The Sunday Times - UK (2022-05-22)

The Sunday Times May 22, 2022 5

Travel Côte d'Azur

The Huppert penthouse, left,

at Hotel Martinez, above;

guests have included Robert

Pattinson and Julia Roberts

T

he hairdryer’s
roaring, almost
drowning out my
make-up artist’s
instructions:
“Ouvrez la bouche, Madame.
Fermez les yeux,” she purrs,
flicking my face with various
brushes. When I’m finally
allowed to open my heavily
mascaraed eyes again, it’s to
a perfect evening view from
the vast terrace of the Isabelle
Huppert penthouse on the
seventh floor of the Hotel
Martinez.
Across the road at the
Martinez beach club (the
largest in town), staff collect
the dregs of champagne
left by the day’s sun
worshippers. Beyond, the
water on the Bay of Cannes
sparkles like Catherine
Deneuve’s cleavage at the
Césars. Below, Cannes’ fabled
main drag — La Croisette —
is teeming with joggers,
blonde-highlighted, walnut-
skinned women in white jeans
walking pomeranians, and

influencers pouting for selfies.

Cannes’ 75th film festival

kicked off last week, beginning

12 days of joyful, unabashed

va-va-voom. After 2020’s

cancellation and 2021’s

subdued July affair, the town’s

delight at the return of the

biggest event of its kind in the

world is palpable.

“Tom Cruise is coming for

Top Gun: Maverick, but it’s a

secret,” I’m told by everyone

from the glamorous,

miniskirted helicopter pilot

who flies us to Cannes from

Nice airport in a matter of

minutes to the personal

shoppers in Christian Dior and

Chanel, who remain warm and

gossipy even as my minuscule

spending power emerges.

CANNES’

one would make a luggage

cupboard. The other is set up

for our couple’s massage,

courtesy of the new Carita spa,

a treatment that leaves James

so blissed out he starts

snoring. I find it hilarious;

his masseuse is thrilled at the

implied compliment.

There’s also a kitchen in

which our private dinner

(presided over by our butler

and sommelier) is given its

finishing touches by

Christian Sinicropi, the

passionate chef of the

hotel’s Palme d’Or

restaurant, the only

restaurant in town

with two Michelin stars.

There’s plenty of

Blumenthalian theatrics

with pipettes and dishes

such as prawns with

mimosa and a blend of

mascarpone and milk

chocolate, followed by

trout with an algae chaser —

far tastier than they sound.

Only a select few can stay in

Isabelle Huppert (bookings are

done directly through

management, with prices

strictly on request but clearly

five-figure). But after Chopard

evicts us, we’re more than

happy with our sea-view

suite decorated in tasteful

ornaments, with fresh white

roses everywhere and an

all-important Riviera

panorama.

After a £128 million

refurbishment since joining

the Hyatt exclusive Unbound

Collection, the hotel’s guests

who once looked out over the

ballroom rooftop can now

survey the newly planted

garden, with heated lap pool,

juice bar, spa and gym, all

enveloped in lush vegetation.

The hotel is not alone in its

big facelift. Cannes may still

have only 70,000 residents,

but it has changed completely

since I last visited as a baby

reporter 25 years ago. Then

I stayed in a Novotel miles out

on the ring road and my bag,

containing all documents

and cash, was stolen in a disco.

The festival was glamorous

but the tiny beach was filthy

and the town itself shabby

and polluted. Since then

millions have been spent

cupboard.

for our cou

courtesy of

a treatmen

so blissedo

snoring. If

his masseu

implied co

There’s

which our

(presided

and som

finishing

Christia

passion

hotel’s

restau

restau

with

Ther

Blum

with

such

mim

masc

choco

trout w

far tasti

Only

Isabelle

donedir

manage

strictly

five-figu

evictsu

happy

suite d

ornam

roses e

all-imp

panora

After

refurbi

the Hya

Collect

who on

ballroo

survey

garden

juice b

envelo

The

big fac

haveo

but ith

i

firm that is taking over the

new Isabelle Huppert

penthouse and the

interconnecting Thierry

Frémaux for the duration.

They’re named,

respectively, for the

superstar French actress

and the festival’s

longstanding boss. Both

spaces are designed by

Pierre-Yves Rochon, the

man behind such hotels

as the Savoy and the

Paris Georges V.

Together they cover

13,455 sq ft, creating

one of Europe’s

largest suites.

The Huppert

alone is not

a suite for the

agoraphobic.

The distance from

the sitting room,

flanked by panoramic

bay windows, to the master

bedroom is so great (past the

lobby, dining room and

dressing room), that my

husband, James, can’t hear

my calling — OK, bellowing

— to alert him when his

phone rings.

We’ve been staying half

a day before I discover the

existence of a whole extra

wing, with staff entrance and

double bedroom with en suite.

Two other rooms appear to

serve no purpose, but I deduce

Staff at the Martinez, at 93

the oldest of the Croisette’s

super-luxe hotels, are used to

fielding A-list guests. Their

discretion means we don’t

know who the hotel will

imminently be hosting,

but Bruce Willis, Scarlett

Johansson, Robert Pattinson

and Gwyneth Paltrow, plus

entourages, have previously

occupied its 410 rooms.

Still, it seems a safe bet

that — even with no film to

promote — Julia Roberts will be

enjoying the same

seventh-storey

view as me,

as a face of

Chopard,

the luxury

jewellery

The last time Julia Llewellyn Smith was in

Cannes for the film festival, it was budget hotels

all the way. This time it’s the grandest A-list pad

overthe

ert

hierry

uration.

e

actress

Both

d by

n, the

hotels

he

er

eating

pe’s

tes.

uppert

ot

r the

bic.

nce fromm

oom,

anoramicc

o the maaster

at (past thhe

m and

at my

an’t hear

ellowing

n his

ing half

over the

le extra

trance and

with en suite.

appear to

but I deduce

hotels

t pad

SUITE SPOT

I discover that

our suite has

an extra wing

I never knew

existed

MICHEL FIGUET; JEAN FRANCOIS ROMERO; DAVID LIVINGSTON, JAMIE MCCARTHY/GETTY IMAGES; MATTHEW HORWOOD/ALAMY

CANNES DO The resort’s main beach, in front of La Croisette Continued on page 6→