From the balcony of my suite in Cannes, I can see the red carpet of the Palais des Festivals et des Congres. This must be the best room in the French film capital, where the Cannes Film Festival is set to run from May 12 to 23.
Unparalleled Glamour
The glamour of the Christian Dior suite at Hotel Barriere Le Majestic is off the scale. The prestigious fashion house is behind the suite's design - the only one of its kind in Europe - and I have bagged a night staying in it. I step across elegant parquet floors onto plush carpeting that sinks beneath my feet, taking in pictures on the walls of Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren.
Sparkly silver sofas, bowls of fruit and a photograph of Dior himself feature in a central 'salon', on either side of which are matching bedroom-bathroom-lounges entered through sliding doors. It is effectively a double suite - and I have brought my best friend along to enjoy the other half.
On the sliding doors is the signature cannage Dior motif that adorns famous pieces such as the Lady Dior handbags favoured by - and named for - the late Princess Diana.
Star-Studded History
To one side is a dining room with a dark wooden table that would be perfect for a lavish dinner party. This can be arranged. I am in the heart of the star-studded French Riviera... and I can hardly believe my luck.
Adrien, our personal butler for the day, informs us that during the film festival, the suite is booked by the House of Dior and transformed from a luxe hotel room for four into a giant dressing room. Those being dressed by Dior for the red carpet glide through as a production line of beauty is set up. By the time they emerge, sometimes hours later, ballgowns are on and hair is, of course, perfectly coiffed.
The list of celebrities who have stayed at the Majestic during the festival includes Catherine Deneuve, Monica Bellucci, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Isabelle Huppert, Sophie Marceau, Tommy Lee Jones, Jack Nicholson and Nicole Kidman. Yet it is clear the hotel is geared up to provide Hollywood treatment to all guests.
A Day in Cannes
So how to spend our time in Cannes? To make the most of it, on our butler's recommendation, we lunch at Ciro's beach club. Here, we sip champagne, watching the tables of Chanel-clad guests dining around us. C'est la vie.
Trays of oysters pass by, and the sight of wine buckets filled with ice are as common here as the handbag puppies dining alongside their owners. And when we spot one particularly glamorous blonde woman with sunglasses almost covering her entire face, we try to deduce if she is a local, or a celeb we cannot quite place.
Afterwards, we go shopping in Cannes's fashionable Croisette district, dropping into the Dior boutique, naturellement. Then, after checking out the city's old quarter, we head back to our suite to prepare for dinner and dress up.
Indulgent Preparations
This feels highly indulgent. I enjoy an hour-long bath pretending I am Brigitte Bardot before towelling off with the softest bath towel I have ever felt. I do my makeup and hair at a vintage-style dresser and pick my outfit from the options I have hung up in the walk-in closet.
My friend is doing the same, and we emerge new women - red-carpet ready, although the only carpet we see is the one leading along the corridor to our dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant.
Dinner and Spa
Dinner at Fouquet's - soon to be replaced by an American-style Beefbar - is a treat. We opt for the beef tenderloin steak with peppercorn sauce, entrusting our choice of red wine to the waiter. Of course, his choice is perfect. One glass turns into two faster than we can decide whether to enjoy a creme brulee or chocolate fondant for dessert.
We are not, however, finished with luxury. The next day we go to the on-site spa for some pampering. Le Majestic Spa's offerings include facials, treatments and more. I opt for a full-body massage with a jasmine essential oil. I leave feeling calm enough to walk the red carpet (were I to be called upon).
Old-School Glamour
Old-school glamour is the best way to describe this hotel's ambience, with plenty of pomp and ceremony, but a warm welcome, too. Elevated and expensive, without being snobbish.
The only thing that could possibly have made it better is if Christian Dior had dressed me himself. A girl can dream.
Travel Facts
- Hotel Barriere Le Majestic doubles from €243 (£210) (hotelsbarriere.com).
- The Dior suite can be booked from €18,000 (£15,600).
