The Hôtel Martinez, CANNES the other Festival Palace…

Once upon a time Cannes, “la croisette ”

Beaches of fine sand, palm trees, luxury boutiques and palatial hotels, the BOULEVARD LA CROISETTE is without doubt Cannes’ showcase. Cannes, the star-studded town, dazzles under the spot lights of the International Film Festival. It was merely a small fishing village when, in 1834, Lord Brougham had to make an unexpected stop there during the long journey from England to Italy. He fell under its spell and, before long, many English aristocrats were making the most of Cannes’ mild winter.

Refined residences were built all over the town. A railway linking Cannes to Toulon was constructed. The excavated earth was used to build a seafront promenade called CHEMIN DE LA CROISETTE. “Croisette” refers to a small cross long revered by the people of Cannes; they built it in the Middle Ages, facing the Lerins Islands right at the end of the Bay of Cannes, in order to ward off the Saracens and other invaders.

In 1866, the first private beach was created, dozens of palm trees were planted, benches were installed and gas lighting fitted... making the seafront the hub of local social life. La Croisette was renamed BOULEVARD DE L’IMPÉRATRICE. Its original name was not used again until 1871.

The Hotel Martinez the history of the Riviera’s greatest hotel

A villa - “La Coquette” at 73, BOULEVARD DE LA CROISETTE - was built at the beginning of the Cannes real estate boom set in motion by pioneering English aristocrats including Lord Brougham, Lord Woolfield and Sir Temple Leader.

This property was purchased in 1874 by Francis II, the exiled last King of the Two Sicilies. It was improved, renovated, extended and renamed the “Villa Marie-Thérèse” by the destitute king… forced to abandon his title, thus becoming the Count of Caserta. It was the venue for society events during the Third Republic (1870-1914), but lost some of its splendour during the First World War (1914-18) and its reputation declined during the Roaring Twenties.

Sold at the time when the first great hotels were flourishing on the Croisette, it was purchased by MR EMMANUEL MARTINEZ, Chairman of the Société des Grands Hôtels de Cannes, who demolished it to build the LARGEST HOTEL IN THE REGION (architects: Messrs. Palermo and Mayer). It was on 1st December 1927 that construction work began on the Hotel Martinez… a phenomenal building site that required 490 foundation stakes (each with a bearing capacity of 95 tonnes) and the sinking of 450 cubic metres of reinforced concrete.

The work, carried out by the Annella company from Marseilles, was ended quickly… and on 17TH FEBRUARY 1929, despite the economic events shaking the world (the Wall Street Crash and the start of the American Depression), Emmanuel Martinez was delighted to announce the opening of one of THE LARGEST HOTELS ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA.

A year later, before the major social upheavals during the Popular Front period, Cannes, hitherto a winter resort , decided to ESTABLISH THE SUMMER SEASON; at a meeting on 2nd August 1931 the major hotel managers decided to stay open during the summer.

The Second World War and Nazi Occupation were to cast a shadow over everything. However, after the Liberation of France, the Hotel Martinez regained its lustre and prestige by welcoming THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS.

In the greatly joyous moments of Victory, the hotel organised a party in honour of the US Air Force.

It went on to host other events and shows; including a fund-raising gala - starring the famous music hall star MISTINGUETT - to benefit orphans of the Resistance. Emmanuel Martinez

A prestigious visitor’s book a testimony to an astonishing saga

The visitor’s book at the Hotel Martinez is a fine testimony to the tremendous saga of “Cannes, city of the stars”. Some of the TWENTIETH CENTURY’S MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PERSONALITIES have signed its pages… Over the decades, Paul Valéry, the Duke of Montmorency, André Citroën, Caroline Otéro, Archduke Franz-Joseph and many artists, writers, actors and singers alongside kings, princes, emirs, statesmen and businessmen have stayed at the hotel on the Croisette. Its distinguished guests include the PRESIDENT OF CHINA, the PRESIDENT OF FRANCE, his Prime Minister, and eighteen heads of state and government who attended the twenty-fifth Franco-African summit. Not forgetting, of course, the many MOVIE and FASHION STARS present during the International Film Festival since its creation in 1946.

A Festival of Stars . . . 1946 La Croisette ties the knot with Cinema

In May of each year, Cannes and its celebrated Croisette buzz with the Festival du Film activities. This planetary event was launched in 1939 by Philippe Erlanger but Louis Lumière, the brilliant inventor of motion pictures, could not preside the Festival because World War II broke out. It was not until 1946 that the first Festival actually took place. Since then, this incredible saga has gone from one century into another making Cannes the capital of the Movie World. The 12-day matchless festival has proved immensely popular and crowds admire the planet’s greatest stars and directors climbing the red-carpeted stairs to the Palais des Festivals …

73, La Croisette 06400 Cannes . France . T+33 (0)4 92 98 73 00 . F +33 (0)4 93 39 67 82 martinez@hotel-martinez.com . www.hotel-martinez.com

Tommy Lee Jones, Viggo Mortessen, Willem Dafoe, Colin Firth, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Edouard Norton, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jackie Chan and so many other actors choose the Martinez… The “Palme d’Or” goes to Clint Eastwood, David Lynch, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Aniston and Quentin Tarantino who always enjoy succulent meals at the gourmet restaurant named after the famous Award…

Directors in competition, actors, members of the jury as well as the Dream Team l'Oréal models including Laéticia Casta, Gong Li, Mila Jovovitch, Andy Mac Dowell, Virginie Ledoyen, Eva Longoria, Natalie Imbruglia… muses of Chopard, Dior and Chanel, star television presenters, etc... have their rooms, their suites and their lifestyle at the Martinez. © PHOTOS : DUROSELLE, QUITTOT, FIF, HÔTEL MARTINEZ - CONCEPTION : IMPRIMERIE SICA (06) - 2006

The Hôtel Martinez, the other F e s t i v a l Palace…

Effervescence is at a peak… Hundreds of VIPs are filling the bedrooms at the Martinez, relaxing in the hotel’s salons, coming and going in limousines, dressed in their evening refinery, climbing Those Stairs. They are faced with thousands of onlookers lining the Croisette who have come to look, to take pictures and to get autographs… and to attend the hundreds of screenings, day and night, at the Palais des Festivals.

In this very special context, each spring, the Hôtel Martinez - the biggest establishment on the Croisette – becomes the centre of the cinematographic galaxy where all the great stars in the movie world choose to stay.

Le Martinez welcomes leading directors, longstanding clients, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Gus Van Sant, David Cronenberg, Lars Von Trier, Emir Kusturica, Pedro Almodovar, Roman Polanski…

And, of course, there is the pleasure of seeing some of the world’s most beautiful and talented stars such as Monica Belluci, Catherine Deneuve, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jodie Foster, Rosanna Arquette, Scarlett Johansson, Liz Hurley, Meg Ryan, Ashley Judd, Claudia Cardinale, Penelope Cruz, Emmanuelle Beart, Isabelle Adjani, Sophie Marceau, Juliette Binoche…

Hôtel Martinez
73 La Croisette
06406 Cannes
France
Tel. : 04 92 98 73 00
www.hotel-martinez.com
Farouk CHEKOUFI