Hôtel Martinez – art deco on the Croisette and Cannes' first Palace

A hotelier from Palermo opened the Martinez on La Croisette in February 1929. In June 2026, the white art deco building became the first hotel in Cannes to be awarded Atout France's Palace status.

On 2 June 2026, Hôtel Martinez became the first hotel in Cannes to be awarded Palace status, the highest classification issued by Atout France. It took 97 years. The hotel opened on La Croisette on 20 February 1929, and the white art deco building has since been one of the most famous façades along the Cannes seafront.

The Martinez stands further east along La Croisette from the Palais des Festivals, and it is one of the hotels that fill up every May when the film festival is on.

01Emmanuel Martinez from Palermo

The founder Emmanuel Michele Martinez was born in Palermo in 1882 and had worked as a hotel manager in London and Paris. In 1927 he bought Villa Marie-Thérèse on the Croisette to build his own hotel on the Mediterranean. The architect Charles Palmero from Nice designed the building together with Pierre Veunevot, and on 20 February 1929 it partly opened.

The result was a seven-storey building in art deco style with its façade facing the sea. In 2001, the building was entered into France's inventory of cultural heritage. Karan Singh, Crown Prince of Jammu and Kashmir, was born at the hotel in 1931.

02The war, the state and new owners

During the Second World War, the hotel was requisitioned in turn by the French army, the Italian army, the Armistice Commission and the German army. After the Liberation, the American air force took over, and the hotel was later placed under state administration.

In 1981, the state sold the hotel to Concorde Hotels & Resorts in the Taittinger group. In 2012, Constellation Hotels Holdings bought it, and in 2013 it became part of Hyatt under the name Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez.

03The 150-million-euro renovation

In 2016, the owners began a renovation worth €150 million with Pierre-Yves Rochon as artistic director. The work was carried out in four stages. The hotel closed on 30 October 2017 and fully reopened in spring 2018, at which point it operated under its original name. Between 2020 and 2022, two penthouse floors totalling 1,250 square metres were added.

The hotel today has 410 rooms and suites according to Atout France. Facing the Croisette, the old pool has been replaced by the Jardin du Martinez, a garden designed by Philippe Niez.

04La Palme d'Or and the spa on the seventh floor

The hotel's gastronomic restaurant is called La Palme d'Or, named after the film festival's highest prize. It reopened on 13 May 2024 under chef Jean Imbert and received a star in the Guide Michelin in March 2025. The executive head chef is Alexandre Elia.

On the seventh floor is L'Oasis du Martinez, a 2,800-square-metre spa under the Carita brand, with ten treatment rooms, a gym and a pool. The hotel also has its own beach, La Plage du Martinez, with a jetty out into the bay.

05Cannes beyond the festival

Outside festival week, Cannes is a quieter city. The old quarter of Le Suquet lies to the west, the Lérins Islands are a short boat ride away, and in the hills behind the town lies Le Cannet. More about the coast can be found in VERA PI's guide to the French Riviera, and the Martinez's neighbour on the seafront is in our story about the Carlton.

06How to make the most of a stay at the Martinez

During the film festival in May, the Martinez is fully booked well in advance and prices are higher than usual. We recommend choosing early summer or autumn, requesting a sea-view room, and booking a table at La Palme d'Or at the same time as the room.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.