- While the boulevard de la Croisette, known worldwide for the stars who walk along it every May, is under construction until 2026, that of the Carlton, the legendary star hotel, has just been completed.
- The Belle Époque establishment has undergone a transformation that is as spectacular inside as it is discreet on its facade, which is listed as a historical monument.
- If the management of the hotel “never gives any figures”, some well-informed observers advance astronomical sums: nearly 350 million euros have been put on the table in the space of three years.
The illustrious Croisette is under construction. The most famous boulevard in Cannes, world famous for the stars who roam it every May, “was no longer on the level,” according to Mayor David Lisnard. Work scheduled until 2026 will “reinvent the legend” to which luxury hotels also take part which mark out the 2.6 km facing the Mediterranean. “Aging”, they too have given themselves a big boost. After the Martinez and the Grand Hotel, now Mondrian, it is the mythical Carlton which has just completed a transformation as spectacular inside as it is discreet on its Belle Époque façade, listed as a historical monument.
Inaugurated 110 years ago, the five-star establishment where Alfred Hitchcock, Grace Kelly and Barack Obama have succeeded, has reviewed everything from floor to ceiling for a gargantuan envelope of several hundred million euros. Very (very) great maneuvers that 20 Minutes tells you.
A pharaonic construction site
Since its opening in 1913, the Carlton had not known such a building site. A total of 350 companies were mobilized. Up to 750 people, including 333 local artisans and craftsmen, worked there simultaneously. And not just to review the existing one. From A to Z. In the rooms as well as in the common areas. The car park has also become underground, freeing up space in the inner courtyard where the change has been radical.
It now houses a garden, with some 22,000 plants, and a swimming pool in a dream setting, open to the sea thanks to large bay windows. “We have also added two additional wings,” recalls director Giuseppe Vincelli. Things have been seen in a very (very) big way. In addition to the original 32,000 m2, the Carlton, on seven floors, now has 20,000 m2 of additional space to offer a total of 332 rooms, including 52 suites, and 37 residences, in pastel, beige and ocher tones.
Announced in 2014, the work required nearly three years of study and was finally started in 2019. “Covid-19 helped us make the decision to close the hotel [à l’automne 2020] to speed up the work”, also recalls the manager.
A huge budget
If the management of the hotel “never gives any figures”, some well-informed observers advance astronomical sums: nearly 350 million euros have been put on the table in the space of three years. “It’s a magnificent investment”, loose the boss, “But, myself, I do not know the amount”, he also assures.
A few days ago, during the inauguration, the LR mayor of Cannes David Lisnard hailed for his part “the biggest hotel investment in recent years in Europe”. Katara Hospitality, the owner of the establishment since 2014, has the financial strength. Very widely. The portfolio of this sovereign wealth fund of the government of Qatar, which currently has 42 establishments owned and/or managed around the world, should continue to grow to reach 60 by 2030.
This project is accompanied by an increase in range and prices, as the hotel has moved from the Intercontinental brand to Regent. A room with a sea view can be rented from 1,300 euros. And the note can still fly away very quickly depending on the services and the square meters offered. Notably in the Grace Kelly and Cary Grant suites in the historic building or in the 500 m2 penthouse (and its terrace of the same size) built in the new wing. Again, the hotel prefers not to say too much. “We are often in negotiation”, we simply explain on the spot.
A historic challenge
Opened in 1913 to welcome the British on winter vacation on the Côte d’Azur, the Carlton crossed the 20th century by taking on History(s). Before seeing the greatest stars of cinema, from 1946 and the first International Film Festival, the Hôtel de la Croisette had already been the scene in 1922 of the first major meeting of the League of Nations, the ancestor of the United Nations Organization (UN). On February 16, 1926, in a completely different atmosphere, on one of the seven tennis courts which then adjoined the establishment, Suzanne Lenglen won the “match of the century” against Helen Wills. The final of the Carlton Club tournament had then fascinated the crowds between the French legend and his American challenger.
Memories, a heritage, which the architect Richard Lavelle and the interior designer Tristan Auer have endeavored to stage, on all floors. “The clay [un revêtement né sur la Côte d’Azur] is found in the reception desk and in the joints of the tiles in the bathrooms, explains Giuseppe Vincelli. We have done everything to keep the soul of the place. The hotel, nicknamed “The Old Lady” for its English roots, “is a beautiful lady that needed a facelift but had a very strong, timeless character,” he continues.
The facade, the lobby, the Grand salon or the monumental stairs of the Carlton are classified as historical monuments. There was therefore no question of distorting them. Some elements have even traveled back in time. The impressive columns on the ground floor have regained their raw marble, camouflaged under eight coats of paint. Cupolas with painted and gilded decorations have been (re)uncovered under false ceilings.