Hotel Colette Cannes

Bentleys glide through the streets. Super yachts bask in the bay. It’s August in Cannes: playtime for mega rich show-offs, both vulgar and fabulous.

The good news is that in the midst of all this ostentation it’s possible to find a boutique hotel that doesn’t take itself too seriously, or break the bank. Hotel Colette, enchanté.

Hotel Colette’s interior design is chic but fun. Rooms are decorated in a minimalist style with punchy accents such as pop-art portraits that pay homage to glamorous film stars Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe.

Exotic ceramic sea creatures evoke the turquoise charms of the Côte d’Azur. After dark, ambient pink lighting transforms the lobby. In the morning, sunlight floods the breakfast room sending sparkly reflections dancing across the floor from the wall-mounted mirrored deer’s head.

But the hotel’s pièce de résistance is its central location. Situated just opposite the train station, right next to Rue Antibes (Cannes’ main shopping street) and within a short stroll of La Croisette, Hotel Colette proved to be the ideal base for exploring the starry sights of Cannes as well as neighbouring towns such as Grasse and Juan Les Pins.

What Else?

L’Occitane products, fluffy bathrobes and slippers were a welcome surprise at the end of a busy day of travel.
A weekly market takes place within a two-minute walk from the hotel. Finds included a pair of yellow leather flats emblazoned with Toulouse Lautrec Can-Can dancers (as you do) and a straw trilby.

There is a good selection of restaurants and bars located within a short walk from the hotel. Chez Vincent & Nicolas on Rue Meynadier in Cannes’ old town is a hip little haunt for dinner.

Verdict:

In this fiercely superficial city, Hotel Colette is a warm and welcoming boutique haven, perfectly located for shopping, sight-seeing and day-tripping by train from Cannes. Definitely a petit trésor!