A faithful partner of the Cannes Film Festival, the palace in Cannes enjoys a privileged relationship with the stars
As everyone knows, in the month of May, Cannes lives in tune to its most famous Festival. The elite of international cinema meet up on the Croisette to discover some of the year’s best movies and finalize budgets for up-coming masterpieces in the allies of the Film Market. The eyes of the entire world are riveted on the men and women who climb the steps of the Palais des Festivals each night, their exquisite silhouettes further embellished by the most illustrious fashion houses.
The Majestic Barrière is, of course, one of the privileged partners of this great “high mass” held in celebration of the Seventh Art. It accommodates 8,000 festival-goers. It hosts about 100 television shows and over 200 radio shows. It covers itself with 80 advertisements, generating income of over 350,000 euros. It empties more than 50 of its rooms to transform them into ephemeral office space. There’s not a single square metre which is not requisitioned for the occasion.
In the preceding summer, the establishment refuses up to to 80 reservations a day for the Festival period. Which does not prevent a few people severely lacking in foresight from turning up at the last minute, like a certain American who, in 1983, set down his bags in the lobby, at the height of the Festival. Lucien Barrière in person, who then kept a private apartment in the hotel, gave it to him. The hotel had to admit that the impromptu guest was not entirely unknown: it was Paul Newman, the unforgettable “Cool Hand Luke”. With his very warm personality, this giant of Hollywood had conquered all the staff by the end of his stay. Stars behind the scenes. The American actor was not the only one to leave a lasting impression.
Far from capitalizing on their celebrity status, many movie-stars have shone by their friendliness. One example is Jean Rochefort who, impeccable in his white tuxedo, maintains his reputation as a real gentleman on each of his visits. The housekeeping staff at the Majestic Barrière also cherish an excellent memory of the first visit of Béatrice Dalle. She insisted on meeting all of them as soon as she arrived. Hélène de Fougerolles is also unanimously popular, charming everyone with her simplicity and serenity a few hours before stepping on the famous red carpet, she would be seen reading quietly in the sun, in the hotel gardens. Then there is the sublime Gong Li, whose delicacy is matched only by her beauty. Welcomed in Chinese by a trainee, this beautiful Asian actress persuaded the hotel management to allow the young girl to act as her interpreter for the duration of her stay in Cannes.
Another characteristic largely shared among the Majestic Barrière’s most famous guests is a taste for good food. Morgan Freeman and Chris Tucker have treated themselves to a balotine of duck foie gras with bacon followed by a steak of Canary drum with cumin. Sting once enlisted the help of three cooks from the hotel’s kitchen brigade to comment on the dishes for his dinner, explain how they were prepared and give him the recipe. Michèle Laroque just adored the caramels the chef proposed to her after her meal. So much so that she sent him an order for an impressive quantity. As for the appetite of Jeff Goldblum, it became apparent as early as breakfast time. His ritual never changes: after a really daunting workout, the American orders a breakfast which is, in fact, a hearty meal. On the menu: two bowls of porridge, an omelette, salmon, mixed salad and a bowl of strawberries. And yet, ‘The Fly’ keeps a figure that has earned him the admiration of many fans, including one mysterious admirer who, one year, had a bouquet of 50 red roses delivered three days in a row.
Morgan Freeman at Cannes – Photo by George Biard
A Unique Collection
At the Majestic Barrière, the magic of the Film Festival only lasts about twelve days. However it lives on all year-round thanks to a remarkable collection of over 800 photographs. 400 were acquired in 1999 to adorn the walls of Le Fouquet’s Cannes. In the winter of 2008, over 1,000 more black-and-white prints were obtained to decorate the corridors and staircases of the hotel itself. 500 more photos now adorn the new wing. Tracing 60 years of the Festival, the walls of images exhibit the most talented stars in Hollywood (Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg…) as well as the superstars of French cinema: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Romy Schneider, Catherine Deneuve… Curiously, it has been noticed that guests linger longer over some portraits than others. Guess which? Those, of course, of the most beautiful women in the history of the movies: Grace Kelly, Halle Berry, Laetitia Casta and SharonStone, to name but a few
Sharon Stone-Photo by Siebbi
Hôtels Majestic Barrière
10, La Croisette
Cannes
Tel. +33 (0)4 92 98 77 00
www.lucienbarriere.com