The Mondrian Hotel Opens Its Doors in Cannes
Drinks in the garden of the…Mondrian?
It might take a minute to get used to the new moniker, but the original lifestyle hotel brand has taken up residence in the home of the former Grand. The sprawling gardens have traditionally been one of the festival’s favorite meeting spots, serving as an oasis from the bustle of the boulevard.
More from WWD
The greenery and its century-old palm trees have been preserved, while the terrace has been expanded to provide a place to spend a minute away from the madness. A dedicated martini cart rolls by for afternoon apéro until 11 p.m.
Inside, Brazilian-French architectural firm Triptyque, known for helming art installations at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and Paris’ Pompidou Center, has taken advantage of the building’s expansive space following a 20 million euro revamp. What the structure lacks in exterior charm is compensated for with a new marble staircase and sleek wood paneling throughout the lobby, which plays off the office-block modernism of the 1960s building.
Works from visual artist Mathilde de l’Ecotais, wife of famed chef Thierry Marx, bring sea and sky inside the hotel. De l’Ecotais sought balance in the design, which is infused with some Eastern elements, considering both environment and emotion.
“My work is of course inspired by the times we live in — the climate emergency, the need to take into account the environment, the need to eat well with intelligence and lucidity,” she told WWD. Her photography and art works shaped her choices, pulling in calming elements of nature to make the space feel like a safe haven.
The 75 rooms are infused with Art Deco touches. Contemporary furnishings are in teal and white throughout the property, while plush carpets are curved with ripple and wave patterns from textile artist Marie Bastide.
For the smallest five-star hotel on the boulevard, the architects have configured generous rooms with high ceilings, including two top floor suites with wide terraces. The pièce de résistance is the Panoramic suite, with its shower room allowing guests to step out into a rooftop hot tub.
The lobby bar has been moved back to accommodate a classic zinc slab — a bit of Parisian flair on the Riviera. Seating is bookended by the Mr. Nakamoto restaurant, where the menu was reimagined by London-based chef Alex Craciun to highlight local fare with Japanese influences. Cannois chef Hervé Busson stayed on board to helm the kitchen.
The Mondrian brand plays up its art world connections, and has dotted the lobby with famous modern works from Roy Lichtenstein, Ruth Block and Mario del Fabbro.
Its seaside club has undergone a revamp too, emerging as Hyde Beach, but will be privatized during the festival hosting a slate of junkets, long lunches and late-night premiere after parties. Celebrity cult brand Augustinus Bader will be hosting its pop-up skin care suite throughout the festival to get guests red-carpet ready.
With locations in Miami, New York, Doha, Seoul and London after its original Los Angeles flagship, French hotel group Accor plans to expand the Mondrian brand across Europe. A second Mondrian outpost is scheduled to open in Bordeaux, France, in September.
Best of WWD
