilometres from the Vieux Port, La Bocca has its own postcode (06150), its own station and kilometres of free beaches. It is the cheapest district in the municipality. The ibis Cannes Plage La Bocca, 23 avenue Francis Tonner, has 53 rooms 100 metres from the beach and 3 kilometres from the Croisette; the tourist office listing gives it from €60 for a double room (2026 rates, varying by date). Further up, Hôtel Château de la Tour, 10 avenue Font de Veyre, has 34 rooms in grounds of 5,000 m², with an unheated outdoor pool open in season. It is not the right choice for two nights or for a congress: every trip to the centre becomes a train or bus journey. The portrait of Cannes La Bocca gives the access details.
N° 06
Hill · villas
La Californie, for a villa and a car
La Californie is the residential hill in the east of town, above the Pointe Croisette. It has villas, residences and views, and very few hotels: we have not verified any on the hill itself, and we would rather say so than name one at random. This is a district where you rent a house by the week, often as a group, and get around by car: the streets climb, shops are rare, and the beach is not at the bottom of the stairs. Keep it for long stays, as a group or a family, with a vehicle. For a hotel, come back down towards the Pointe Croisette or the eastern end of the boulevard.
What we avoid
What we avoid: choosing La Bocca or La Californie for a two-night weekend without a car. The room price drops, but every dinner in the centre costs a trip there, a trip back, and the urge to head home early. On a short stay, location is worth more than square metres.
What we also avoid: trusting the word "Cannes" on a listing. Le Cannet and Mandelieu-la-Napoule are neighbouring municipalities, not districts, and some addresses play on the confusion. Look at the postcode: 06400 for the centre, 06150 for La Bocca. Any other code and you are no longer in Cannes.
Finally, we do not book in the upper Suquet with big suitcases or a pushchair without looking at the map. The old town is on a slope, partly in steps, and cars cannot get everywhere. The hotels mentioned here are at the foot of the hill for that reason.
By season and by calendar
The right district changes with the season. In July and August, the free beaches of La Bocca and the Pointe Croisette come into their own, and the centre is noisy late. From November to March it is the reverse: sleep in the centre or near the Vieux Port, where the restaurants stay open and everything is done on foot.
During the Festival and the big trade shows, think in minutes to the Palais. Prices are multiplied by three to six in the centre and on the Croisette, and La Bocca then becomes a real fallback, one train stop away. Check our trade show and congress calendar before fixing your dates.
Where to stay in Cannes: frequent questions
Which district should you stay in for a first visit to Cannes?
The centre, between the rue d'Antibes and the Croisette. The station, the beaches, the Palais des Festivals and Le Suquet are less than a quarter of an hour away on foot, and three and four-star hotels there cost markedly less than on the boulevard.
Should you book a hotel on the Croisette in Cannes?
Only if you want the grand hotel experience: the beach across the road, the view over the bay, the service. For location alone, one street back is enough. On the Croisette, have the sea view written on your confirmation: not every room has it.
Which is the cheapest district to stay in Cannes?
Cannes La Bocca, to the west. The tourist office lists, for example, the ibis Cannes Plage La Bocca from €60 for a double room (2026 rates). Allow a train or bus journey to reach the centre.
Can you sleep at the Palm Beach in Cannes?
No. The Palm Beach, reopened in 2024, houses restaurants, a private beach and a casino, but no hotel. In the district, Hôtel Juliana Cannes, 14 avenue de Madrid, is a four-star with 165 rooms according to the regional tourism board's listing.
Where should a family stay in Cannes?
For a week on a tight budget, La Bocca and its free beaches. For a shorter stay, the centre or the Croisette, with a hotel that lists connecting rooms or a pool: our family hotel guide sets them out.
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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