Five Seas Hotel

A Design Hotel Perched Above Le Suquet's Rooftops

A minute's walk from the Palais des Festivals, Five Seas occupies a quiet corner near the Old Port, its forty-five rooms spread over a building that belongs to the Design Hotels collection rather than any single hotel chain. The address gives little away from the street; the real argument for staying here is six floors up, where a slim infinity pool and a restaurant kitchen share a terrace overlooking the terracotta roofs of the historic Suquet district. It is a different proposition from the grand beachfront palaces along the Croisette: smaller, quieter, and built around a single standout space rather than a long list of amenities.

Why It Works

We chose Five Seas for Le Roof, the sixth-floor restaurant and pool bar where chef Lori Moreau cooks French-Mediterranean bistro plates for guests who have just come up from the beach or in from a festival screening. The pool itself is narrow rather than sprawling, but the setting, looking over the Old Port instead of the sea, gives it a character the sea-facing rooftops nearby cannot copy. Add forty-five rooms finished in light, sea-toned tones with canopied beds, and the hotel reads as a boutique, design-led alternative to Cannes's grander addresses.

Why This Location

Rue Notre Dame sits between the Palais des Festivals and the Old Port, close enough to the convention halls to matter during festival weeks and quiet enough the rest of the year to feel residential. The beach is a short walk away, rue d'Antibes and its shops are close by, and the Suquet's old town, with its steep lanes and hilltop views, rises just behind the hotel. For travellers juggling screenings, meetings or simply the Croisette crowds, the location trades a sea view for genuine proximity to everything Cannes is built around.

Fast Facts

• Price: €€€€

• Vibe: Boutique design hotel, rooftop-led, quietly central

• Rooms: 45 rooms and suites, light and sea-toned interiors

• Best For: Travellers who want a standout rooftop and festival-week proximity over beachfront space

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: Le Roof's infinity pool and its view over Le Suquet

• Dining: Le Roof restaurant and bar, French-Mediterranean bistro cuisine by chef Lori Moreau

• Amenities: Spa, fitness centre, concierge, valet parking

• Attractions: Palais des Festivals and Old Port (a few minutes' walk), Le Suquet old town (adjoining), rue d'Antibes shops (close by)

Le Roof: An Infinity Pool and a Kitchen by Lori Moreau

The hotel's sixth-floor terrace does double duty as pool deck, bar and restaurant, open daily from midday into the small hours. The infinity pool runs about thirteen metres, long enough for a proper lounge session rather than a dip, and is reserved mainly for hotel guests, which keeps it calm even in high season. Chef Lori Moreau's menu leans on French bistro classics with Mediterranean touches, served at the bar or at tables with a view over the Old Port and the rooftops of Le Suquet rather than the open sea, a trade most guests seem happy to make for the setting's intimacy.

Rooms Built Around Light and Sea Tones

The forty-five rooms favour a pale, sea-toned palette over heavy decoration, with canopied beds, modern entertainment systems and the kind of nightly turndown service that signals a full-service address rather than a boutique shortcut. Junior and more spacious suite categories are available for longer stays or guests who want a separate sitting area. Minibars are restocked rather than left static, a small but telling detail, and the overall feel favours calm and brightness over the maximalist design some Cannes boutiques lean on.

Before You Book: Spa, Parking and When to Go

The hotel has a small spa and fitness room on site, useful for guests not venturing beyond the neighbourhood, and valet parking is available for those arriving by car, a genuine convenience in a part of Cannes where street parking is difficult. The sixth-floor pool and restaurant are at their best outside the two weeks of the Festival de Cannes, when rooftop bars across the city fill quickly, and booking the terrace ahead is worth it during that window. Outside festival season, the location's quiet, residential character becomes the main selling point rather than a trade-off against the busier Croisette hotels.