Hotels Reviews

Review: Intercontinental Carlton Cannes

a walkway leading to a large building

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Review: Intercontinental Carlton Cannes

If you’re just tuning in…Hello! You’re amidst an epic around the world surprise trip celebrating my mom’s 75th birthday. There were two big places that we sought out to hit on the trip: Bali and Grasse, France.  Grasse is roughly 30 minutes from Cannes and home to the Molinard factory which makes the perfume my mom has worn for 50 years. It’s been a lifelong dream of hers to visit the factory.  We’d selected the Intercontinental Carlton Cannes as a great spot to use our IHG free nights and points with its close proximity to Grasse and unbelievable location and history  as the grande dame of the Boulevard de la Croisette. We arrived into Nice and headed to the Intercontinental Carlton Cannes via Blacklane. THIS WAS THE FINAL DESTINATION!

a door to a building

There are several very nice hotels on the beach in Cannes, but the Intercontinental Cannes is iconic.

While we were checking in, my mom started to mosey around the lobby. RIGHT BY A MOLINARD SIGN. She tried to cover up her excitement, but she couldn’t. It all dawned her at the moment as to why we were in Cannes…to visit the Molinard factory

a large flower arrangement in a large room

a book with a picture of a bottle and two small boxes

The Deets:

  • When: April 2017
  • Where: Cannes, France
  • Loyatly: IHG Spire and Intercontinental Ambassador
  • Cost:
    • 4 total nights, 2 rooms
      • 2 free credit cards nights
      • 5 nights at 50k points
      • 1 night at 60k points
  • Benefits
    • Free Wifi
    • Upgrade to Superior City View room
    • Welcome gift

The rooms are large, but are in need of a facelift..

There’s no doubt that the hotel has seen it’s best days, but the allure isn’t so much in the rooms, but rather the bar and restaurants. This is a place to be seen, not hide away in your room.

A design feature that I hope they keep as renovations expand…the built in wardrobe closet.

a closet with shelves and a radio

The biggest complaint would be the shower set up. Very awkward and tiny. It’s hard to tell from the pic below but you step up into the shower and stand in a basin. It’s quite slick and very narrow.

The view from the room

a city at night with trees and buildings

We had fruit and chocolates as a welcome gift

A clear view from the room

a building with a view of the ocean

The Spa and Gym

A very small space with equipment that is fairly old. I’m not sure it really matters though, I doubt the holiday guest frequently this hotel is looking to get in mega gym work outs.

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Cool Design Features

This staircase leads up to the rooms, but look at the design features. Molding, wrought iron, and what’s tucked into a corner? The business center. No it’s not large, but it’s so cool.

 

The Carlton Bar is famed and packed with celebs during the festival.

The Famed Carlton Beach Restaurant.

We chose to eat here on our last day. It’s mega $$$ as is everything about the hotel, but worth splurging for a meal or a drink. I believe my tuna nicoise salad was almost $30. Crazy.

Look at this beach set up.

It was a little cold on this particular day, but still beautiful.

a beach with chairs and umbrellas

The pier that’s attached is even lined with beach chairs. The cool factor is on blast.

a stuffed animal on a lounge chair

Not far from the hotel is the Rue d’Antibes.

You’ll find bakeries, restaurants, clothing stores, and lots of people watching

a street with buildings and cars

I was really happy we chose this hotel.

Unbelievable bones and worksmanship. It feels as if it’s from a different era, and this is sort hotels my mom loves. We took advantage of it’s location and walked the streets of Cannes, stopping to have a drink, pastry, and enjoy the sea air. It really feels as if you’ve arrived.  We stayed the week before the festival which meant everything was being set up, constructed, and a bumping energy could be felt all around the city.  Availability was wide open when we locked in dates, roughly 6 months in advance. There are times during they year when you can snag this grande dame for under 200 Euros. That’s a great deal and one that warrants paying the cash rate vs using points.

a stuffed animal next to a sign

If you’re thinking of coming during peak holiday beach season…prices can range 500-600 Euro a night for the room we had, and entry level rooms aren’t much cheaper. Using a free IHG credit card night is perfect, and if you need some extra point you can always buy them for roughly $0.006 per point ( even cheaper when they’re on sale.) This is the time to really make great use of points, and availability is still pretty solid.


You don’t have to stop here. Check out how we paid $5k and took a $125k Surprise trip Around The World to celebrate my Mom’s 75th

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Flights:

Hotels:

Lounges

Afternoon Tea

TIPS:

 

 

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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Main Cast: 

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